Over the past decade, we have seen the sharing economy evolve. Around the globe, thousands of companies have emerged, offering nearly anything for rent — from kitchenware and household appliances to cars and commercial equipment. However, the Achilles' heel of many rental services, especially smaller ones, remains low automation in their business processes. Most of these companies operate manually, relying on spreadsheets, various disconnected tools, or even paper documentation, which leads to poor quality and slower operations.
Kazakhstan-based platform Yume.cloud aims to automate all business processes for rental companies. Founder Birzhan Shakarim shared the platform’s advantages, scaling potential, real-world use cases, and future plans.
Follow Kazakhstan’s Startup Movement in the "100 Startup Stories of Kazakhstan", a collaborative project by ER10 Media and Astana Hub. This initiative highlights the most innovative Kazakh startups, showcasing projects that stand out for their creativity and impact. Among the heroes are Astana Hub residents, as well as creators of other innovative technological products and services. The content is available in Kazakh, Russian and English.
A Large Platform for Rental Companies
– What is the core idea behind the Yume.cloud startup?
– Yume.cloud is a versatile platform that automates the business processes of rental companies. We help businesses move away from spreadsheets, notebooks, and manual management, making rental operations fast and simple.
On the platform, users can generate contracts, estimates, and records with a single click, sign them via SMS or Egov, and track all documentation in one place. Yume.cloud also allows for warehouse management, transaction tracking, profitability analysis, and even GPS tracking of items.
For customers, the platform offers convenient features such as setting up a loyalty program, personalized offers and creating a website with online booking capabilities. For businesses, there’s analytics on revenue, sublease management, and delivery setup. Our goal is to provide a tool that simplifies operations and opens up new growth opportunities.
– This platform must have a strong analytical component.
– Yes, analytics is a key part of Yume.cloud. Business owners can see everything in one window: completed deals, transactions, expenses, revenue forecasts, and much more. Data is entered once, and the platform automatically provides a full picture of the business.
One particularly valuable feature is the warehouse efficiency analysis. For instance, you can find out that a popular rental tool purchased for 500,000 tenge has already paid for itself and generated a profit of 2 million tenge. This insight helps businesses make decisions about new purchases or eliminating underused items.
In addition, the built-in messenger allows companies to send messages to customers directly from the system, making it even more convenient to interact with customers.
– How was the platform developed? Did you handle it with your team or hire additional specialists?
– At the beginning, there were only four of us: me, a developer, a product manager, and a designer. We did everything ourselves: generating ideas, testing hypotheses, onboarding our first clients, fixing bugs, and constantly improving. It was a chaotic process, but it helped us quickly figure out what our product really needed.
Our team has grown considerably now. We have great developers, and we also have sales and marketing people who help attract clients and show them how everything works. We’re now moving faster and more efficiently, and it’s incredibly motivating to see how the product grows and develops.
Becoming Our Own Client
– How did the idea come about? How did you identify the market pain?
– The idea came from personal experience. I’m involved in renting out film equipment, and during our work, our team faced problems with accounting, analytics, and automation. We tried different platforms, but none of them fully met our needs. That’s when we decided to create a service specifically for rental companies. Thus, Yume.cloud was born, and we became its first users.
Our advantage is that we understand the rental market and all its nuances. This understanding allowed us to create a platform that truly addresses business problems and helps our clients grow.
– Why the rental market?
– The rental and sharing market is growing rapidly, especially among young people, who increasingly prefer using things rather than owning them. The annual growth of this sector is about 10-12%, and new players inevitably face the need for process automation. Yume.cloud was created specifically to help such companies operate faster, more conveniently, and more efficiently.
– What is the monetization model of the platform?
– Our model is simple and transparent. The primary source of income is subscriptions: users pay a fixed amount each month based on the set of features and usage volume. Clients only pay for what they truly need.
Additionally, we generate revenue from integrations, such as SMS services and other third-party platforms. In the future, we plan to introduce acquiring services to make it even easier for clients to handle payments directly within the system.
Focus on Scaling
– Does the platform already have clients?
– Yes, since August 2024, we have been actively promoting Yume.cloud, and we have already onboarded companies from various sectors: construction tool rentals, ski equipment, electronics, and even clothing, including wedding dresses. We also have our first clients from the UAE and Saudi Arabia, where we are integrating car rental services.
– Does the startup need investment at this stage?
– Yume.cloud is showing steady growth and we are currently focused on product development and expanding our customer base.
We plan to open a Seed round in 2025. By then, we aim to be well-prepared with a significant increase in client numbers, steady MRR, and proven demand in international markets. This will allow us to attract funds for scaling into new markets.
– Are you planning to fully expand into foreign markets? Has Kazakhstan become too small for you?
– Kazakhstan serves as our R&D platform. Here, we test ideas, refine the platform, and prepare for scaling. The local market is small but allows for efficient hypothesis testing and product optimization.
Our main focus is the MENA region. We are already starting to work with clients in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, where we see tremendous potential. Our goal is not just to enter international markets but to solve real client pains and demonstrate the value of our platform. If we become a global unicorn along the way, that would be a pleasant bonus.
– Have you participated in any acceleration programs?
– Not yet. I came to startups from traditional business, already understanding the market pain and having a ready product. However, I recognize the importance of acceleration programs, especially for scaling and entering international markets. This is the kind of experience that could be very valuable to our team in the near future.
Leveraging Competitors' Experience for Our Own Success
– Do you have competitors in local and international markets? Can you handle the market competition?
– We have no direct competitors in Kazakhstan, as the rental market is just starting to develop here, and there are practically no automation products in this area.
At the international level, competition exists, but mainly in niche solutions targeting specific categories, such as car rentals or real estate. There are only a few global, universal platforms that cover different rental sectors.
For us, competition is a sign of the market’s potential. We’ve carefully analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of other products and built a platform that combines extensive functionality with an intuitive interface. Clients often note that working with Yume.cloud is more convenient than using alternatives.
– How do you see the future of your startup in 5-10 years?
– I believe that in 5-10 years we will be a global company with clients all over the world. We will continue to develop the rental market by creating solutions that simplify business management and make it more efficient.
Our goal is to become the platform of choice for companies of all sizes and industries to automate processes, improve service, and grow with us. We are confident that the rental market will only continue to expand, and we want to be at the center of these changes.
– Do you think Kazakh startups can compete on the global market? What competitive advantages do local projects have?
– Of course they can! Kazakhstani startups have several strengths. First, flexibility. We are accustomed to working with limited resources, quickly adapting, and finding unconventional solutions. Second, the relatively low cost of development allows us to create high-quality products with fewer expenses.
Currently, there are more and more opportunities for startups in the country: investments, acceleration programs, and support from platforms like Astana Hub. I like the trend where many projects are initially focused on international markets. This helps startups grow faster, test their ideas on a global audience, and become competitive.
We are also moving in this direction, preparing for scaling and expanding beyond the local market. Kazakh startups are capable of holding a worthy place on the global stage, and I believe we have all the chances to succeed.
A Big Mission
– What do you think is the mission of your startup, Yume.cloud?
– Our mission is to support the development of the sharing economy, where people use resources efficiently. Renting helps reduce overproduction, cut down expenses on things that are rarely used, and positively impacts the environment by reducing waste.
If we help companies in this sector to grow and scale, it will lead to long-term change that will be felt not only by businesses but also by society as a whole.
– What dream would you like to fulfill with your startup?
– The name Yume translates from Japanese as "dream" and our entire journey is about making that dream come true. My dream is to make Yume.cloud a global platform that helps rental businesses all over the world. And if we become a unicorn, that will be a wonderful confirmation that dreams do come true.
There’s nothing impossible
– What inspires you in your work?
– My main inspiration is the mountains. I’m passionate about trekking, and I’ve been to Nepal and climbed Mount Elbrus. Mountains teach patience, concentration, and the ability to overcome difficulties qualities that help in work as well.
When it comes to books, my favorites are Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and Martin Eden by Jack London. The movie I can watch over and over again is Interstellar.
Self-discipline also helps me a lot. I try to take care of my health and stick to the habit of finishing what I start, which helps me tackle tasks efficiently.
– You’ve been an employee and now you're an entrepreneur. Do you like being a business owner?
– There’s a joke that entrepreneurship is for people who aren’t quite normal. Business always presents problems, challenges, emergencies, and tough decisions. There are hardly any stable days if things seem too calm, it means new problems are about to appear.
But that’s exactly what I enjoy the freedom, independence, and the ability to create something new. What’s also important is that behind you are employees for whom you’re creating job opportunities. I try not just to consume but to bring value wherever I am and whatever I do.
– What sport would you compare your entrepreneurial character to?
– I think it would be mountain climbing. My friends joke that I pay for my own suffering when I go on climbs. In reality, this is a good analogy: you overcome difficulties, cold, and fatigue to reach the summit. And at the moment you stand at the top, you realize that all the effort was worth it. I like the feeling of achieving goals kind of like "life achievements" There’s a certain dopamine rush when you can say to yourself, "I did it" You climb the mountain, come back home, and understand that anything is possible.
