Iran Startups at Bakutel 2017

EghtesadOnline: Startup culture is slowly growing in Iran with businesses increasing their share in the national economy. Now they are trying to expand their footprint in neighboring countries. The latest direction was manifest at Bakutel 2017.

News ID: ۷۴۴۵۳۹

09 December 2017

Several Iranian startups attended the 23rd Azerbaijan International Telecommunications and Information Technologies Exhibition and Conference (Bakutel 2017), which was held from Dec 5-8, in the Azeri capital.

In addition to companies from Iran, 200 firms from 20 countries including China, Finland, France, Sweden, and Turkey were also present, Financial Tribune reported.

Iran was represented by nine startups, namely Café Bazaar (Iran’s most popular Android app store), Divar (online sales service), ZarinPal (Internet-based payment gateway), Telewebion (free video streaming service), MaktabKhooneh (e-learning website), Qonqa (ride-hailing service active in the northwestern city of Tabriz), Look-o-Book (social network), Matab Visit (medical appointment booking service) and Asan Bar (online freight service provider), the Telecoms Ministry in Tehran said on its website.

“Some of our startups present at Bakutel have the potential to offer services in the neighboring countries including the Republic of Azerbaijan,” the Telecoms Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi was quoted as saying in Baku.

One of the startups participating was ‘Matab Visit’ which specializes in medical tourism.

Several thousand medical tourists from Azerbaijan visit Iran every year. The minister said ‘Matab Visit’ can facilitate foreigners’ access to healthcare services available in Iran.

The startup operates through the website matabvisit.ir and provides users online medical appointment booking services. The services are available in English and Persian.

Furthermore, medical practitioners and healthcare centers have profiles on the website, and users can write reviews on their performance and rank them.

In addition to Azerbaijan, Iran receives medical tourists in large numbers from other neighboring countries including Iraq and Afghanistan.

Another Iranian startup present at Bakutel 2017 was online freight service provider Asan Bar. It was able to catch the attention of visitors and some businesses showed interest in the services offered by this startup.

Through its website and application, Asan Bar connects individuals and firms to truckers. Drivers can register their personal information and type of their vehicle on the company website. Customers can create accounts with Asan Bar, upload information about their cargo, location, destination and fares.

Furthermore, customers can track their goods and their movement via GPS. Truckers are ranked depending on the quality of their service, customer satisfaction and the opinion of their peers regarding their driving skills and performance.

On the sidelines of the event, Jahromi met with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev. He also held talks with his Russian and Turkish counterparts Nikolai Nikiforov and Ahmet Arsalan regarding expansion of ICT ties.