Moldova-born entrepreneur Marianna Bulbuc broke the rules of the business world to become its top female voice in the United Arab Emirates.
“I want to be a government lobbyist,” Marianna Bulbuc told Dubai officials. “Come back with your father or husband,” they replied. She didn’t just come back.
Driven by passion and relentless determination, Marianna, now 36 years old, forged a path through a system built for men, opening doors for women and building a multimillion-dollar company from scratch.
“There were a lot of frustrations and tears. I even cried in the bathroom,” she now recalls. “But that only made me want it more. I kept trying.” Never give up, she says.
Now recognized as one of the UAE’s most influential networkers, Marianna has received prestigious honors, including the Women Leaders in the Middle East Award by Royal Decree (2023) and Forbes’ Movers and Shakers: People to Watch (2022).
Honored by Dubai’s Royal Family, she now leads Bizzmosis, a firm that helps businesses navigate UAE laws, from regulations and restructuring to permits and approvals. Marianna leads a team of about a hundred people. Bizzmosis Group and the other investment companies she co-owns are valued at tens of millions of US dollars.
Her portfolio includes global giants like Netflix, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Uber, Careem, Bentley, Procter & Gamble, Zoho Books, and thousands more. Marianna also helps connect global investors with women-led impact businesses, acting as a bridge between the Middle East, Europe, and emerging markets.
Her life motto? “One life. Live it. And only do what inspires you.”
Her story begins with the strength and unity of the family. She recalls how her family’s house burned down. “We didn’t lose our spirit,” she said “Instead, it brought us closer.” That experience taught her early on the power of resilience and meeting life’s obstacles with dignity and determination.
From a young age, Marianna was curious. She loved the art of communication and wanted to understand how people connect and how those connections shape the world of business.
“As my mom would say, if you know things, you work smarter, not harder, and you reach further.” At school, she actively engaged in European Union-supported youth projects. These experiences gave her a taste of making an impact and the thrill of celebrating real results.
Throughout university, Marianna stayed proactive, competing in numerous events, with debate as her favorite. “I’m stubborn and I like to convince people, but debate isn’t about proving you’re right. It’s about understanding how others see things and showing them a different perspective. That was my first real lesson in diplomacy and communication.”
She learned to find common ground with people different from herself. A skill that continues to shape her approach to business and life.
Marianna began a master’s in finance in Romania but found it too technical and narrow. She returned to Moldova to study political economy, focusing on government budgets and taxation.
“That knowledge is the backbone of my work today,” she says. Understanding how budgets and policies function makes negotiating with officials much easier, an insight crucial for navigating the UAE’s complex legal landscape.
After being away for many years, Bulbuc is now rediscovering her homeland. The talent, the hunger for growth among the youth.
Moldova, once known mainly for its wines and hospitality, is now emerging as a global player in cutting-edge fields like robotics, space technologies, and various tech sectors such as EdTech, MedTech, and FinTech. “Our young specialists are not only skilled but also creative and innovative.”
This strong connection to her homeland, paired with a solid educational foundation, laid the groundwork for Marianna’s next big step. In 2010, seeking new challenges and broader horizons, she started a new chapter in Dubai. There, she began as a flight attendant, gaining valuable experience in a multicultural environment while sharpening her communication skills.
“It was not easy at first,” Marianna shares. “Opportunities for women in business felt challenging and uncertain when I first came to Dubai. But things have changed a lot since then.”
In her view, Dubai is now safe and supportive, with many opportunities for women to lead. “We have women ministers, special parking places for women, and thousands of projects supporting women entrepreneurs, more than those for men.”
After moving to Dubai, Marianna shifted from being a flight attendant to managing business development at a company specializing in company formation and government services. But soon, she decided to start her own business.
When she approached the government to become a lobbyist, she was met with rejection. “They told me I needed my father, brother, or husband’s permission. But none of them were here, and I’m not married. I was told, simply, that as a woman, I couldn’t run this kind of business.”
Frustrated but stubborn, Marianna knocked on door after door, fighting the outdated system.
“There were many moments of tears and doubts. Crying alone in the bathroom. But I kept pushing.” After months, she got approval, though her company was initially named “Business Men Services.”
It took another eight months and relentless persistence to change the name and gain real recognition. Through this struggle, Marianna realized she could create change by showing the government the real needs of women and entrepreneurs in Dubai. She launched a groundbreaking project: the E-Trade license, allowing women on spouse visas to work from home without a physical office, a lifeline for many stuck between career and family.
“This fight showed me that stubbornness and resilience can break even the toughest barriers,” Bulbuc says.
At the heart of Marianna’s leadership is the belief in building strong relationships and genuinely caring for her team. “You don’t build a company alone, but you build it with people who feel seen and valued,” she says. For her, success isn’t just about numbers; it’s about building trust and respect and creating a space where team members feel they belong, not just for what they do, but for who they are.
Marianna’s journey proves: if you truly care, don’t quit. It’s not just about surviving hard times. It’s about pursuing what ignites your spirit, no matter the obstacles. “Keep going, keep trying.”
For two years, Moldova has exported more IT talent than wine. But what happens when the country’s two greatest assets are combined?
Let’s be honest, everyone loves medals. We love how they shine and dangle, and the more, the better. They help us rank everything from films and books to restaurants. But wine? Believe it or not, hundreds of competitions take place worldwide each year, some massive global showcases, others small regional fairs. It’s a dizzying landscape, and most of us couldn’t name any of them.
What if someone could cut through all that noise and condense every sticker-worthy accolade into one clear, trustworthy score, built on eight essential criteria that separate the truly meaningful medals from the rest?
Cunev, together with his IT students, built a system to track them all. Today, Moldovan wines are recognized worldwide. If you haven’t tasted them, you’ve at least heard of them. What’s less known is that in recent years, Moldova has seen a surprising evolution in IT, surpassing even wine in export value. In 2023, Moldova saw the highest growth in IT service exports, a result that made it the regional leader.
A One-of-a-Kind Database Born in Chișinău
Cunev spends his free time writing and reading about philosophy, runs long distances daily, and is usually surrounded by his students. Wine is not just a drink for him. His passion for wine runs deep, a rather common trait in Moldova, but Cunev decided to take it further. He studied the wine regions, aroma, technique, and passed the sommelier courses.
He gathered his students from the Technical University of Moldova and began collecting data from seventy‑nine wine‑producing countries worldwide. The company was registered in Moldova in 2014 with most of the IT talent hired on a freelance basis. Five years ago they launched the Global Wine Rating platform, which today stands as the most comprehensive and unique database of its kind. The team created an algorithm that turns medals and awards into a simplified 100‑point score.
“On my team are people whose knowledge lives only in their heads, insights you won’t find anywhere else,” said Cunev proudly. “What we’ve got could redefine the global wine-competition industry.”
Set to Reinvent Wine Awards Worldwide
Wine tech is evolving fast. Growers now use drones, sensors, and GPS for vineyard management. Real-time fermentation tools give winemakers instant quality data. Shipment tracking and blockchain secure every step from vine to glass. And AI even helps craft ideal blends.
Today, every winemaking event includes a panel on digital transformation in viticulture. This year, the 46th World Congress of Vine and Wine featured a special focus on wine tech, and guess what? It was hosted by Moldova.
While one Moldovan team is transforming wine medals into a clear score, akin to IMDb for films, another is innovating in a different but equally inventive way. WineOpsys is an early-stage development project created by BlazarLabs. Think of it as a smart control panel for winemakers, designed to monitor every stage from the grapes’ origin to the winemaking process and distribution. WineOpsys, created in collaboration with the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, uses real-time sensors, QR codes, and blockchain.
Cotruță sees the momentum in Moldova. The government’s open, the talent’s here, and IT businesses can move and test fast in a small market. “On top of that, wine is woven into our national DNA,” he said with a smile.
How Moldova swapped wine for IT
A key element of this IT-development strategy was the establishment of the Moldova Innovation Technology Park in 2018 and the government’s commitment to maintain a low tax regime of 7% on turnover. Since its launch, MITP has seen nearly 1,600 IT companies founded and attracted 178 foreign investments from 33 countries.
A global digital transformation expert, Jeremy Firster sees Moldova’s IT sector as a hidden gem finally ready for its moment in the spotlight. “There's a hidden secret in Moldova - its IT sector,” said Firster, a global enterprise adoption lead at a Swiss non-profit Cardano Foundation.
In his opinion, that impressive growth mirrors broader global trends and ensures that “the next person is standing on the shoulders of the giants before them in delivering a new, innovative solution”. Firster believes that by combining Moldova’s strong IT talent with its centuries‑old winemaking tradition, the country has everything it needs to build the world’s most advanced, IT‑integrated wine industry.
This vision is already taking shape thanks to innovators like Gustos.life team, whose blend of IT expertise and deep love for wine is setting a new global benchmark in wine‑tech solutions.
A smarter way to read wine labels
Gustos.life is a platform built by Veaceslav Cunev and his team to make sense of wine competition results. Built from over 400 competition results worldwide since 2000, the database collects, cleans and compares results across the industry. The platform calculates scores based on medals and public data, making it easier to understand what a wine’s recognition actually means. The algorithm behind it is transparent and unique, designed to reflect not opinion but structure and correlation across different rating systems. GWR also integrates Vivino scores alongside official awards to offer a complete view of each wine’s reputation.
You can also try it through ChatGPT. Find “Wine Sommelier” by Veaceslav Cunev, upload a photo of the bottle you are holding and get instant insights on its awards and background.
The BOOST: Green Futures Challenge is a fast-paced acceleration programme supporting bold, green innovations from startups and ventures in Ukraine and Moldova. This initiative aims to support businesses that are reshaping the future through green tech, circular economy models, and digital solutions – building resilience and driving sustainable recovery.
This is your opportunity to turn bold ideas into impactful solutions – through expert-led training, mentorship, and financial support!
Green recovery isn’t just about rebuilding. It’s about transforming and empowering businesses to lead the way. In the face of war, climate crisis, and economic disruption, we must design solutions that are cleaner, smarter, and more resilient.
The programme focuses on:
🌱 Clean energy
🔄 Circular economy
💸 Green finance
🏗️ Climate-resilient infrastructure
...and more!
What’s in it for you?
✅ 10-week expert-led training
✅ Personalized mentorship
✅ Global visibility
✅ A chance to win from a $120,000 prize pool at the Demo Day in September 2025!
📅 Deadline to apply: 8 May 2025
Join the Q&A webinar on April 24 👉 Register here: https://undp.zoom.us/.../register/WN_Mw4lIpmaR8KffxvkIxHJfA
Project co-financed within the framework of the Polish development cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.
We are excited to invite all MITP residents to the upcoming MITP General Assembly on May 28, 2024. This is a crucial moment for our community, focusing on reviewing the past year’s achievements and setting the strategic course for 2024.
Agenda:
11:00 AM – 11:30 AM: Welcome Remarks
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM: Review of 2023 Results & Development Agenda for 2024
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Q&A Session
From May 28, 11:00 AM to May 29, 6:00 PM, the voting procedure will take place on the VoteMeApp platform, followed by a summary session involving both the residents and the administration of MITP.
Key Points:
Why Attend?
Engage with upcoming plans and contribute to shaping the strategic direction of MITP. Your insights and feedback are vital as we move forward.
Get updates on new programs and initiatives. This is your chance to align your interests with MITP’s goals.
Please ensure your participation in the Assembly to voice your thoughts and contribute to our community’s ongoing success. We look forward to your active involvement in shaping the future of MITP.
A major new study offers a complete guide to navigating Moldova’s IT sector, and the advantages — a key feature in the country’s development as a booming IT hub.
We are thrilled to announce a groundbreaking collaboration between MITP, the Western NIS Enterprise Fund, and the Future Technologies Activity (FTA) that brings forth an invaluable resource for Moldova's digital landscape.
Introducing the IT Investment Guide, meticulously crafted in partnership with Emerging Europe, a leading media and research hub for Central and Eastern Europe. This guide is tailored to empower potential investors and professionals considering Moldova for their operations.
Drawing insights from a comprehensive survey of 970 C-level executives across seven key markets and 20 in-depth interviews with global IT and outsourcing experts, this guide offers a holistic view of Moldova's IT ecosystem.
Spotlighting high-potential niches such as design engineering, R&D, animation, and game development, the guide is a compass for new tech investors and talent eager to explore Moldova's digital frontier.
Join us in shaping Moldova's digital narrative. Download the IT Investment Guide now: https://bit.ly/investment-guide-mitp.
Dear residents,
We inform you that today was published in the Official Monitor the Law amending Law 77 regarding information technology parks. The new provisions will enter into force on 12 February 2024 with some exceptions, mentioned below.
The new changes concern the following impact provisions for MITP residents:
The Council's competence will include the following main attributions:
The Council will activate on the basis of a Regulation approved by the Government, the amendment being applicable from 1 January 2025.
4. Completion of the eligible activities to be undertaken within the IT park with 2 new types intended exclusively for export:
The activities that are qualified for the new eligible types should be analysed in accordance with the Classifier of Activities in the Economy of Moldova approved by the Order of the National Bureau of Statistics no. 28 of 07.05.2019 (CAEM rev.2) and the Statistical Classifier of Products (goods and services) of the Republic of Moldova (CSPM Rev.2) approved by Decision of the Board of the National Bureau of Statistics no. 6 of 07.10.2014, with the exclusive condition that such activities are intended only for export.
The Law was the result of an approval and re-approval process carried out during 2022-2023, through which the Administration supported the changes related to the continuity and operation of MITP in predictable terms - the extension of the park’s term and the state guarantee, in the unchanged conditions of single tax and MITP regime for the further development of the IT industry.
In order to implement the provisions, the Government has to adjust within 6 months the Decision no. 1144 of 20.12.2017 regarding the creation of the park for information technology "Moldova IT park", as well as to establish the rules of the Council’s park activity, approving a dedicated Regulation during the year 2024.
Regards,
The MITP Team
Source: Official Monitor of the Republic of Moldova no. 13-16 din 12-01-2024
*Disclaimer: Tax & Legal Pulse is prepared by the Moldova Innovation Technology Park team as a newsletter and represents a summary of the latest legislative changes. The information included in the bulletin does not constitute legal and/or tax advice. For any unclarities or before deciding on further actions, we recommend that you review the regulatory provisions or seek appropriate advice.
We are thrilled to invite all MITP residents to participate in the PayWell Moldova Salary and Benefits Study in the IT sector. With the generous support of USAID and Sweden, this collaborative initiative is brought to you by the Moldova Innovation Technology Park and PwC Moldova. The Future Technologies Activity implements the study, aiming to provide valuable insights into remuneration practices within the industry.
We are pleased to announce that thanks to this partnership, the participation costs for the standard subscription are fully covered for the first 50 MITP residents* who register for the study. We encourage you to complete the application form before the July 1, 2023 deadline to secure your spot.
What is the PayWell Study?
The PayWell report is an indispensable tool for HR professionals and decision-makers in developing competitive HR policies. Participating in the study gives you access to specific information on salaries, benefits, and compensations within the IT sector. Last year, the study witnessed the active participation of 45 local IT companies, encompassing over 5,000 employees. The insights generated from this comprehensive analysis shed light on remuneration packages offered for over 250 positions.
Why participate in the PayWell Study 2023?
By joining the PayWell Study, you stand to gain the following advantages:
Key Changes for the PayWell Study 2023
We have introduced several enhancements to this year's edition, including:
*We have an exclusive offer for MITP residents who may not secure a spot among the initial 50. Enjoy an additional 15% discount on IT subscriptions compared to participants from other sectors (650 EUR for a standard subscription and 950 EUR for a professional subscription). Additionally, the first 50 MITP residents enrolled in the survey can upgrade their IT subscription from standard to professional by paying only the difference between the fees.
Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and contribute to shaping the remuneration landscape in the IT sector.
The inaugural Moldova Innovation Awards (MIA), a celebration of creativity and tech innovation, culminated in a grand ceremony that underscored the tremendous potential of Moldova's tech and creative sectors. With over 55 applications from 41 tech and creative companies from Moldova, with 33 MITP residents, MIA has successfully spotlighted the transformative work that Moldova's tech community is doing to revolutionize the future of digital solutions.
MIA is a pillar initiative by Moldova Innovation Technology Park (MITP) aimed at fostering the country's tech ecosystem and propelling forward-thinking solutions onto the global stage. Its mission is to recognize and celebrate innovators reshaping their industries and creating groundbreaking solutions in Best Product Innovation, Best Service Innovation, Impactful Initiative of the Year, and Rising STARtup categories.
The 12 finalists battled in an online Pitch Battle, demonstrating their innovative ideas to a jury panel of globally renowned experts. This robust competition marked a high point in Moldova's tech calendar, bringing together a diverse audience from Moldova and around the world. The jury, composed of national and international tech sector representatives, had the challenge of selecting the winners.
Dumitru Ciorici, co-founder of Fagura - winner of the Impactful Initiative of the Year, shared an exciting announcement: "I want to announce here that we have just signed a contract with Future Technologies Activity and, for the next two years, through our platform, we will finance small and medium-sized enterprises in Moldova and technological startups, with one million dollars for them to innovate and digitalize their processes."
The Awards Gala followed the Pitch Battle, where the winners were announced and celebrated for their excellence in innovation. This landmark event underscored Moldova's positioning as a rising star in the global tech arena and the role of MIA in advancing this trajectory. "It was a challenge and a very difficult task for us to evaluate 41 companies from different industries. We spent not hours but entire days debating the results and, in the end, I believe we did an excellent job," said Ion Sturza, President of Fribourg Capital, Romania.
MITP, through MIA, has been honoured to partner with some of the world's leading organizations to deliver this initiative. The support of our strategic partners, the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization of the Republic of Moldova (MDED), USAID, Sweden, UK Aid, Western NIS Enterprise Fund, and eGov, was invaluable in realizing this vision.
"MIA symbolizes our commitment to fostering a robust tech ecosystem in Moldova," said Natalia Dontu, Administrator of MITP. "It is more than just an awards event; it is a testament to our belief in the transformative power of innovation and creativity, the engines driving Moldova's digital future."
The impact of Moldova Innovation Awards extends beyond recognition. It is about inspiring Moldova's tech community to aspire to greater heights and empowering them with a platform to demonstrate their talent, creativity, and innovative spirit.
The winners from various categories were announced. Omnis bagged the award for the "Best Innovative Service", Salt Edge won for the "Best Innovative Product", Bloomcoding took home the "Rising STARtup" award, Fagura took home the “Impactful Initiative of the Year”, and FusionWorks was the recipient of a special award from the jury.
Moldova Innovation Awards has set the stage for Moldova to take its rightful place in the global tech ecosystem. This is only the beginning. We look forward to the future editions of MIA and the exceptional innovations they will bring to light. Each winner will receive a prize of €3000 and 1 ticket and accommodation expenses covered to WebSummit 2023 taking place in Lisbon on November 13-16.
Watch this video to experience the key highlights of the Gala Awards.
For more information about MIA, please visit awards.mitp.md.
The international Jury reached the final decision, and we are thrilled to unveil the 12 exceptional nominees who have successfully advanced to the final stage of the Moldova Innovation Awards! After a rigorous selection process involving numerous applicants, these remarkable companies have emerged as the top contenders in their respective categories.
Without further ado, let's meet the finalists in each category:
Best Product Innovation:
Noction - Noction Intelligent Routing Platform
Parkopedia - Park and Charge
Salt Edge - Account Information
Best Service Innovation:
FusionWorks - Next generation outstaffing
Omnis - omnis.md
SD Moldova - Health Injector (Health System)
Impactful Initiative:
Fagura - Fagura.com
ISD Moldova - MCharity
Titanium Software - Gardy.me
Rising STARtup:
Bloomcoding
Selftalk
Unde.io
On Monday, June 12, at 4:00 PM, join us online for an exhilarating Pitch Battle where these talented tech innovators will showcase their groundbreaking ideas. Don't miss the opportunity to witness their captivating pitches and support their innovative solutions.
We extend our best wishes to all the finalists as they prepare for this crucial competition stage. Mark your calendars for June 12 and witness these talented innovators present their visionary solutions.
Stay tuned for further updates, and join us on the MIA Facebook page to support these inspiring companies and witness the future of innovation unfold.
The idea behind Langly, an EdTech startup created in Moldova, it's a mobile application designed to help users learn English.
The project has two fundamental differences from other language-learning apps. What are they? This will be discussed in the interview.
Within the first few months of operation, Langly has been downloaded over 25,000 times, primarily by users from Latin America. The project is currently available in eight languages.
Natalya, greetings. How did you come to hold the positions of both CPO and CMO in the Langly project? Did you have relevant prior experience?
In fact, my background before joining Langly was rooted in traditional marketing. I had accumulated a decade of experience working in various business sectors including FMCG, retail, manufacturing, and a telecommunications company.
However, the realm of IT, particularly startups, operates quite differently from those conventional business sectors, especially in terms of marketing. The role of a Product Owner, on the other hand, presents a distinct narrative altogether.
Indeed, I also always thought that "IT stuff" was something out of my reach. However, life has a way of surprising us. I had the opportunity to meet the individuals behind Langly through business reflexive games, where they served as my game technicians. Following the game, they unexpectedly extended an offer to me, inviting me to join their team as a Product Owner.
I won't ask a silly question if you agreed or not.
I agreed, even though it was completely new to me. Since marketing is an essential part in such type of projects, and it happens to be something I know well, I took on the second role myself. It's quite common in startups, you know ☺
What does Langly do? What is the uniqueness of your offering?
Langly stands as the world's only mobile application designed for English language learning, based on the Oxford English course and developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford. Yet, our distinctiveness reaches far beyond that. We take pride in our innovative approach that merges academic curriculum with the engaging elements of gamification. Within Langly, learning takes on an immersive and captivating form, unfolding through a detective-themed narrative with the prominent presence of our beloved character, the Langly robot.
Detective, Langly...The CIA headquarters is located in Langley. Is this a deliberate coincidence? A bit of a sensation?
The connection with the CIA headquarters was not originally intended. During our search for a project name, we wanted to emphasize the word "language" to enhance our visibility in organic searches on the App Store. However, as we delved deeper into the project, we discovered that our audience can be divided into two distinct groups, possibly based on their preferred literary genres. Some of our users easily associate "Langly" with the word "language," while others do recall the CIA headquarters. For those familiar with detective stories, it may create an interesting cognitive dissonance. Nonetheless, this unexpected association allows us to craft a unique narrative and storyline around it.
As users begin their language-learning journey, they delve into a captivating detective story centered around the robot named Langly. Originally designed to instruct military personnel in English, Langly's creator, did not want to participate in the experiment, secretly sent the robot to his daughter. The daughter received the robot, but a pursuit was initiated to capture Langly - this is the starting point of their adventures.
What will happen when the story ends?
The learning process is structured like a TV series, divided into seasons that correspond to language proficiency levels. The first season corresponds to the A1 language level. When our users complete the first season, we proudly declare that they are ready to take the Oxford English Language Exam at the A1 level. Each level carries its own unique storyline. For the A2 level, the same Langly robot will be present, but the other characters will change, just like in a classic TV series. Our goal is to conclude the A1 level by November and start creating the narrative for the A2 level. Moreover, maybe in the upcoming seasons, we will play around with the coincidence of the robot's name and the address of the CIA headquarters.
I also wanted to ask you about the story behind the creation of the Langly project. Whose idea was it to establish a partnership with Oxford?
Our founder, Vitaliy Petrosyan, has partners and consultants abroad. The fundamental concept originated from the desire to distinguish ourselves among other language learning applications by adopting traditional teaching methodologies. To become a leader, it is essential to incorporate methodologies employed by leading educational institutions. This ambitious idea led to the pursuit of convincing the University of Oxford about the viability of a partnership with Langly.
I'm amazed at how you managed to achieve that.
Credit must be given to Vitaliy's perseverance. According to him, negotiations with Oxford lasted for about four months, and in the end, they were convinced to form a partnership, which became the first of its kind in Oxford's history. By the time I joined Langly, the contract with Oxford had already been successfully negotiated and partially digitized. However, the actual Langly product was still in its early phase of development, with only preliminary sketches in place.
Do you want to achieve success?
Don't exaggerate my role. However, last summer was insane. Withing a very tight timeframe of merely 3 months, we developed the backend, frontend, and digitized the entire story. The first release came out in September, and by November, we were able to confidently declare that we had passed the MVP stage, garnering acceptance from the market.
We chose "American English." It turned out that the British had developed a great course for adults, adapted for "American English," and that's what we digitized.
Transforming it into a gamified format?
What usually hinders adults from acquiring a foreign language? Boredom. The monotony of lessons. In response, we have implemented a gamified approach to language learning. We transformed all tasks into engaging mini-games. Leveraging a wide array of game formats, we tailored them to serve educational objectives. The end of each learning season becomes a quiz that prepares users for the Oxford test, should they choose to undertake it. Furthermore, we are considering creating a test simulator to prepare our learners for the exam.
How are the investments progressing? Which funding rounds have you completed?
We are currently preparing for significant investments. So far, we have completed three accelerators, and initial discussions are taking place. However, it is too early to discuss investments until we have introduced monetization in the app and demonstrated initial revenue generation. My current focus lies in monetization efforts, including integrating gaming elements.
Will you be building both gaming and "real" monetization simultaneously?
The gaming format is always attractive, especially since our entire learning process is gamified. People enjoy playing, so the most enthusiastic can go through the learning process using in-game currency. However, there is always a percentage of users who want to save time and are willing to pay real money. It's important to find the right balance between these monetization methods.
It's a significant amount of work!
Absolutely, our team has grown considerably. We currently have a team of twenty-six members and are collaborating with approximately fifteen translators. Our current focus is on incorporating Arabic into our language offerings. What unifies and motivates us is the opportunity to disrupt the entire education system with Langly, as it is in dire need of alignment with the modern world.
What do you mean?
Passion and engagement. In the early grades, children are often taught using gamified approaches. Still, as they progress, the learning process becomes monotonous and focused on memorization across all subjects, including chemistry and mathematics. However, we aim to demonstrate, using language learning as an example, that adults can learn through play. Incorporating games into the learning experience brings a whole new level of effectiveness. With Langly, users can transform their real lives, as foreign language skills open up a world of new possibilities. Gamification has the potential to make a significant impact on the world.
Do you think you can set a strong example?
Absolutely. I have complete confidence in our ability to set a strong example. If we could convince the conservative institution like Oxford University to embrace the integration of gaming in education, it would pave the way for others in various disciplines to follow suit. Our methodology holds the key to the future.
Written by: Pavel Zingan
This material was produced with the support of the Future Technologies Activity Project, funded by USAID, Sweden and UKaid in partnership with Moldova Innovation Technology Park. The content of the material represents the views of the author and does not reflect the opinion of USAID, US, Sweden or UK Governments.
