Arlan, an 18-year-old high school dropout from Almaty, Kazakhstan, has been accepted into the 2025 Summer Session (S25) of Y Combinator (YC), one of the world’s most prestigious startup accelerator programs. This is considered a great achievement for a young startup from Kazakhstan in terms of perseverance and technological entrepreneurship.
A childhood dream come true
Arlan first heard about Y Combinator from his father when he was still in elementary school. According to him, these words from his father have left an indelible mark in his memory:
“Arlan, there are universities in the world where people go just to get a degree. But there are also places like Y Combinator – it’s a school for founders. You pitch your idea there, and if you get accepted, you get both funding and a strong support network. I want you to go there too one day.”
Early interest in technology
Arlan, who started reading about Steve Jobs, Fairchild Semiconductor and the history of Silicon Valley at a young age, founded his first startup, Hanlan Tech, at the age of 15. Although the platform reached 20,000 users, he decided to stop the project because he did not find long-term motivation.
“Hanlan Tech became a school for me. I learned values there,” says Arlan. He completed the work for his father
A few years ago, Arlan’s father also applied to Y Combinator, but was not accepted. This became a motivation for Arlan:
“I realized one thing: I have to complete this work.”
After two unsuccessful applications, Arlan did not give up. By the time he applied to the S25 program on his third attempt, he had already dropped out of school and moved to London, where he raised the pre-seed investment for his startup, Nozomio, from well-known funds such as LocalGlobe.
Y Combinator Admission Call: “We Want to Invest in You”
A few hours after a tense and intense interview, at 00:16 at night, he received a call from an unknown number:
“Hi Arlan, we would like to fund Nozomio for the summer session.”
Arlan says he couldn’t sleep that night.
Nozomio: The Name of the New Startup
Arlan is currently focused on the Nozomio project and taking it global. Although detailed information about the project has not been disclosed yet, joining Y Combinator is considered a serious step on his entrepreneurial path.
“YC is just the beginning. There are countless opportunities ahead,” Arlan notes.
This success is an inspiring example for young people, and especially those who are studying in non-traditional ways, not to be afraid to follow their dreams.
