Serik Akishev
@serikakishev.bsky.social
Founder & CEO of Welcome - a global travel-tech ecosystem inspiring travel and connecting cultures.
Pinned
Serik Akishev
@serikakishev.bsky.social
· Aug 18
I’M BUILDING A $250B COMPANY.
Welcome is a global travel ecosystem connecting hotels, travelers and brands.
Today: 10 hotels, 1,605 screens, 50K guests/month.
Goal: 500K hotels, 65M screens, 1B+ guests/year.
I’ll share the journey from 10 to 500,000. Follow along
Welcome is a global travel ecosystem connecting hotels, travelers and brands.
Today: 10 hotels, 1,605 screens, 50K guests/month.
Goal: 500K hotels, 65M screens, 1B+ guests/year.
I’ll share the journey from 10 to 500,000. Follow along
10 years ago, startups and VC still sounded exotic in Kazakhstan. Today, we have a real venture ecosystem – funds, angels, accelerators and global programs. The flywheel is spinning. Next step: building global tech companies from Kazakhstan – like Higgsfield and our Welcome.
September 17, 2026 at 5:16 AM
10 years ago, startups and VC still sounded exotic in Kazakhstan. Today, we have a real venture ecosystem – funds, angels, accelerators and global programs. The flywheel is spinning. Next step: building global tech companies from Kazakhstan – like Higgsfield and our Welcome.
Startup ≠ alternative to business. A startup is the beginning of a scalable business. Welcome is already a business: 10 hotels, 1,605 screens, tens of thousands of guests & paying advertisers. And we’re still a startup – because we’re scaling.
September 15, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Startup ≠ alternative to business. A startup is the beginning of a scalable business. Welcome is already a business: 10 hotels, 1,605 screens, tens of thousands of guests & paying advertisers. And we’re still a startup – because we’re scaling.
In summer 2025, Welcome Video had its first hotel meeting – InterContinental Almaty. We had an idea and our first streams. A year later: 10 hotels live in Almaty, 10 more connecting in Astana. Sometimes founders need to look back and see how far they’ve come.
September 14, 2026 at 2:55 PM
In summer 2025, Welcome Video had its first hotel meeting – InterContinental Almaty. We had an idea and our first streams. A year later: 10 hotels live in Almaty, 10 more connecting in Astana. Sometimes founders need to look back and see how far they’ve come.
Why try to predict the next Amazon? ETFs and the S&P 500 evolve as new market leaders emerge. Investor Aman Alimbayev explains why this matters – and how AI is changing investing. More on Business Nomads. #Investing #ETF #AI
September 13, 2026 at 3:44 PM
Why try to predict the next Amazon? ETFs and the S&P 500 evolve as new market leaders emerge. Investor Aman Alimbayev explains why this matters – and how AI is changing investing. More on Business Nomads. #Investing #ETF #AI
Two days in Astana with WelcomeVideo.ai – international meetings and a pitch to investors from Hong Kong and Kazakhstan. This time, our Streaming Director Aisana Nurkadyr took the stage. Building from Central Asia for the world.
September 12, 2026 at 4:44 AM
Two days in Astana with WelcomeVideo.ai – international meetings and a pitch to investors from Hong Kong and Kazakhstan. This time, our Streaming Director Aisana Nurkadyr took the stage. Building from Central Asia for the world.
What aren’t future founders taught? Don’t wait – launch. AI makes building easier, but turning a product into value and a real business is a different skill. Learn to sell, talk to customers, join accelerators and keep testing.
September 9, 2026 at 3:58 PM
What aren’t future founders taught? Don’t wait – launch. AI makes building easier, but turning a product into value and a real business is a different skill. Learn to sell, talk to customers, join accelerators and keep testing.
Public speaking tip for founders: know your topic – that’s already 90% of success. Write it yourself, rehearse aloud, use a timer, record yourself, warm up before going on stage, start slower, and don’t try to be perfect. If the topic is truly yours, everything gets easier.
September 8, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Public speaking tip for founders: know your topic – that’s already 90% of success. Write it yourself, rehearse aloud, use a timer, record yourself, warm up before going on stage, start slower, and don’t try to be perfect. If the topic is truly yours, everything gets easier.
A pitch deck tells the story. A Data Room proves it. For a startup with traction, investors want to see 5 things: legal, sales pipeline, AI & technology, team, and financials. Building it also shows whether your startup is becoming a real company.
September 7, 2026 at 9:15 AM
A pitch deck tells the story. A Data Room proves it. For a startup with traction, investors want to see 5 things: legal, sales pipeline, AI & technology, team, and financials. Building it also shows whether your startup is becoming a real company.
Hotel TVs can do more than show channels. Welcome turns them into a digital guest experience: useful city content first, hotel services second, native partner integrations third. Better guest experience, more hotel revenue, same infrastructure. Welcomeecosystem.com
September 5, 2026 at 4:20 PM
Hotel TVs can do more than show channels. Welcome turns them into a digital guest experience: useful city content first, hotel services second, native partner integrations third. Better guest experience, more hotel revenue, same infrastructure. Welcomeecosystem.com
24 Zenkov in Almaty was once the House of Officers. Today it’s home to Defense Tech, Almaty Hub programs and startups like Welcome. For a growing startup, being surrounded by founders, ideas and opportunities really matters.
September 4, 2026 at 4:47 PM
24 Zenkov in Almaty was once the House of Officers. Today it’s home to Defense Tech, Almaty Hub programs and startups like Welcome. For a growing startup, being surrounded by founders, ideas and opportunities really matters.
HOW CAN A FOUNDER STAY FOCUSED?
A founder always has more tasks than time: product, sales, team, fundraising, partnerships, clients, strategy – everything feels important.
But there’s a simple three-step approach to staying focused in this short video 👇
A founder always has more tasks than time: product, sales, team, fundraising, partnerships, clients, strategy – everything feels important.
But there’s a simple three-step approach to staying focused in this short video 👇
September 3, 2026 at 3:25 PM
HOW CAN A FOUNDER STAY FOCUSED?
A founder always has more tasks than time: product, sales, team, fundraising, partnerships, clients, strategy – everything feels important.
But there’s a simple three-step approach to staying focused in this short video 👇
A founder always has more tasks than time: product, sales, team, fundraising, partnerships, clients, strategy – everything feels important.
But there’s a simple three-step approach to staying focused in this short video 👇
Every pitch makes a startup stronger. At Venture Day by Activat VC, we pitched Welcome, met investors and founders from across the region, and built new connections. Central Eurasia is our first major expansion region. WelcomeVideo.ai is going global.
September 2, 2026 at 4:25 PM
Every pitch makes a startup stronger. At Venture Day by Activat VC, we pitched Welcome, met investors and founders from across the region, and built new connections. Central Eurasia is our first major expansion region. WelcomeVideo.ai is going global.
WHY INVEST IN WELCOME NOW? Traction, Founder-Market Fit and moat. We’re live in 10 hotels, 40 more signed, generating ad revenue. Tech can be copied. Hotel infrastructure, integrations and industry relationships are harder to replicate.
[email protected]
[email protected]
September 1, 2026 at 5:37 PM
WHY INVEST IN WELCOME NOW? Traction, Founder-Market Fit and moat. We’re live in 10 hotels, 40 more signed, generating ad revenue. Tech can be copied. Hotel infrastructure, integrations and industry relationships are harder to replicate.
[email protected]
[email protected]
I’m no longer Serik Akishev the TV host. I’m Serik Akishev the founder. Three years ago, I started changing my life. A year ago, I launched Welcome. While I was building the startup, it was rebuilding me. Silkway Accelerator was the final push. SERIK – FOUNDER of Welcomeecosystem.com
August 30, 2026 at 2:36 PM
I’m no longer Serik Akishev the TV host. I’m Serik Akishev the founder. Three years ago, I started changing my life. A year ago, I launched Welcome. While I was building the startup, it was rebuilding me. Silkway Accelerator was the final push. SERIK – FOUNDER of Welcomeecosystem.com
DEMO DAY IS NOT THE FINISH LINE 🚀 Welcome completed Silkway Accelerator Batch 7 by Astana Hub & Google for Startups. Today: 10 hotels, 1,605 screens, 50K guests/month. One chapter ends. The next begins. We keep building. Serik Akishev, Founder & CEO, Welcomeecosystem.com
August 29, 2026 at 5:01 AM
DEMO DAY IS NOT THE FINISH LINE 🚀 Welcome completed Silkway Accelerator Batch 7 by Astana Hub & Google for Startups. Today: 10 hotels, 1,605 screens, 50K guests/month. One chapter ends. The next begins. We keep building. Serik Akishev, Founder & CEO, Welcomeecosystem.com
Welcomevideo.ai turns hotel TVs into ultra-targeted travel media. Guests discover what to see, where to go and what to do. Hotels promote their services. Brands reach a high-spending audience verified by a real transaction – a paid hotel stay. Already in 10 Almaty hotels, reaching 50K guests monthly
Welcome Video
AI info-channel for hotels
Welcomevideo.ai
August 27, 2026 at 11:06 PM
Welcomevideo.ai turns hotel TVs into ultra-targeted travel media. Guests discover what to see, where to go and what to do. Hotels promote their services. Brands reach a high-spending audience verified by a real transaction – a paid hotel stay. Already in 10 Almaty hotels, reaching 50K guests monthly
Welcome connects hotel guests with useful places, services & experiences.
1,605 screens in 10 Almaty hotels + Welcome Places in 15 languages.
Our principle: advertising should help travelers, not interrupt them.
Value for guests. Value for business.
Welcomeecosystem.com
1,605 screens in 10 Almaty hotels + Welcome Places in 15 languages.
Our principle: advertising should help travelers, not interrupt them.
Value for guests. Value for business.
Welcomeecosystem.com
August 25, 2026 at 2:36 PM
Welcome connects hotel guests with useful places, services & experiences.
1,605 screens in 10 Almaty hotels + Welcome Places in 15 languages.
Our principle: advertising should help travelers, not interrupt them.
Value for guests. Value for business.
Welcomeecosystem.com
1,605 screens in 10 Almaty hotels + Welcome Places in 15 languages.
Our principle: advertising should help travelers, not interrupt them.
Value for guests. Value for business.
Welcomeecosystem.com
Why does Welcome need 9 products?
Because we’re not building another travel feature. We’re building an ecosystem.
Streaming, hotel screens, AI content, local media, guides, experiences, advertising and a super app. 9 products. One ecosystem. One moat.
WelcomeEcosystem.com
Because we’re not building another travel feature. We’re building an ecosystem.
Streaming, hotel screens, AI content, local media, guides, experiences, advertising and a super app. 9 products. One ecosystem. One moat.
WelcomeEcosystem.com
August 24, 2026 at 1:19 PM
Why does Welcome need 9 products?
Because we’re not building another travel feature. We’re building an ecosystem.
Streaming, hotel screens, AI content, local media, guides, experiences, advertising and a super app. 9 products. One ecosystem. One moat.
WelcomeEcosystem.com
Because we’re not building another travel feature. We’re building an ecosystem.
Streaming, hotel screens, AI content, local media, guides, experiences, advertising and a super app. 9 products. One ecosystem. One moat.
WelcomeEcosystem.com
PARTNERSHIPS OVER COMPETITION? Welcome signs a cooperation memorandum with startup InMedia. Together, we’re building Welcome Media - a multilingual content platform about cities, countries, attractions, experiences and events, with high-quality text, photo and video content created at scale.
August 23, 2026 at 4:21 PM
PARTNERSHIPS OVER COMPETITION? Welcome signs a cooperation memorandum with startup InMedia. Together, we’re building Welcome Media - a multilingual content platform about cities, countries, attractions, experiences and events, with high-quality text, photo and video content created at scale.
Founders are business nomads. You don’t know what’s beyond the next hill. You get tired, doubt, pivot and move on. Welcome had 3 pivots before PMF. If you’re in your darkest night, remember: the oasis may be close. If it doesn’t work out, you’ll be stronger for the next journey. Keep building.
August 22, 2026 at 7:14 PM
Founders are business nomads. You don’t know what’s beyond the next hill. You get tired, doubt, pivot and move on. Welcome had 3 pivots before PMF. If you’re in your darkest night, remember: the oasis may be close. If it doesn’t work out, you’ll be stronger for the next journey. Keep building.
When I met my wife, Gaukhar, of course I told her about Welcome. Back then, it was more of a dream. A big idea I had carried in my head for years and hoped to turn into a global company one day.
Thank you, my love, for believing in my dream once. And then making it ours.
Thank you, my love, for believing in my dream once. And then making it ours.
August 21, 2026 at 6:36 PM
When I met my wife, Gaukhar, of course I told her about Welcome. Back then, it was more of a dream. A big idea I had carried in my head for years and hoped to turn into a global company one day.
Thank you, my love, for believing in my dream once. And then making it ours.
Thank you, my love, for believing in my dream once. And then making it ours.
IS THE TEAM A STARTUP’S MOST IMPORTANT PRODUCT?
When people talk about startups, they usually talk about the idea, the product, the market, investment, and sales. But the further I go in building Welcome, the more I realize that, apart from myself, a startup’s greatest asset is its team.
When people talk about startups, they usually talk about the idea, the product, the market, investment, and sales. But the further I go in building Welcome, the more I realize that, apart from myself, a startup’s greatest asset is its team.
August 20, 2026 at 6:23 PM
IS THE TEAM A STARTUP’S MOST IMPORTANT PRODUCT?
When people talk about startups, they usually talk about the idea, the product, the market, investment, and sales. But the further I go in building Welcome, the more I realize that, apart from myself, a startup’s greatest asset is its team.
When people talk about startups, they usually talk about the idea, the product, the market, investment, and sales. But the further I go in building Welcome, the more I realize that, apart from myself, a startup’s greatest asset is its team.
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN YOUR STARTUP IN ONE SENTENCE?
Explain your startup in one sentence. Now in one minute. Now in three. And make it simple enough for a school student to understand.
Explain your startup in one sentence. Now in one minute. Now in three. And make it simple enough for a school student to understand.
August 19, 2026 at 1:49 PM
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN YOUR STARTUP IN ONE SENTENCE?
Explain your startup in one sentence. Now in one minute. Now in three. And make it simple enough for a school student to understand.
Explain your startup in one sentence. Now in one minute. Now in three. And make it simple enough for a school student to understand.
HOW WE COVERED A 5-YEAR JOURNEY IN 5 MONTHS. When we started Welcome, we were told that working with the world’s largest hotel corporations could take five years. It took us five months. Today, Welcome already works with hotels across major international groups and brands.
August 18, 2026 at 5:18 PM
HOW WE COVERED A 5-YEAR JOURNEY IN 5 MONTHS. When we started Welcome, we were told that working with the world’s largest hotel corporations could take five years. It took us five months. Today, Welcome already works with hotels across major international groups and brands.
I’M BUILDING A $250B COMPANY.
Welcome is a global travel ecosystem connecting hotels, travelers and brands.
Today: 10 hotels, 1,605 screens, 50K guests/month.
Goal: 500K hotels, 65M screens, 1B+ guests/year.
I’ll share the journey from 10 to 500,000. Follow along
Welcome is a global travel ecosystem connecting hotels, travelers and brands.
Today: 10 hotels, 1,605 screens, 50K guests/month.
Goal: 500K hotels, 65M screens, 1B+ guests/year.
I’ll share the journey from 10 to 500,000. Follow along
August 18, 2026 at 1:27 AM
I’M BUILDING A $250B COMPANY.
Welcome is a global travel ecosystem connecting hotels, travelers and brands.
Today: 10 hotels, 1,605 screens, 50K guests/month.
Goal: 500K hotels, 65M screens, 1B+ guests/year.
I’ll share the journey from 10 to 500,000. Follow along
Welcome is a global travel ecosystem connecting hotels, travelers and brands.
Today: 10 hotels, 1,605 screens, 50K guests/month.
Goal: 500K hotels, 65M screens, 1B+ guests/year.
I’ll share the journey from 10 to 500,000. Follow along