CUD student makes it big in Business StartUp Awards

Dubai - Propertyin360.co newest venture by Abzal Assembekov

Twenty-one-year-old student Abzal Assembekov has added to his already impressive portfolio of entrepreneurial accolades, securing two nominations in the forthcoming Arabian Business StartUp Awards 2016.
A bachelor of communications major at Canadian University Dubai (CUD), Assembekov has been shortlisted with five other competitors for the Young Entrepreneur of the Year title, and will also go up against four other enterprises for the New Media Startup of the Year award, with his newest business venture, Propertyin360.co.
A serial entrepreneur, Assembekov has already established himself in the UAE enterprise scene, with a number of successful technology-based start-ups to his name. In 2014, he was a winner in the Dubai Startup Weekend competition, going on to mentor fellow entrepreneurs in the 2015 edition of the event.
Assembekov latest start-up was born out of another of his successful firms, Heptagon Multimedia, which is a digital agency that provides marketing solutions and products. His new venture, Propertyin360.co, is a mobile application that can create virtual tours using a smartphone camera for free. The app is designed for real estate agencies and property owners, and is available through subscription for users who want to create several tours on a regular basis.
Assembekov said: "The inspiration for this idea came from the fact that the real estate market is one of the best and fastest to grow with. We started thinking about how to make life easier for real estate agencies and at the same time make something that they would really want to use."
"Classified ads are not a new thing for them, so we had to come up with something that nobody had developed before - we are actually the first in the world to launch this kind of technology. There is an app from the UK, but to use that you need to buy their accessories. With our app, there is a stabiliser which shows how users should hold the phone to make the app take virtual tours effectively."
Earlier this year, Propertyin360.co was ranked among the top three finalists in the growth stage of the Step Conference 2016, and also took third place in the Impact Hub CrowdFunDxb Pitch Competition. The enterprise has gone on to generate widespread interest, reflected in its recent listing among the top 50 UAE startups to watch by Forbes Magazine.
Alongside his numerous business ventures, Abzal also uses his entrepreneurial spirit to support the local community. "I am always keen to do something new and to create things that make life easier and better for people. We have sponsored the Al Ihsan Charity Association in Ajman, by developing a mobile application and website for them for free, and are also supporters of MOAS - the Migrant Offshore Aid Station charity, having provided complimentary services to translate their website into Arabic."
Abzal also remains committed to his university education and says he is thankful to CUD for providing the flexibility for him to work alongside his studies. He said, "I love that I can spend all day at the office and come to lectures in the evenings, where I am well educated by professors who understand their students and have a good approach to education, which helps me combine study and work."