Successful Exit: Activat VC Exits BILLZ

Activat VC has completed a successful exit from one of its portfolio startups — BILLZ, a leading SaaS platform for retail business management in Central Asia. BILLZ helps small and medium-sized businesses, especially in fashion retail, improve efficiency, automate processes, manage offline and online sales, and access collateral-free financing.

The product addresses entrepreneurs’ key needs:

• managing products, inventory and staff;

• growing online sales through websites, bots and marketplaces;

• access to collateral-free financing of up to $120,000.

Activat VC invested in BILLZ at the Bridge round stage, when the startup was preparing to scale in Kazakhstan and strengthen its position in regional markets.

Over 1.5 years in our portfolio, BILLZ grew its client base and revenue by more than 250%, securing its status as one of the retail tech leaders in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The company’s clients include more than 4,000 retail businesses, among them brands such as L’Occitane, Tommy Hilfiger, Levi’s, Garmin, Rieker and others.

On the back of this growth, interest in the platform naturally intensified, and TBC Bank Group offered the founders and investors a deal to acquire a controlling stake. The bank acquired 53% of the company for $9 million, with plans to increase its stake to 60%, valuing BILLZ at $20 million. BILLZ will now continue to grow as part of one of the region’s largest financial ecosystems.

We are proud to have been part of this journey and to have supported the team at a key stage of scaling. This exit confirms the effectiveness of our strategy and shows that the region’s venture market is actively developing, opening up opportunities for startups and investors alike.

We wish the BILLZ team and its new partners great success in the next stage of growth!