Kazakh Entrepreneur Breeds Tulips Named After Famous Kazakhs, Seeks Investors
In the lead-up to International Women's Day, flower markets are bustling with a variety of blooms, but classic roses remain the top choice for buyers. Meanwhile, an Almaty entrepreneur, Olzhas Serikuly, has an innovative plan to create new tulip varieties named after famous Kazakhs, seeking investors to make this vision a reality.
Serikuly aims to breed tulips and name them after notable figures like singer Dimash Kudaibergen and boxer Gennady Golovkin. To achieve this, he needs diverse investors. Potential backers could include private investors with a passion for flowers or connection to Kazakhstan, investment funds focusing on innovative or sustainable projects, Kazakh state enterprises, international flower and garden companies, and cultural or tourism promotion bodies.
Serikuly's strategy to attract investors involves networking, presenting a compelling project proposal with clear financial projections, leveraging social media and marketing, and building partnerships with local universities or research institutions. Florists suggest giving white roses to mothers and sisters, unopened tulip buds to loved ones, large colorful bouquets to adults and the elderly, and designer flowers in baskets to colleagues and friends. One unique tulip variety, 'Fun for two', has cream-colored blooms that smell like roses. Serikuly currently grows 15 tulip varieties in his greenhouse, with wholesale bulbs priced at 280 tenge and retailing up to 400 tenge.
Olzhas Serikuly's ambitious project to create new tulip varieties named after famous Kazakhs requires diverse investors. With a well-planned strategy to attract backers and a unique product, such as the 'Fun for two' variety, Serikuly's venture has the potential to enrich Kazakhstan's cultural landscape and the global flower market.
