Alidar Kuchukov is the co-founder of Oki, the language-learning application launched under the name Aleem. Working with Asylzhan Altai, he brought experience from their GetEnglish online school into a product combining conversation practice and personalised exercises. In December 2025, Kuchukov reported that the application had more than 300,000 users. (digitalbusiness.kz, tengrinews.kz)
Who Alidar Kuchukov is
Originally from Almaty, Kuchukov lives and works in the United States. Before building the app, he worked on operations, business development and marketing in his own projects. Coverage of Aleem’s November 2025 launch identified him as CEO, Asylzhan Altai as CMO and Temirlan Amanzhanov as CTO. (digitalbusiness.kz)
By October 2026, the application was using the Oki name. Its App Store listing identifies Alidar Kuchukov as the developer and retains the application identifier used for Aleem. RAEM’s Startup Radar profile provides background on the project. (apps.apple.com)
Alidar Kuchukov’s early projects
Kuchukov says he began entrepreneurial projects in 2019. He left school after the tenth grade and experimented with online and offline businesses, including Web3 projects. He also studied C++ and frontend development to understand prototyping, while directing most of his attention towards business operations and product work. (digitalbusiness.kz)
In 2023, he joined GetEnglish as CEO and worked with Altai on the self-directed English-learning school. His responsibilities covered operations and business development. The partners later met again in the United States and began discussing a separate technology product. (digitalbusiness.kz)
In an interview with National Business, Altai described GetEnglish as a foundation for their next venture. The team had experience working with learners, an understanding of educational use cases and an audience with which to test a new format. In March 2025, the partners focused on developing an application built around personalised learning. (nationalbusiness.kz)
From a Telegram prototype to Aleem
The team tested demand through a Telegram mini app in summer 2025. According to Kuchukov, it attracted 40,000 users in a month and generated $10,000 in presales. The founders then moved towards a mobile application and, from September, worked on the project almost full time. (digitalbusiness.kz)
Their school experience helped define the product’s purpose. Learners wanted exercises connected to their interests, abilities and everyday situations. Altai said the team examined existing education apps and approaches to personalisation before deciding how to structure its own offering. (nationalbusiness.kz)
The Aleem mobile app launched in November 2025. Its initial visibility came from positions in regional App Store charts, a period covered in RAEM’s article on the launch. A rapid influx of users required the small team to fix bugs, answer support requests and improve the product simultaneously. (digitalbusiness.kz)
In his December interview, Kuchukov reported more than 300,000 users. He attributed interest to the ability to practise speaking and writing, review material and use vocabulary flashcards within one interface. At that point, the team had not released an Android version, concentrating instead on serving the audience it had already attracted. (digitalbusiness.kz)
What Oki offers
Oki’s website and App Store description list conversations with an AI partner, writing exercises, personalised lessons and vocabulary cards. Topics can be selected around a learner’s interests. Feedback after a conversation is intended to help users notice mistakes and return to material that needs additional practice. (okilang.app, apps.apple.com)
The structure reflects the founders’ effort to connect different learning activities. A user can discuss an interesting subject, receive exercises and continue working on vocabulary. The App Store offers the application as a free download with in-app purchases, while the website presents free and paid options. (apps.apple.com, okilang.app)
In a 2026 interview with Tengrinews, Kuchukov linked his interest in language learning to his own experience of a language barrier after moving to the United States. He described conversation practice as an important part of the product: learners need someone to talk to and regular feedback at a time that suits them. (tengrinews.kz)
Funding discussions and future plans
In 2025, the founders attended the AlchemistX programme in Silicon Valley with support from Astana Hub and IT Park Uzbekistan. That December, Kuchukov said they were speaking with investors in the United States and other markets. The team was seeking resources to improve the application and support further growth. (digitalbusiness.kz)
National Business reported in November 2025 that the founders planned to raise $1.5 million at a $15 million valuation. Those figures described proposed financing. In his December interview, Kuchukov continued to discuss the investor search and the team’s use of its own resources. (nationalbusiness.kz, digitalbusiness.kz)
Another ambition is to turn familiar digital content into learning material. Speaking to Tengrinews, Kuchukov described activities built around videos, reading and online conversations. The team wants to connect those interests with speaking practice, feedback on mistakes and vocabulary revision. (tengrinews.kz)
Timeline
- 2019 — Kuchukov began entrepreneurial projects.
- 2023 — worked as CEO of GetEnglish.
- March 2025 — the partners focused on a language-learning app.
- Summer 2025 — tested the product through a Telegram mini app.
- November 2025 — launched the Aleem mobile application.
- 2025 — participated in AlchemistX.
- 2026 — the application continued under the Oki name. (digitalbusiness.kz, nationalbusiness.kz, tengrinews.kz, apps.apple.com)
Frequently asked questions
Who is Alidar Kuchukov?
He is the co-founder of Oki, formerly Aleem. Before building the app, he worked with Asylzhan Altai on the GetEnglish online school. (digitalbusiness.kz)
Are Oki and Aleem the same project?
Yes. Sources from 2026 identify Aleem as Oki, including a founder interview and the App Store listing. (tengrinews.kz, apps.apple.com)
When did the mobile app launch?
Aleem launched in November 2025 after the founders tested their ideas through Telegram that summer. (digitalbusiness.kz)
How many users did it have in late 2025?
In a December 2025 interview, Kuchukov reported more than 300,000 users. (digitalbusiness.kz)
