At this month’s Startup Grind Tbilisi, former professional tennis player Iako Jikia shared her journey from sports to entrepreneurship. Forced to retire after an injury, Jikia transitioned into business, first working at Paybox, a company specializing in cash deposits and e-wallet services. Now, she is the CEO and co-founder of Helio AI, a platform that uses AI and gamified assessments to improve hiring processes.
Since its launch, Helio AI has analyzed 300,000 job seekers for over 150 companies, offering businesses a new way to evaluate candidates. Speaking at the event, Jikia discussed the challenges of career change, the role of AI in recruitment, and the realities of building a startup.
Adapting to Change and the Role of AI
Jikia believes AI is not replacing human work, but reshaping it. “I think artificial intelligence allows people to be much more human and do much more creatively, not to take on various routine tasks,” she said. Instead of automating jobs out of existence, AI is streamlining repetitive processes, allowing employees to focus on more meaningful work.
She also noted that traditional work structures are evolving. “With Georgian companies, and in the latest perspective, you see that they are generally adapting to the idea that the traditional 9-to-6, five-day workweek is not necessary,” she said. “When we talk about the region, in my opinion, the trends we see in America and Europe will eventually come here too.”
Building a Startup Ecosystem in Georgia
The event’s organizer, Colin Donahue, highlighted Startup Grind Tbilisi’s role in supporting entrepreneurs. “We’ve done almost 100 events over the years here, and it’s about building a community of founders,” he said. “It’s about building a community of people who want to create companies, who want to try things, make mistakes, and go on that entrepreneurial journey.”
A key challenge for founders, he noted, is the lack of mentorship. “If you don’t have mentors, it’s very difficult to be successful,” he said. Events like this aim to bridge that gap, connecting new entrepreneurs with those who have experience scaling businesses.
This month’s Startup Grind also focused on female founders. “We’re doing three events focused on female founders, partly in celebration of International Women’s Day, but also because we have a ton of really good founders who happen to be women in Georgia,” Donahue said. “We actually have better representation here than in a lot of places. I was in India, and I looked around the room, and it was all men. So I’m very proud of Georgia for having great female founders.”
Lessons from Sports and Business
Jikia credits her time in professional sports with preparing her for the uncertainty of entrepreneurship. “Sports teach you how to handle setbacks,” she said. “You train every day, you lose matches, but you have to get back up and keep going. That’s exactly what entrepreneurship is like.”
Starting a business, like training for a tournament, requires discipline, adaptability, and persistence. Jikia had to navigate an entirely new field after leaving tennis, learning the ins and outs of business while building something from the ground up.
What’s Next for Helio AI?
Helio AI is expanding rapidly and gaining international recognition. “We’re accumulating customers and revenue very quickly,” Jikia said. “We’re internationalizing, and it’s just a great example of how Georgian startups can compete on a global level.”
As more entrepreneurs enter the tech space, events like Startup Grind will continue to play a role in bringing people together, sharing insights, and fostering new ideas. Jikia’s story is a reminder that a career setback doesn’t have to mean the end—it can be the start of something new.
By Kesaria Katcharava
