Results of the President Tech Award 2024 in Numbers: Participation of 538 Startups

In 2024, the competition organized by the Ministry of Digital Technologies and IT Park Uzbekistan, with the support of Plug and Play, attracted a total of 3,458 participants and 538 teams. 

For the first time, the category “Technological Solutions in Micro-SaaS and AdTech” was introduced, featuring participation from 31 teams. A notable increase was observed in the number of startups across other categories as well. Specifically, the “AI-Driven Technologies” category included 63 startups, “Digital Technologies in the Social Sphere” saw participation from 173 startups, “Entrepreneurship and Financial Technologies” featured 92 startups, while 41 startups competed in the “Computer and Mobile Games” category. 

The competition comprised five stages, including mentoring sessions and a Demo Day, culminating in the distribution of a $900,000 prize fund among the 15 best teams across five categories. An additional $100,000 was awarded to the team “Lorem Ipsum” for their project “Focuscore AI” during a special hackathon.

Speaklish is a project aimed at enhancing conversational English skills, leading to improved IELTS results and increased self-confidence. The project stands out for its data-driven progress tracking methodology. Founded in 2023, the startup currently has a team of nine members and has secured $15,000 in funding from the WERISE FinTech accelerator.

Cradle, established in 2023, has demonstrated remarkable growth and has become a leader in AI-based video surveillance and analytics in Uzbekistan. The team provides innovative solutions for universities, the banking sector, retail businesses, and manufacturing enterprises. In 2023, Cradle Vision Tech secured a $50,000 investment from AloqaVentures, raising its valuation to $300,000. By 2024, the company’s valuation had risen to approximately $4 million, reflecting strong demand in the market.

Stepogram is a fitness application targeting individuals seeking to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. The startup was founded by Jakhongir Kamilov and Vladislav Vavilov, both graduates of Moscow State University, as well as Jahongir Soliev, a graduate of Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas. Established 1.5 years ago, Stepogram’s primary objective is to enhance the health of Uzbekistan’s population by encouraging users to walk more, while simultaneously contributing to a reduction in CO2 emissions.

BRAILLE RECOGNITION is a mobile application designed to convert images into Braille using artificial intelligence. This project plays a significant role in fostering inclusivity within educational environments, particularly within universities, where visually impaired individuals are afforded the opportunity to study alongside their sighted peers. Founded in 2021, the startup consists of a team of 5 individuals. The founders successfully secured a grant of 6 million tenge from Yandex Cloud to expand their computational capabilities.

Fazliddin Games is a team that has grown from two developers in 2022 to ten members in 2024. The team participated in the GameDevGoethe incubator, where it received awards in two categories.

They presented their game, Sugar Boy, in which players must collect food within a limited timeframe. The unique feature of the game lies in its experimental and entertaining physics, which ensures that each gameplay session provides a distinctive experience.

Grimoire Entertainment is a startup with a focus on developing mobile games and indie projects. The company was established 4 years ago and currently has a team of 5 members.

StudentHunter is an edtech platform that offers universities a CRM system for processing applications and facilitates the acquisition of high-quality leads. Students benefit from mentorship during the application process and may submit applications to multiple local and international universities at no cost. The project has been operational for two years and currently employs a team of 15 members.

EduTizim is a platform that combines customer relationship management (CRM) and learning management system (LMS) capabilities, specifically tailored for educational institutions and organizations. By integrating these functions, EduTizim seeks to streamline administrative processes, enhance the quality of education, and improve the overall effectiveness of educational institutions. The platform is currently utilized in over 150 centers and has a team of 10 members.

Sug‘urta Bozor is a project that enables insurance companies to increase their profits by 30% on each auto insurance policy. The startup was founded two years ago by WIUT graduates Azizbek Kurbonov, Tigran Bekmullin, and Abdurauf Sherkulov. During this time, the founders successfully raised $220,000 from international investors.

diip.uz is an innovative platform for transportation logistics, connecting transport companies, exporters, and importers. The platform allows transport companies to identify available cargo for their vehicles, while exporters and importers can find appropriate transportation for their goods. Additionally, dispatchers from transport companies can utilize the platform as a CRM system.

A team of 20 individuals has been working on this project for the past two years. The startup secured an investment of $50,000 from an angel investor, which was allocated towards the development of the platform’s initial version.

This progress serves as a testament to the increasing strength of Uzbekistan’s talent pool, its innovative solutions, and the crucial government support that empowers young entrepreneurs to bring their projects to life. Alongside our partners, we take great pride in being a part of this journey and contributing to the growth of Uzbekistan’s future startup ecosystem. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our partners, mentors, judges, and the organizing team for their invaluable contribution to this success.