Strengthening Global Bridges: Uzbekistan’s Strategic Engagements in Silicon Valley

Uzbekistan’s national venture capital fund, IT Park Ventures, continued its U.S. mission with a series of high-level meetings across Silicon Valley, deepening the country’s integration with global startup and investment ecosystems.

These engagements were made possible through the invaluable support of the Silkroad Innovation Hub — led by Asror Arabjanov and Asset Abdualiyev — who played a critical role in building lasting bridges between Central Eurasia and the U.S. 

StartX – Embedding Uzbekistan into Stanford’s Global Founder Ecosystem

📍 Host: Darsh Singh Mann, Head of Business Development and Partnerships | Palo Alto, CA

Founded in 2010, StartX has become a global symbol of founder-first innovation. With over $26B raised by its portfolio and a thriving community of Stanford-affiliated entrepreneurs, it stands as a benchmark for trust-based acceleration and long-term support.

During the meeting, StartX and IT Park Ventures aligned on several key initiatives:

• Bootcamp in Tashkent: A co-designed program led by StartX alumni and U.S.-based founders to prepare Central Eurasian startups for global fundraising, product-market fit, and narrative clarity.
   
• Co-Investment Track: StartX Fund and IT Park Ventures will begin exploring a shared screening and due diligence framework for co-investing in high-growth regional startups.
   
• Investor Education: Development of investor training tracks in Uzbekistan to build long-term capital sophistication and unlock new LP and GP talent.
   
• TechCrunch 2025 Showcase: Joint participation in a dedicated Uzbekistan x Stanford session during Disrupt.
   

This partnership formally links Uzbekistan’s startup ecosystem to Stanford’s innovation pipeline — accelerating access to talent, mentorship, and top-tier funding. For Uzbek founders and the diaspora, it unlocks an elite peer network. For the broader Central Eurasian region, it sets a precedent: regional innovation can compete at Stanford level — and win.

One Way Ventures – A Venture Thesis on the Strength of Immigrant Founders

📍 Host: Eugene Malobrodsky, Managing Partner | Palo Alto, CA

Built around the radical truth that immigrant founders drive resilient innovation, One Way Ventures has become a global symbol of inclusive capitalism. With a portfolio that includes Brex, Momentus, and Chipper Cash, it was a natural partner for Uzbekistan’s diaspora-led innovation agenda.

Highlights of the conversation include:
 

• Pipeline Exchange: A two-way flow of opportunities between U.S.-based immigrant-led startups and Central Eurasian companies looking to scale globally.
   
• Founder Immersion Program: A curated experience during TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, introducing regional founders to Silicon Valley’s fundraising dynamics.
   
• Thought Leadership Engagement: Invitation to One Way Ventures to participate in ICT Week Uzbekistan as speakers and mentors.
   

This collaboration reframes Uzbekistan’s diaspora not as brain drain, but as strategic intellectual capital. It opens a return path home — backed by global funding, meaningful purpose, and systemic support.

Jeff Cabili – Transforming Founders into Fundraisers Through Story and Presence

📍 Mentor & Coach | Former Director of Business Development, Stanford GSB

With over a decade at Stanford Graduate School of Business, and advisory roles at StartX, Draper University, and Plug and Play, Jeff Cabili has helped thousands of founders raise capital through masterful storytelling and pitch delivery.

Key initiatives discussed:

• Founder Bootcamp in Tashkent: An in-person program on storytelling, investor communication, and stage presence.
   
• Virtual Coaching Series: Quarterly pitch clinics for founders in the Uzbekistan and Central Eurasian ecosystem.
   
• Mentorship at ICT Week: Jeff will support finalists preparing for demo day and pitch competitions.
   
• Internal Coaching: A communications workshop for the IT Park Ventures team on narrative strategy and international engagement.
   

This collaboration ensures that Uzbek founders won’t just build great products — they’ll know how to present them to the world. For investors, it increases pitch quality and confidence across the ecosystem. For the region, it reinforces that excellence in communication is a skill — not a geography.

Culmination: The Central Eurasian Founders Mixer – A Blueprint for Venture, Community, and Return

The day concluded with the Central Eurasian Founders Mixer, held in Palo Alto and hosted by Silkroad Innovation Hub in partnership with IT Park Ventures, IT Park Uzbekistan, and the Youth Affairs Agency.

The gathering brought together over 100 founders, investors, and ecosystem allies — not simply to network, but to celebrate the emergence of a transnational innovation identity.

As keynote speaker, Azamat Karamatov, CEO of IT Park Ventures, presented the strategic vision behind Uzbekistan Connect — a global engagement platform designed to activate and support Uzbek professionals abroad. Key features of the initiative include:

• Up to $10,000/year in impact funding for diaspora-led initiatives;
   
• Sponsored homecoming trips and ecosystem reintegration;
   
• Direct access to policymakers and investors;
   
• Monthly strategy calls with global ecosystem builders.
   

“We’re not just opening doors — we’re designing the corridors. This is the beginning of a venture infrastructure that includes everyone: local founders, diaspora leaders, global allies. I’m deeply grateful to Asror Arabjanov, Asset Abdualiyev, and the entire Silkroad Innovation Hub for helping us bring this vision to life.”

— Azamat Karamatov, CEO, IT Park Ventures

The event embodied Uzbekistan’s innovation diplomacy at its best: capital following community, and venture building rooted in shared identity. For founders, it affirmed global relevance. For the diaspora, it offered structured return. For Central Eurasia, it signaled the rise of a venture identity that is inclusive, regionally grounded, and globally respected.

Looking Ahead: A New Architecture for Global Innovation

April 18 wasn’t just a day of meetings — it was a strategic rehearsal for the future Uzbekistan is actively constructing. A future where:

• Stanford-trained mentors shape founder journeys across Uzbekistan’s growing network of regional IT Park branches;
   
• Immigrant-led funds co-invest in Uzbek and diaspora-born startups;
   
• And global capital flows toward resilience, not just risk.
   

These engagements were not merely relationship-building — they were infrastructure-building: for visibility, investment, and global integration.

Join the Uzbekistan Delegation at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

As the next step in this journey, IT Park Ventures, IT Park Uzbekistan, and Silkroad Innovation Hub invite founders, investors, business angels, diaspora leaders, and ecosystem partners to join the official Uzbekistan Delegation at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 — the global stage for emerging technology and venture capital.

Held annually in San Francisco, TechCrunch Disrupt convenes 12,000+ attendees, 2,000+ investors, 400+ journalists, and 1,000+ startups. It is where companies like Dropbox, Trello, Fitbit, and Cloudflare were born.

🛠️ Delegation Program Highlights:

• A Founder Immersion Program, co-designed with Silkroad Innovation Hub, offering tailored investor exposure, pitch support, and curated introductions for 10–15 selected startups from Uzbekistan and the broader Central Eurasian region;
   
• A Stanford x Tashkent Showcase, co-hosted with StartX, featuring select founders and workshops on raising capital and entering U.S. markets;
   
• Private VC–Startup Matchmaking Sessions and diaspora engagement events;
   
• Access to IT Park’s Zero Risk Program and regional incentive schemes.
   

🎟️ Complimentary Tickets Available

A limited number of full-access 3-Day Passes will be provided to selected founders and ecosystem participants. Tickets include access to the global exhibition, main stages, and all Uzbekistan delegation programming.

📅 TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 will take place October 28–30 in San Francisco, California.

The official delegation program — including side events, briefings, and private meetings — will run in parallel. Final schedules will be shared with selected participants following registration.

Link to apply: https://forms.gle/2pDFrZeRMgRtU2Vs6

Join us — not just as attendees, but as co-architects of this new innovation corridor.

Let’s build the bridge between Silicon Valley and Central Eurasia — together.