The final of Global Startup Awards — Central Asia took place in Tashkent as part of ICTWEEK 2025

On September 26, 2025, the final of Global Startup Awards — Central Asia, the regional stage of the world’s largest competition for startup ecosystems, was held in Tashkent within the framework of ICTWEEK 2025. The event brought together startups from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Mongolia, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan, as well as leading experts, investors, accelerators, and representatives of the media, establishing itself as a key platform for fostering innovation in Central Asia.

Global Startup Awards (GSA) is the world’s largest platform in the field of innovation and technological entrepreneurship, spanning 154 countries and 19 regions. Since its establishment in 2012, the competition has received more than 160,000 applications and over 822,000 votes, with its alumni including 16 unicorn companies with a combined valuation exceeding $64 billion.

Keynote addresses

The program of the final commenced with welcoming remarks from Kim Balle, Co-Founder and CEO of Global Startup Awards:

“We are witnessing a new era of entrepreneurship. Access to technologies, programs, and global networks is no longer restricted to a select few — it is open to many. This democratization is driving innovation, enabling founders to test ideas more rapidly and to scale ecosystems at an unprecedented pace. Today, there is more talent, more support, and more opportunities in the world than ever before, which makes the present moment one of the most favorable times to become a founder.”

Christopher Haley, Head of Research at Startup Genome, delivered a keynote presentation entitled “Central Asian Startup Ecosystem: Emerging Markets Everyone is Looking For”. In his address, he emphasized that Tashkent is demonstrating remarkable progress in the development of its startup ecosystem, with growth outpacing neighboring countries both in deal volume and value.

Panel discussion: Central Eurasia — Rising Innovation Hub

One of the central highlights of the day was the panel discussion “Central Eurasia: Rising Innovation Hub”, moderated by Bokhodir Ayupov, CEO of IT Park University. The panel featured the participation of:

• Jamila Khalibaeva (IT Park Uzbekistan)

• Anarbek Utegulov (Astana Hub)

• George Kezherashvili (GITA)

• Chubak Temirov (HTP)

• Masrur Ishanov (Technohub Dushanbe)

• Salar Imamaliev (IDDA Azerbaijan)

Key points from the discussion:

• Khalibaeva highlighted Uzbekistan’s rapid IT export growth — from $600,000 a few years ago to nearly $1 billion today.

• Utegulov announced Kazakhstan’s $1 billion Fund of Funds and plans to grow five unicorns by 2030.

• Kezherashvili presented GITA’s international acceleration model.

• Temirov emphasized regional cultural proximity as a scaling advantage.

• Ishanov cited Zipl.ai as a regional role model.

• Imamaliev stressed Azerbaijan’s focus on diversification, education, and partnerships.

Winners of the final

At the GSA Central Asia final, winners were announced in key categories:

• Best Newcomer — Winner: OINA AI (Kazakhstan).

• Best Coworking Space — Winner: Ololo (Kyrgyzstan).

• Best Health Tech Startup — Winner: Aidentis (Kazakhstan).

• Best Accelerator/Incubator Program — Winner: KBTU (Kazakhstan).

• Ecosystem Hero of the Year — Winner: Rakhimakhon Nugmanova (Uzbekistan).

• Best Fintech Startup — Winner: MoliyAI (Uzbekistan).

• Best Youth Startup — Winner: Coursemon (Pakistan).

• Investor of the Year — Winner: UzVC (Uzbekistan).

• Startup of the Year — Winner: HyperApp (Uzbekistan, cloud technologies).

• People’s Choice Award — Winner: EduAI (Uzbekistan).

• Best Green Tech Startup — Winner: Catextra (Uzbekistan).

• Founder of the Year — Winner: Akmaljon Musaev (Uzbekistan).

• Diversity Role Model of the Year — Winner: Assem Bolatzhan (Kazakhstan).

Fireside chat: challenges and opportunities

The session “Scaling Startups in Emerging Markets” explored global expansion challenges:

• Asset Abdualiyev (Silkroad Innovation Hub) — noted barriers in entering the U.S. market (visa, registration, investors).

• Rinata Ilyubayeva (Tumar Innovation Hub) — highlighted cultural, linguistic, and regulatory specifics in the Middle East, but also opportunities from digital transformation and venture growth.

Closing address

Abdulakhad Kuchkarov, CEO of IT Park Uzbekistan, concluded:

“Seeing all these startups, I am truly delighted to be here with you today. I am witnessing profound transformations in Uzbekistan’s startup ecosystem. When we first embarked on this journey, we could not have imagined achieving such results in just a few years — and I am confident that this is only the beginning. There is still much work ahead. Uzbekistan is home to numerous startups and exceptionally talented individuals — we simply need to work hard. No miracles, no magic — just hard work. And that is the only way we can achieve truly remarkable results.”

Media partners

Aniq.uz, Daryo.uz, Frank.uz, Kursiv, Nova 24, The Tech, UzbekFintech, Weproject, Vzglyad.uz, Oriat Dono radio station.