Historic regional competitors launches to showcase Central Eurasia’s rising startup ecosystem on Silicon Valley’s largest stage.
For the primary time in its historical past, Central Eurasia could have a direct pathway to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield by way of the launch of “Highway to Battlefield,” a groundbreaking regional competitors that guarantees to place the underrepresented area firmly on the worldwide innovation map.
The competitors, organized by Silkroad Innovation Hub in partnership with TechCrunch and Freedom Holding, will span 9 international locations throughout Central Eurasia: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Nationwide competitions will result in a regional last the place the highest three startups will earn spots in TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2025 in San Francisco.
“We’ve been exhibiting startups at TechCrunch Disrupt for a number of years as companions — 14 startups in 2023, 24 startups in 2024 — and we see that they are often aggressive,” stated Asset Abdualiyev, CEO and founding father of Silkroad Innovation Hub. “In 2024, we had the most important pavilion at TechCrunch Disrupt. We’re completely happy to take our partnership with TechCrunch Disrupt to the following stage by offering direct entry to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 to probably the most promising startups from the Central Eurasian area.”
A area prepared for recognition
Central Eurasia’s startup ecosystem has been quietly constructing momentum, representing a dynamic tech hub of 100 million folks with one of many youngest populations on the planet. The area produces roughly 200,000 STEM graduates yearly and is residence to an estimated 7,000 lively startups throughout key sectors, together with AI, fintech, edtech, medtech, and e-commerce.
The numbers inform a compelling story: Enterprise funding in Central Asia and the South Caucasus has grown 5.5x in recent times, reaching $110 million in 2023 and $150 million within the first half of 2024 alone.
Notable successes embody AI firm Higgsfield, valued at over $100 million, and Uzum from Uzbekistan, which raised $114 million in funding, turning into the nation’s first unicorn with a valuation of $1.16 billion. In the meantime, regional workplaces of world gamers, akin to Telegram and inDrive, have established operations in Kazakhstan.
Regardless of this development, the area’s potential stays largely untapped by world buyers. The Highway to Battlefield competitors goals to vary that narrative by offering unprecedented visibility and entry to Silicon Valley’s most influential networks.
“Not all buyers perceive how huge the alternatives are in that area,” defined Abdualiyev. “This competitors is about showcasing that Central Eurasia has startups that deserve world recognition.”
The initiative has garnered sturdy help from key regional gamers. Magzhan Madiyev, CEO of Astana Hub in Kazakhstan, emphasised the significance of this chance: “We’ve been serving to startups scale within the US by way of our acceleration applications and have seen actual progress. Many firms have already secured native investments, and this competitors offers a fair larger platform for Kazakhstan’s startups to be uncovered.”
Robust regional partnership
The competitors advantages from a strong partnership community throughout the area, supported by main regional innovation hubs and accelerators:
Astana Hub (Kazakhstan); IT Park Uzbekistan (Uzbekistan); Future Laboratory (Georgia); Sabah Hub and Innovation and Digital Growth Company (IDDA) (Azerbaijan); IT Park Mongolia (Mongolia); Speed up Prosperity (Kyrgyzstan); IT Park Dushanbe (Tajikistan); and Startup Centrum (Türkiye).
IT Park Uzbekistan, one of many key supporters, sees this as an important step in ecosystem growth. “We’re completely happy to help and assist Uzbek startups scale globally,” stated Abdulakhad Kuchkarov, CEO of IT Park Uzbekistan. “We want that by way of our efforts to evolve the enterprise ecosystem, our startups could be seen within the US market and develop globally. As a part of the Central Asia Innovation Hub that we at the moment are implementing with Astana Hub, this initiative aligns completely with our regional growth objectives.”
The initiative is backed by Freedom Holding as the principle accomplice, demonstrating important personal sector dedication to regional innovation. “Freedom Holding Corp. has been supporting Central Eurasian groups on the worldwide TechCrunch stage for a number of years now, and this 12 months isn’t any exception,” stated Marlen Sikhayev, adviser to the president of Freedom Finance International PLC. “We consider within the potential of regional entrepreneurs and wish to give them entry to finest practices, mentorship, and investments. This initiative not solely offers essential help for startups but additionally demonstrates that Central Eurasia’s expertise and innovation sector is retaining tempo with world traits and growing as a unified area.”
Competitors construction and timeline
The competitors follows a rigorously structured course of:
Stage 1: Nationwide Competitions (July 21 – August 10). Every nation will host on-line pitch occasions.
Stage 2: Regional Remaining (August 15). The highest 20 startups will compete in an internet regional last to find out the three winners.
Stage 3: Battlefield Preparation (September 1 – October 24). Winners obtain intensive preparation by way of weekly webinars main as much as TechCrunch Disrupt 2025.
Stage 4: TechCrunch Startup Battlefield (October 27 – 29). The three finalists journey to Silicon Valley to compete within the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200.
Unique advantages for winners
The three successful startups will obtain a complete package deal designed to maximise their Silicon Valley expertise:
- Assured spots in TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200.
- Spherical-trip flights to San Francisco for as much as two crew members.
- Lodging coated for as much as 2 weeks.
- Startup sales space and exhibit house for all three days of TechCrunch Disrupt.
- Investor and networking entry to prime VCs and personal business occasions.
- Branding and media publicity by way of occasion supplies and protection alternatives.
Startup standards
The competitors targets early-stage startups that meet particular standards:
- Should not have exceeded the pre-Sequence A funding stage.
- Will need to have a practical MVP.
- Ought to have restricted world media publicity.
- Should be based mostly in one of many 9 Central Eurasian international locations.
Constructing on success
TechCrunch Disrupt stands as one of many world’s most influential tech conferences, attracting over 165,000 attendees and that includes audio system akin to Elon Musk, Serena Williams, and Satya Nadella.
At its core, TechCrunch Startup Battlefield boasts a powerful 15-plus-year monitor document of launching world tech giants, together with Trello, Dropbox, N26, Mint, and Forethought AI. Alumni firms have collectively raised over $32 billion, with greater than 50 unicorns rising from this system.
Annually, 200 early-stage startups compete for unparalleled publicity to top-tier buyers and media, with 20 finalists advancing to compete dwell for $100,000 funding and the enduring Disrupt Cup.
A historic second
The launch of Highway to Battlefield represents greater than only a competitors; it’s a historic second for Central Eurasia’s startup ecosystem. By making a direct pathway to one of many world’s most prestigious startup phases, the initiative guarantees to speed up the area’s integration into the worldwide innovation economic system.
Because the competitors opens for functions, entrepreneurs throughout Central Eurasia now have a chance to showcase their improvements to Silicon Valley’s most influential buyers and companions.
For a area that has lengthy been underrepresented in world startup competitions, it might be the catalyst that transforms Central Eurasia right into a acknowledged hub of world innovation.
Purposes for Highway to Battlefield at the moment are open, with a deadline of July 15, 2025.
