The historic regional competitors will start to showcase the Central Eurasian startup ecosystem at Silicon Valley’s largest stage.
For the primary time in its historical past, Central Eurasia will pave the direct path to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield by means of the launch of Highway to Battlefield.
The competitors, hosted by Silkroad Innovation Hub, in collaboration with TechCrunch and Freedom Holding, spans 9 international locations in Central Eurasia. Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Churkiye, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. The nationwide match will result in the regional ultimate in San Francisco’s TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2025, the place the highest three startups win spots.
“We’re trying ahead to seeing you sooner or later,” stated Asset Abdualiyev, CEO and founding father of Silk Highway Innovation Hub. “In 2024, TechCrunch’s largest pavilion was in disarray. By offering direct entry to the Battlefield 200 to essentially the most promising startups from the Central Eurasian area, we are going to disrupt our partnership with TechCrunch to the following degree.”
Areas prepared for recognition
The Central Eurasian startup ecosystem has quietly constructed momentum on behalf of the 100 million dynamic high-tech hub, one of many world’s youngest populations. The area produces round 200,000 STEM alumni per yr, with an estimated 7,000 energetic startups throughout key sectors, together with AI, Fintech, Edtech, MedTech and e-commerce.
The numbers are convincing tales. Enterprise funds in Central Asia and South Caucasus have grown 5.5 occasions lately, reaching $110 million in 2023 and $150 million within the first half of 2024 alone.
Notable successes embody Higgsfield, an AI firm with over $100 million and Uzbekistan’s Uzum, which raised $114 million, making it the nation’s first unicorn at a $1.16 billion valuation. In the meantime, regional places of work of worldwide gamers resembling Telegram and Indrive have established their operations in Kazakhstan.
Regardless of this progress, the potential of the area stays largely undeveloped by world buyers. The Highway to the Battlefield is meant to alter its narrative by offering unprecedented visibility and entry to Silicon Valley’s most influential community.
“Not all buyers perceive how monumental the alternatives within the area are,” defined Abdualiyev. “This competitors is to point out that Central Eurasia has a startup worthy of worldwide recognition.”
The initiative has gained sturdy assist from gamers from key regional areas. Magzhan Madiyev, CEO of Kazakhstan’s Astana Hub, highlighted the significance of this chance. “We now have supported startup scaling within the US by means of our acceleration program and have seen actual progress, many corporations already safe native investments.
Sturdy regional partnerships
This competitors advantages from a strong regional partnership community supported by the area’s main innovation hubs and accelerators.
Astana Hub (Kazakhstan); It parks in Uzbekistan (Uzbekistan). Future Laboratory (Georgia); Sabah Hub and Innovation and Digital Growth Company (IDDA) (Azerbaijan); Park Mongolia (Mongolia); Speed up Prosperity (Kyrgyzstan); Park Dushanbe (Tajikistan). and the startup Centrum (Türkiye).
Certainly one of its major supporters, Uzbekistan sees this as an essential step in ecosystem improvement.
“Uzbek startups will broaden globally, assist and assist,” stated Abdulakhad Kuchkarov, CEO of IT Park Uzbekistan. “We hope that by means of our efforts to evolve our enterprise ecosystem, our startups might be seen and expanded globally within the US market. As a part of the Central Asian innovation hub at the moment applied at Astana Hab, this initiative is completely in keeping with regional improvement targets.”
The initiative is supported by freedom retention as a key associate and demonstrates a key non-public sector dedication to native innovation. “Freedom Holding Corp. has been supporting the Central Eurasian group on the World TechCrunch stage for a number of years, and this yr isn’t any exception,” stated Marlen Sikhayev, advisor to the chairman of Freedom Finance World Plc. “We imagine within the potential of native entrepreneurs and need to present entry to finest practices, mentorship and funding. This initiative not solely gives essential assist for startups, but additionally demonstrates that the central EuRussia know-how and innovation sector is growing as a unified area in response to world developments.”
Aggressive construction and timeline
Competitors follows a rigorously structured course of.
Stage 1: Nationwide Match (July 21 – August 10) On-line pitch occasions shall be held in numerous international locations.
Stage 2: Regional Finals (August fifteenth) The highest 20 startups will compete within the on-line regional finals to find out the three winners.
Stage 3: Preparation for the battlefield (September 1 – October 24) Winners will obtain intensive preparations by means of weekly webinars main as much as 2025, main as much as TechCrunch.
Stage 4: TechCrunch Startup Battlefield (October Twenty sixth-Twenty ninth) The three finalists will journey to Silicon Valley to compete in TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield 200.
Unique advantages for winners
Three profitable startups will obtain a complete bundle designed to maximise the Silicon Valley expertise.
- Assured spot TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200
- Spherical-trip flights In San Francisco for as much as two group members
- Lodging Coated as much as 2 weeks
- Startup sales space And show the area to confuse all TechCrunch for 3 days
- Buyers and Networking Entry Prime VC and personal trade occasions
- Branding and Media Publicity By means of occasion materials and protection alternatives
Startup Requirements
Competitors is geared toward early stage startups that meet sure standards.
- Don’t exceed the funding stage earlier than the sequence
- A practical MVP is required
- There must be restricted publicity to world media
- You should be based mostly in one of many 9 Central Eurasian international locations
Constructing on success
TechCrunch has destroyed the stand as one of many world’s most influential technical conferences, captivated over 165,000 members, that includes audio system resembling Elon Musk, Serena Williams and Satya Nadella. At its coronary heart, TechCrunch Startup Battlefield boasts a formidable 15-plus years of expertise launching world high-tech giants resembling Trello, Dropbox, N26, Mint and Farethough AI. Alumni corporations have raised over $32 billion, with over 50 unicorns rising from this system.
Annually, 200 early stage startups compete for unparalleled publicity to prime buyers and media, whereas 20 finalists compete for dwell exhibits with $100,000 in funding and the long-lasting Discrupt Cup.
Historic moments
The launch of Highway to Battlefield represents extra than simply competitors. It’s a historic second for the central Eurasian startup ecosystem. By making a direct pathway to one of many world’s most prestigious startup levels, the initiative guarantees to speed up integration of the area into a world innovation financial system.
As competitors launches functions, central Eurasian entrepreneurs have the chance to showcase innovation to Silicon Valley’s most influential buyers and companions. For areas which have lengthy been underrepresented in world startup competitions, it might be the catalyst for turning Central Eurasia right into a acknowledged hub of worldwide innovation.
That is what it’s for making use of for a highway to the battlefield Please open it nowdeadline is July fifteenth, 2025.
