Road to Battlefield: Central Eurasia’s gateway to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield

Historic regional competitors launches to showcase Central Eurasia’s rising startup ecosystem on Silicon Valley’s greatest stage.

For the primary time in its historical past, Central Eurasia can have a direct pathway to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield via the launch of “Street 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 nations 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 degree by offering direct entry to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 to essentially 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 this planet. The area produces roughly 200,000 STEM graduates yearly and is residence to an estimated 7,000 energetic 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 lately, 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 places of work of world gamers, reminiscent of Telegram and inDrive, have established operations in Kazakhstan.

Regardless of this progress, the area’s potential stays largely untapped by world buyers. The Street to Battlefield competitors goals to alter 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 robust 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 via our acceleration packages and have seen actual progress. Many corporations have already secured native investments, and this competitors gives an excellent greater platform for Kazakhstan’s startups to be uncovered.”

Sturdy regional partnership

The competitors advantages from a sturdy 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 Improvement 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 a vital 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 via our efforts to evolve the enterprise ecosystem, our startups will be seen within the US market and increase 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 primary associate, demonstrating important non-public 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 imagine within the potential of regional entrepreneurs and need to give them entry to greatest practices, mentorship, and investments. This initiative not solely gives essential help for startups but additionally demonstrates that Central Eurasia’s expertise and innovation sector is holding tempo with world tendencies and creating 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 Closing (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 via weekly webinars main as much as TechCrunch Disrupt 2025.

Stage 4: TechCrunch Startup Battlefield (October 26 – 29). The three finalists journey to Silicon Valley to compete within the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200.

Unique advantages for winners

The three profitable 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 group 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 via 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 purposeful MVP.
• Ought to have restricted world media publicity.
• Have to be based mostly in one of many 9 Central Eurasian nations.

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 reminiscent of Elon Musk, Serena Williams, and Satya Nadella.

At its core, TechCrunch Startup Battlefield boasts a formidable 15-plus-year monitor file of launching world tech giants, together with Trello, Dropbox, N26, Mint, and Forethought AI. Alumni corporations have collectively raised over $32 billion, with greater than 50 unicorns rising from this system.

Every year, 200 early-stage startups compete for unparalleled publicity to top-tier buyers and media, with 20 finalists advancing to compete reside for $100,000 funding and the long-lasting Disrupt Cup.

A historic second

The launch of Street 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 levels, the initiative guarantees to speed up the area’s integration into the worldwide innovation financial system.

Because the competitors opens for functions, entrepreneurs throughout Central Eurasia now have a possibility 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 may very well be the catalyst that transforms Central Eurasia right into a acknowledged hub of world innovation.

Functions for Street to Battlefield are now open, with a deadline of July 15, 2025.