From October 28 to 30 in San Francisco, California, Silkroad Innovation Hub organized a Central Eurasia Pavilion at the global conference TechCrunch Disrupt 2024. The pavilion features 24 innovative startups from across Central Eurasia, with 16 projects presented by Astana Hub and IT Park Uzbekistan technology parks under the unified brand Central Asian Innovation Hubs.
The annual TechCrunch Disrupt, which draws over 10,000 participants, served as a crucial platform for Central Asian startups this year. Silkroad Innovation Hub, an organization dedicated to promoting Central Eurasia as a unified tech region in the U.S. market, presented the largest pavilion at the conference. This platform provided startups from the region the opportunity to showcase their solutions across fields such as artificial intelligence, ClimateTech, HealthTech, and fintech.
“Partnering with TechCrunch Disrupt was a milestone for us. Last year, we became the first partners from Central Eurasia, bringing 14 startups and hosting a panel session on our region in San Francisco for the first time. This year, we showcased 24 startups and organized the largest pavilion at the conference. Silkroad Innovation Hub is the only hub globally that unites the countries of Central Eurasia, including five Central Asian nations, along with Azerbaijan, Georgia, Mongolia, and Turkey. Over the past year, our hub has become a magnet for founders and startups in Silicon Valley: more than 80 residents have collectively attracted over $30 million in venture investments, and we’ve hosted over 200 events with more than 10,000 participants. These numbers continue to grow, highlighting the immense potential of our region and the increasing interest in it within Silicon Valley,” said Asset Abdualiyev, founder of Silkroad Innovation Hub.
Startups from Central Asia showcased a diverse range of innovations at the Central Eurasia Pavilion. Among the featured projects from Kazakhstan were Yaya, a subscription service for children’s entertainment centers and development clubs; Arlan Biotech, which integrates nanotechnology and artificial intelligence in medicine; FOREST HERO, a ClimateTech startup focused on combating climate change and deforestation; Call2action, a smart voice messaging platform; pwron.ai, an AI assistant for rapid market research with expert support; Bult, a cloud platform for deploying web applications; Parqour, a platform developer for optimizing parking; and TrustExam, an online learning and knowledge assessment system with automated proctoring.
“We have launched several key initiatives, including the Hero Training program with Draper University, which opens doors for Central Asian startups to Silicon Valley and international markets. Since the program’s inception, we have already graduated 27 startups, and this year, another 10 projects are undergoing intensive acceleration to scale globally. We also supported the Silkroad Innovation Hub, a project that unites Central Eurasia as a single region in Silicon Valley, fostering IT entrepreneurship. These efforts led to the first CESV conference for Central Asian startups in Silicon Valley, bringing together 1,500 participants and more than 100 startups. This year at TechCrunch Disrupt, 24 startups were featured—double the number from last year. We are proud of the progress we’ve made and believe in the future success of our startups,” said Magzhan Madiyev, CEO of Astana Hub.
Uzbek projects are also showcasing their innovations, including Uzum, the country’s largest digital ecosystem offering services in e-commerce, express delivery, banking, fintech, and business development; Uzinfocom, a unified integrator providing scalable tech solutions for complex projects; BILLZ, which offers retail automation and SME financing solutions across Central Asia; Smartup, cloud-based software, designed to automate and manage distribution, production, trade marketing, warehousing, and financial accounting; Call24, a trusted partner in customer service optimization; Datagaze, a cybersecurity solution for medium and large enterprises; Point.ai, software for customer support services; and GeoMotive, a marketplace for DOOH advertising.
“With a young population exceeding 82 million and a median age of 29, Central Asia is quickly establishing itself as a prime location on the global tech map, with immense potential for new unicorns and a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. In Uzbekistan alone, a database of 400 promising startups is poised to make a global impact, showcasing products with potential to expand into foreign markets.Through the Central Asian Innovation Hubs alliance, which was created by initiative of IT Park Uzbekistan and Astana Hub, regional startups are gaining crucial support to enter new markets and attract foreign investment. This year, in collaboration with AstanaHub, 8 startups from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan were presented at the INMerge Innovation Summit in Azerbaijan, 16 are currently participating at TechCrunch Disrupt, and another 16 will join Web Summit Lisbon in November, totaling 40 regional startups introduced to top global investors. Furthermore, 30 startups will participate in prestigious global programs like Draper University’s Hero Training, the Stanford HealthTech Accelerator, and the Alchemist Accelerator, strengthening the region’s startup ecosystem and its international investment appeal,” – highlighted Farkhod Ibragimov, CEO of IT Park.
It should be noted that Central Asian Innovation Hubs, a joint initiative of Astana Hub and IT Park Uzbekistan, was established to promote and support startups from the region on the international stage. This collaboration, formalized through a memorandum signed during ICT WEEK UZBEKISTAN 2024, highlights the strengths of these two technology parks, which have already presented under a single brand at major events such as InMerge in Baku and Central Eurasia at Silicon Valley in San Francisco.
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TechCrunch Disrupt is one of the premier international events for the startup community, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, and media from around the world each year to discuss the latest trends and innovations in technology. The event has gained a reputation as a launchpad where startups can gain global recognition. Successful companies like Dropbox and Fitbit, for example, first showcased their innovations at TechCrunch Disrupt and later achieved “unicorn” status with billion-dollar valuations.
Silkroad Innovation Hub is an innovation representative office located in Silicon Valley (Palo Alto, California, USA), established in 2023 with support from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry, along with Astana Hub. Its mission is to build a strong startup community and promote the innovative development of Central Eurasia on a global scale.