Tashkent hosted the main IT event of the year — ICT WEEK Uzbekistan 2025 — with IT Park Uzbekistan serving as both organizer and co-organizer of several flagship events. The week reflected the rapid growth of the national technology sector and its increasing integration into the global innovation ecosystem.
Over 1,500 participants attended the events organized by IT Park Uzbekistan as part of ICT WEEK Uzbekistan 2025, including more than 850 representatives of foreign companies and organizations from 87 countries. Over the course of the week, more than a dozen major events were held — ranging from international forums and summits to workshops and B2B sessions.
As a result of the week’s activities, nine international memorandums were signed with partners from the United States, Iran, Korea, Kazakhstan, Jordan, and Estonia. Investment checks totaling 896,200 US dollars were recorded, while agreements worth 10 million US dollars were reached during negotiations with venture funds.
More than 20 foreign companies announced their plans to open offices in Uzbekistan. In addition, the One Stop Shop program has already facilitated the onboarding of 15 new foreign members from Canada, the United Kingdom, Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Turkey, India, Georgia, Egypt, and CIS countries, who collectively plan to create more than 1,000 new jobs.
One of the most prominent symbols of the week was the “Eurasian Technoparks” pavilion — a joint initiative of IT Park Uzbekistan (IT Park Capital, IT Park Ventures, IT Park University, Enterprise Uzbekistan), Astana Hub (Astana Hub Ventures, Tomorrow School), the High Technology Park of the Kyrgyz Republic (AI Academy, IPROFI.PRO), the Innovation and Digital Development Agency of Azerbaijan (Recepta, Adviad, DMP), and the Startup Academy of Turkmenistan (Kinestex).
At this venue, startups and technoparks from across the region showcased their programs and products, forming the foundation for a unified digital space across Eurasia.
In parallel, the “Tech Alliance” alley featured 17 IT Park members presenting their outsourcing and BPO solutions. It was here that IT Park introduced the “BPO Community” initiative — a new program aimed at promoting Uzbekistan as a reliable partner in the field of digital outsourcing services.
During the “Shared Services & Offshore Outsourcing 2025” conference, experts discussed Uzbekistan’s emergence as a new global outsourcing destination. The discussions focused on the country’s human capital potential, tax incentives, and visa benefits for IT Park members.
The second day of the conference was devoted to practical sessions. IT Park specialists provided detailed guidance to foreign companies on how to efficiently establish a business in Uzbekistan — from company registration to banking operations.
The format combined presentations, practical recommendations, and open discussions. For many companies, it became an opportunity to evaluate specific steps and potential challenges prior to entering the Uzbek market.
At the “Uzbekistan–Japan ICT Forum”, participants discussed IT outsourcing and the training of Japanese-speaking professionals. Particular attention was placed on the proposal of establishing an educational hub in Tashkent to train IT specialists for the Japanese market. This initiative is expected to serve not only as a talent development project but also as an instrument of digital diplomacy, building a bridge between Central and East Asia.
The “Game GAP 2025” forum brought together representatives from leading game studios, including Tencent, Voodoo, Grimore Entertainment, East Games, and others. The discussions centered on the future of indie development, the role of artificial intelligence, and the prospects for Uzbek-made games entering global markets.
Following the event, four companies — Hello World, BeNice Games, RedBall Dynamics, and IndieGO — announced plans to open offices in Uzbekistan.
For local studios, this forum became a strong signal, confirming that Uzbekistan can serve not only as a base for outsourced development but also as a source of original products and intellectual property capable of competing globally.
The key objective of the “Uzbek-Korean BPO Forum” was to showcase the BPO sector not merely as a branch of export services but as the foundation for technological collaboration between the two countries.
The results were substantial: six agreements, three pilot outsourcing projects, and three memorandums of understanding were signed — between IT Park Uzbekistan and DGICT, KIBWA, as well as between VERYWORDS and IT Hub Samarkand.
The forum demonstrated Uzbekistan’s transition from the role of service provider to that of co-developer, where international partners build business not in the country but together with the country.
The “Startup & Venture Summit” became the centerpiece of ICT WEEK, bringing together investors, startups, and corporations. The summit clearly illustrated that Uzbekistan’s venture ecosystem has evolved from its formative stage into a phase of growth.
According to data from the international platform Dealroom, the valuation of Uzbekistan’s startup ecosystem has increased 13-fold in recent years, reaching 3.9 billion US dollars. The summit featured the country’s top 30 startups and marked the official launch of the global ecosystem platform Uzbekistan.dealroom.co.
The European fund DOMiNO Ventures announced the establishment of the first international venture fund in Central Asia, valued at 20 million US dollars, with UzVC serving as the anchor investor.
AloqaVentures presented deals amounting to 750,000 US dollars, while IT Park Ventures announced a partnership with AWS Activate, which grants startups access to Amazon’s cloud services and funding programs.
Memorandums of cooperation were signed between United Ventures and Astana Hub Ventures, as well as between United Ventures and Yoshlar Ventures — a significant step toward forming a unified venture framework for Central Eurasia.
A major highlight was the “Cross-Border Capital Dialogues” roundtable, which brought together 45 venture funds, including 25 international investors and business angels. The discussions focused on co-investment mechanisms, cross-border fund creation, and expanding Uzbek startups to foreign markets.
Additionally, a B2B session was held where over 70 startups met with more than 20 accelerators, hubs, consultants, and corporations. The session resulted in five preliminary partnership agreements and dozens of new connections that may develop into investment deals in the coming months.
A key announcement was the upcoming “Central Eurasian Venture Forum”, scheduled to take place in Tashkent in spring 2026, with participation from investors across the United States, Singapore, Korea, the UAE, and the region.
Furthermore, during ICT WEEK 2025, Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov and CEO of IT Park Uzbekistan Abdulakhad Kuchkarov held a meeting with startup founders from Uzbekistan who are currently developing their projects abroad.
Ten Uzbek founders participated in the meeting, representing startups successfully operating in foreign markets. They expressed their intention to establish back offices in Uzbekistan and recruit local professionals, thereby contributing to the national IT ecosystem, promoting service exports, and strengthening links between the global and domestic tech communities.
One of the most dynamic highlights of the week was the “Clash of Startups: Tashkent” pitch competition, which brought together over 130 teams. Eleven startups advanced to the finals, presenting their projects to a jury of representatives from leading venture funds and business angels — including IT Park Ventures, DOMiNO Ventures, MOST Holding, and AloqaVentures.
Three projects emerged as winners, sharing the IT Park Ventures prize fund of 50,000 US dollars:
MoonAi — 25,000 US dollars for AI-powered data analytics and automation solutions;GetMobi — 15,000 US dollars for a mobile marketing optimization platform;Femmy — 10,000 US dollars for a startup in the women’s health sector.
All three winners have already initiated negotiations with investors and accelerators to explore expansion opportunities into foreign markets.
A major milestone of ICT WEEK was the regional final of the Global Startup Awards — the world’s largest international competition, uniting teams from eight countries ranging from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan and Mongolia. For the first time in history, Uzbekistan emerged as the top winner, receiving a record number of awards.
Among the winners:
- Ecosystem Hero of the Year — Rakhimakhon Nugmanova (Uzbekistan)
- Best Fintech Startup — MoliyAI (Uzbekistan)
- Investor of the Year — UzVC (Uzbekistan)
- Startup of the Year — Hyper APP (Uzbekistan)
- People’s Choice Award — EDU AI (Uzbekistan)
- Best Green Tech Startup — CATEXTRA (Uzbekistan)
- Founder of the Year — Akmaljon Musaev (Uzbekistan)
- Best Newcomer — OINA AI (Kazakhstan)
- Best Health Tech Startup — Aidentis (Kazakhstan)
- Best Accelerator/Incubator Program — KBTU (Kazakhstan)
- Diversity Role Model of the Year — Assem Bolatzhan (Kazakhstan)
- Best Coworking Space — Ololo (Kyrgyzstan)
- Best Youth Startup — Coursemon (Pakistan)
The winners will go on to represent their countries at the global final in Copenhagen, where they will compete with the world’s leading startups.
On September 27, Tashkent made history by becoming the first city in the CIS to host the “Web Summit Spotlight” — a major extension of one of the world’s most influential technology events. The gathering brought together over 400 participants, including 90 international experts, investors, and corporate representatives from more than 30 countries.
At “Startup Alley”, 20 startups presented their innovative solutions, while speakers included representatives from Plug and Play Tech Center, Google for Startups, Golden Gate Ventures, Rasmal Ventures, GB Ventures, La French Tech Warsaw, Endeavor AI, Heartfelt Ventures, Domino Ventures, Topham Guerin, Snoonu, and other renowned global brands.
Panel discussions covered key themes defining the global tech agenda:
— global venture investment trends and their impact on emerging markets;
— international corporate strategies for entering new markets;
— Central Asia’s role in the global technological value chain;
— artificial intelligence, XR technologies, and corporate innovation.
Speakers reached a shared conclusion: Eurasia is emerging as a new growth pole, with Uzbekistan as its technological nucleus. Regulatory reforms, the IT Park ecosystem, and openness to foreign investment were highlighted as key factors making the country a “new magnet” for global technology capital.
According to data from StartupBlink presented at the summit, Uzbekistan entered the global top 100 startup ecosystems for the first time, ranking first in Central Asia and second globally by growth rate. Tashkent demonstrated an impressive 132% increase, becoming the fastest-growing technology city in the region.
The outcome of the Web Summit Spotlight was clear: Uzbekistan has firmly established itself on the global innovation map. For international investors, it represents a new gateway to Eurasia; for local startups, a path to global integration; and for the country, a milestone symbolizing digital maturity.
The “Investors Room” format became one of the most anticipated sessions of ICT WEEK — where rapid startup pitches translated into real investment deals. Out of 250 applications, 55 startups were selected to present their projects to 28 venture funds and business angels from Uzbekistan, Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.
The session was divided into two tracks:
Alpha — investments ranging from 50,000 to 500,000 US dollars, featuring 19 funds and business angels including UzVC, SQB Ventures, AloqaVentures, IT Park Ventures, Yoshlar Ventures, Imkon Ventures, Sarmo Ventures, Togo-X Capital, Sabah Fund, CS Angels Club, Fuad Taghiyev, AV Ventures, Yellow Rocks VC, Caucasus Ventures, Doha Tech Angels, Tanay VC, Big Sky Capital, Oxora, and Orbit Startups;
Beta — investments up to 25 million US dollars, involving nine funds: AloqaVentures, Sturgeon Capital, Most Ventures, Alchemist Doha, Golden Gate Ventures, Yandex, AUIC, Purple Ventures, and Heartfelt Capital.
Following the session, Yoshlar Ventures invested in three projects — Inter AI (38,000 US dollars), Hisobchi AI (37,500 US dollars), and Educoin (20,700 US dollars). Soft commitments totaling 10 million US dollars were also reached for two additional projects, and over ten startups received invitations for follow-up negotiations at venture fund offices.
Beyond major forums and investment sessions, ICT WEEK Uzbekistan 2025 was also marked by a series of practical workshops that demonstrated how the local ecosystem is learning not only to attract capital but also to operate in line with international standards.
The first session, “Investor Readiness: How to Attract Investments from Global Funds”, was held at Startup Garage and gathered more than 100 participants — from early-stage founders to mature startups. The training explored strategies for building relationships with investors across different markets.
Experts from Silkroad Angels Club, Academia Park London, Lumia Partners, and Heartfelt Ventures shared their insights on raising capital from the United States, Europe, and the Gulf region.
The educational track concluded with a large-scale workshop titled “Founders without Borders: How to Create Scalable Startups”, which brought together more than 400 participants at the School 21 campus.
Three experts from Stanford and Silicon Valley — representing Stanford Continuing Studies, Crunchbase, and MIT — discussed scaling strategies, global investment attraction, and achieving product–market fit for international markets.
Both workshops symbolized the next stage in ecosystem development: a transition from local startups to globally oriented companies.
ICT WEEK Uzbekistan 2025 was more than a series of conferences — it became a demonstration of the country’s new digital identity. In recent years, Uzbekistan has transformed from an observer into a creator, from a consumer of technologies into their producer and a partner of global leaders.
For businesses, the week served as a powerful signal of trust: international companies reaffirmed their interest in the local market, while startups gained new opportunities for accessing capital. For citizens, it marked the emergence of a new reality — IT has evolved from a niche industry into one of the key pillars of the national economy, generating employment and export potential.
Information partners: Aniq.uz, Daryo.uz, Frank.uz, Kursiv.uz, Nova 24, The Tech, UzbekFintech, Weproject, Vzglyad.uz, and radio station Oriat Dono.
