The Startup & Venture Summit will be held on September 22 at the CAEx complex in Tashkent as part of ICT WEEK Uzbekistan 2026. The event will bring together startup founders, investors, venture funds, accelerators, corporations, and government representatives in one place.
The summit will focus on the next stage of development of the startup and venture ecosystem in Uzbekistan and Central Asia. Discussions will cover the growth of technology entrepreneurship in the region, startups’ expansion into international markets, fundraising, the venture capital market, and the integration of local projects into the global ecosystem.
The Startup & Venture Summit was also one of the key startup events held as part of ICT WEEK last year. More than 500 participants attended the 2025 summit, including startups, venture funds, accelerators, corporations, government organizations, and international experts.
During last year’s summit, participants discussed topics such as entering international markets, investing in emerging markets, and the role of corporations in the startup ecosystem. Representatives of organizations and companies including Plug and Play Tech Center, Sturgeon Capital, Alchemist Accelerator, Purple Ventures, TBC, Payme, and BILLZ shared their experience.
At the 2025 summit, AloqaVentures announced a total investment of $750,000 in five startups from Uzbekistan and the region. Paidax received $200,000, EGARANTI $250,000, KINESTEX $150,000, TRIDMO $50,000, and RENTA $100,000.
Another major announcement was the establishment of the €20 million DOMiNO Uzbekistan Fund. Created by DOMiNO Ventures, the fund received €10 million from UzVC as an anchor investment. The fund focuses on investing in projects in artificial intelligence, deeptech, and cleantech.
IT Park Ventures also joined the global AWS Activate Providers network. As part of the partnership, startups gained access to up to $10,000 in AWS promotional credits, special offers, and AWS Activate tools designed to help them scale internationally.
The 2026 Startup & Venture Summit will feature industry expert presentations, panel discussions, sessions focused on founders’ experiences, as well as meetings between startups and investors. The event will give local startups an opportunity to connect with international funds, accelerators, and potential partners, while investors will be able to discover new technology projects from Uzbekistan and Central Asia.
Similar meetings were also organized in a dedicated B2B format during last year’s summit. Participants held pre-arranged 20-minute meetings to discuss potential partnerships, pilot projects, international programs, and opportunities to test new technologies. The Startup & Venture Summit will take place on September 22 from 14:00 to 17:00 at Hall 1 of the CAEx complex.
