Uzbekistan’s startup ecosystem has officially entered its next institutional phase. The newly signed Presidential Decree “On Measures to Introduce a Comprehensive Ecosystem for Supporting Startups” (PQ-59) marks a definitive strategic shift in the country’s technological entrepreneurship landscape for the coming decade.
This document is more than just a package of financial incentives; it establishes a rigorous, four-stage holistic system that guides projects from the initial spark of an idea to global market expansion.
Strategic benchmarks for 2030
The approved target indicators signal Uzbekistan’s serious intent to become a regional technological hub. By 2030, the government aims to achieve the following milestones:
- Industry scale: Increasing the total number of startup projects to 5,000.
- Capital inflow: Raising the volume of attracted venture investments to $2 billion.
- Company valuation: Scaling 25 startups into major enterprises with valuations exceeding $100 million.
- Export potential: Successfully launching at least 400 local startups onto international markets.
- Job creation: Creating over 20,000 new jobs through the launch of these technological ventures.
From ideation to MVP
A critical feature of the new system is the deep integration of entrepreneurial culture into the national education framework.
- Early Education: Starting from the 2026/2027 academic year, school students will participate in “Skills and Business Hours” twice a month to foster startup thinking.
- Research Foundations: Beginning in 2027, specialized Research and Development (R&D) centers equipped with digital infrastructure and 3D printing laboratories will be established in youth technoparks and universities.
- MVP Vouchers: To bridge the gap between concept and reality, promising projects will receive “R&D Vouchers” covering up to 50% of the costs of creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), with a cap of $50,000.
A $160 Million investment package
The decree opens diverse financing channels for startups. For the 2026-2027 period, a total of $160 million and 130 billion soums have been allocated. This financial package includes:
- International lines: $100 million in funds attracted from the World Bank specifically for tech-driven business projects.
- Venture capital: $60 million directed through “IT Park Ventures,” “Yoshlar Ventures,” and the “Fund of Funds”.
- National funds: 100 billion soums allocated from the state budget to bolster the “UzVC” National Venture Fund.
To reduce bureaucracy during the launch phase, the “Digital Startups” program has been introduced. Participants in this program will receive IT Park resident status directly, bypassing traditional export requirements. Furthermore, startups in the successful registry will be eligible for up to 50% prepayment on government procurement contracts.
Another significant innovation is the establishment of the Financial Consultation and Legal Aid Service under IT Park. Registered startups will receive 12 months of free professional assistance in areas such as taxation, accounting, and intellectual property protection.
Unprecedented flexibility is being granted to facilitate the international expansion of successful projects. Startups in the registry can now transfer up to $500,000 annually to foreign accounts to establish branches or fill working capital without requiring separate government decisions. Additionally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is tasked with negotiating simplified visa requirements for startup founders entering key foreign territories.
Decree PQ-59 provides the legal and economic bedrock for Uzbekistan’s claim to regional startup leadership. The challenge now moves to the ecosystem participants: to transform these institutional opportunities into high-tech, export-ready global products.
Data sourced from official Presidential Decree PQ-59 of the Republic of Uzbekistan, dated February 11, 2026.
