The Central Eurasian Venture Forum has brought together investors, start-ups and technology leaders in Tashkent, highlighting the region’s rapidly expanding innovation ecosystem and growing investor interest in AI and digital solutions.
The forum serves as a platform to connect entrepreneurs with venture capital, while facilitating cross-border partnerships and investment opportunities across Central Eurasia.
Over its four editions, the forum has attracted participants from more than 50 countries, drawing over 4,800 attendees, including more than 300 investors and business angels. More than 400 start-ups have been showcased, with over 10 memorandums and agreements signed and preliminary investment deals totalling approximately $34 million.
These figures reflect the increasing maturity of the regional start-up ecosystem, particularly in Uzbekistan, where government-backed initiatives are actively supporting innovation.
Speaking to AnewZ, Feruza Adilkhodjayeva, Head of PR and Marketing at IT Park Ventures, said venture funding in the country is developing rapidly, supported by strong institutional backing.
She noted that in 2025 alone, the fund invested in more than 70 start-ups across sectors such as healthcare, education and artificial intelligence, adding that AI-driven projects will remain a key priority for 2026.
Start-ups participating in the forum are reflecting this upward trend, moving from early-stage development towards scaling and attracting further investment.
Akzhan Dzhekaev, representing the start-up Moon AI, told AnewZ that the company has evolved from an agency into a fully fledged start-up since its founding in 2024, securing early investment and expanding its team to around 20 people.
He explained that the platform enables small and medium-sized businesses to create AI agents without programming skills, describing the project as part of a broader effort to democratise access to technology for entrepreneurs.
The forum comes amid broader economic reforms aimed at strengthening Uzbekistan’s investment climate and digital economy.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has outlined plans to establish a Tashkent International Financial Centre and an International Digital Technologies Centre, alongside the introduction of Islamic finance mechanisms.
Authorities aim to attract more than $50 billion in investment, while the financial centre alone is expected to generate an additional $20–25 billion by 2030, create up to 15,000 high-skilled jobs and contribute up to 1% of annual GDP growth.
At the same time, the digital technologies centre is expected to attract up to 1,000 companies, generate more than 300,000 jobs and reach $5 billion in export potential, with a strong focus on artificial intelligence, data technologies and start-up development.
As discussions at the forum highlighted, Uzbekistan is increasingly positioning itself as a key player in the regional innovation landscape, combining policy reform with growing investor interest.
Participants noted that continued cooperation between governments, investors and start-ups will be essential to sustaining growth. This trajectory, experts say, places Uzbekistan in a strong position to emerge as a competitive and relevant player in the global innovation ecosystem.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian w...
The European Union adopted its 20th package of sanctions against Russia on Thursday (23 April), introducing sweeping new restrictions aimed at weak...
European Union leaders were set to discuss the bloc’s mutual assistance clause at a summit in southern Cyprus on Thursday, as U.S. President ...
Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders have approved Paramount Skydance’s proposed takeover of the media group, advancing a deal valued at rough...
International cyber agencies on Thursday (23 April) urged organisations to strengthen defences against covert networks used by China-linked hackers...
China’s software and information technology services industry is on track to exceed 20 trillion yuan (around $2.9 trillion), underscoring the country’s rapid digital expansion and growing influence in the global technology sector.
Taiwan’s rising prominence in the global artificial intelligence (AI) supply chain has powered a significant stock market rally, driven by soaring demand for advanced chips and servers.
Tim Cook, the tech boss who led Apple to become a $4 trillion company in its post-Steve Jobs era, is stepping down after 15 years in the top job. John Ternus, an Apple veteran of 25 years, who is currently the U.S. company’s Vice President of Hardware Engineering, will take over from September.
Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots have demonstrated improvements in speed, balance and autonomous navigation after completing a half-marathon in Beijing on Sunday (19 April), in a showcase of the country’s fast-developing robotics sector.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday, exclusively to Reuters.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian waters near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tehran said U.S. breaches, blockades and threats are undermining “genuine negotiations.”
The European Union is preparing its 20th round of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The measures are close to being approved, after earlier delays linked to energy concerns in Slovakia and Hungary eased following repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
United Nations experts have urged the Indian authorities to release Jagtar Singh Johal, who was arrested in Punjab in late 2017 and has remained in prison since. Allegations have been made that he was tortured and threatened with death in custody.
Central Asian leaders have warned that worsening water shortages now pose a direct threat to regional stability, urging coordinated action and stronger international engagement.
The European Union says its envoy Gilles Bertrand raised concerns over women’s rights, regional security and cross-border tensions during a visit to Kabul, while Afghan officials urged more development aid, trade access and continued dialogue.
Russia has confirmed the suspension of Kazakh oil shipments to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline, citing technical reasons, in a move that could disrupt refinery supplies in eastern Germany.
Georgia has assumed the rotating chairmanship of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), formally taking over on 22 April in Vienna and placing it at the centre of key security discussions at a time of rising geopolitical tension and declining trust between states.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment