For the first time, Uzbekistan welcomed the 5th Central Eurasian Venture Forum (CEVF 2026) in Tashkent, attracting around 800 participants from Central Asia, Europe, the United States, Southeast Asia, and the MENA region. The event brought together investors, entrepreneurs, venture funds, and technology companies, highlighting Uzbekistan’s rapid growth in the tech sector, DKNews.kz reports.
Sherzod Shermatov, Minister of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan, attended the opening ceremony, underlining the government’s commitment to fostering innovation and supporting the local startup ecosystem.
The forum was organized by MOST Holding and IT Park Uzbekistan with support from the Ministry of Digital Technologies. Over the past 15 years, MOST Holding has played a key role in developing Central Asia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through venture, fintech, and educational initiatives.
Key partners included:
- Astana Hub
- UK International Development
- European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
- IFC
- Air Astana
- Yandex Cloud
- VISA
- UZVC
- Accelerate Prosperity
- IT Park Ventures
- KPMG
Startups and Venture Capital in Central Asia 2026
RISE Research presented its third annual report, covering over 200 startups and more than 40 venture investors and market experts. Key findings include:
- Total venture funding in 2025 reached $320 million.
- Two major deals—$130 million in Higgsfield and $65.5 million in Uzum—accounted for 61% of the total.
- Excluding these, the market grew organically by 31% from $95 million in 2024 to $124.5 million in 2025.
“The emergence of the region’s first unicorn, Higgsfield, along with Uzum’s record round, is a strong signal of recognition of Central Asia’s potential on the global stage,” said Ainur Zhanturina, Founder of RISE Research.
Country highlights:
- Kazakhstan: Venture investments nearly tripled to $209 million. AI startups drove nearly half of all investments, with total startup valuations exceeding $2.16 billion.
- Uzbekistan: Venture funding reached $33.8 million, an 11.3-fold increase since 2022. Including Uzum’s round, the total market is estimated at $99.3 million, mostly concentrated in early-stage deals.
CEVF Awards Recognize Innovation and Leadership
The forum concluded with the 5th anniversary CEVF Awards ceremony, celebrating Central Eurasia’s most influential tech leaders. Winners included:
- Best Corporate Open Innovation Strategy — Freedom Holding
- Best Ecosystem Player — Startup Garage (Astana Hub)
- Best Tech Media — Pivot (Uzbekistan)
- Best Tech Influencer — Umed Rakhimov (Vazifa, Stanbase, Tajikistan)
- ESG Leader — School21
- Best Venture Fund — AloqaVentures
- Best Startup Support Program — Red Team Accelerator (Kazakhstan)
- Breakthrough of the Year & Fastest-Growing Startup — MoonAI (Kazakhstan)
- Most Active Business Angel — Dana Kunanbayeva
- Deal of the Year — Datatruck ($12M Series A led by Avenue Growth Partners)
“The venture ecosystem of Central Eurasia is in a phase of active growth and transformation. It is important not only to create new companies and projects but also to recognize those who make a significant contribution to innovation and entrepreneurship,” said Azamat Karamatov, CEO of IT Park Uzbekistan.
Star Venture Program Launches in Central Asia
The EBRD announced 13 finalists for its first Central Asian Star Venture cohort, with seven Uzbek startups selected: Hyper App, IMAN, OSNOVA, Robosell, Tezbor, UYSOT, and Verifix. These startups will gain mentorship, market entry support, and investment guidance.
“CEVF has become an important regional platform, and its first-time hosting in Uzbekistan reflects the rapid maturation of the country’s innovation ecosystem. Notably, more than half of the finalists are Uzbek startups, highlighting the strength of local founders,” said Andi Aranitasi, Head of the EBRD Representative Office in Uzbekistan.
Strategic Partnerships and Agreements
Several key agreements were signed during the forum, including:
- MOST Investments and 1MoreThing (Saudi Arabia) to support AI-driven B2B startups.
- MOST Ventures and FAO Partners (Korea) for ecosystem cooperation.
- MOST Ventures and Accelerate Prosperity (AKDN) for structured early-stage startup support.
- United Ventures (Uzbekistan) and MOST Holding for joint investments and business angel development.
“Central Asia today is no longer just an ‘emerging market’ — it is a window of opportunity for investors with high upside. Through MOST and platforms like CEVF, we connect capital, technology, and markets, creating real entry points into deals,” said Alim Khamitov, CEO of MOST Ventures.
MOST Investable Battle: Startup Competition
The annual MOST Investable Battle offered startups a prize fund of up to $75,000 and direct access to investors. Winners advance to the Investment Readiness Accelerator (IRA) Tashkent with benefits including mentorship, fundraising preparation, and networking opportunities. Top three teams: Cerberus, Tezbor, and Bigmart.
Launch of Investment Readiness Accelerator (IRA) Tashkent
A major highlight of CEVF 2026 was the announcement of the second batch of IRA Tashkent, a 12-week acceleration program for pre-seed and seed startups. The program focuses on measurable outcomes such as revenue growth, fundraising readiness, and scaling strategies.
“IRA Tashkent is a program for those who are not here just to listen, but to actually grow revenue and close deals. Uzbekistan is currently in a strong growth phase, and together with MOST’s expertise, we aim to lead startups to measurable results,” said Dilmurod Khodiev, CEO of C-Space.
Looking Ahead
“The market needs startups that think like businesses — those who understand numbers, customers, know how to sell, and structure deals effectively. Real IRA cases in Kazakhstan have shown that when startups master these fundamentals, growth and funding rounds follow,” said Dias Kozhataev, CEO of MOST Business Intelligence.
CEVF 2026 continues to solidify its role as the leading venture platform in Central Asia, connecting over 50 venture funds, hundreds of business angels, and startups. The forum supports the development of the region’s innovation economy and encourages international collaboration.
