The startup ecosystem in Central Eurasia is having its moment. What started as 485 applications from across 27 countries including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Pakistan, Qatar, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Tajikistan, Tunisia, T\u00fcrkiye, Turkmenistan, UAE, UK, Ukraine, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam has culminated in the largest startup pitch competition in Central Eurasia\u2019s history the \u201cRoad to the Battlefield\u201d, that\u2019s putting the region\u2019s most promising entrepreneurs on a direct path to San Francisco\u2019s most prestigious startup stage at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200.<\/p>\n
The Road to the Battlefield competition, organized by Silkroad Innovation Hub<\/a> in partnership with TechCrunch and Freedom Holding, is more than just another startup contest. It marks a historic milestone for a region that has been steadily building its dynamic tech ecosystem and will be remembered as the event that put Central Eurasia on the global startup map.<\/p>\n \u201cAt Silkroad Innovation Hub, our mission is to put Central Eurasia on the global startup and VC map,\u201d said Asset Abdualiyev, CEO and Founder of Silkroad Innovation Hub. \u201cThis initiative represents an important milestone because, for the first time, TechCrunch hosted a regional competition to source great startups for their prestigious Battlefield competition. When we began, it was simply an idea, a vision to empower founders from underrepresented geographies. We\u2019re pleased to announce that this has become the largest startup competition in Central Eurasia\u2019s history, demonstrating a significant interest from founders across the region in building truly innovative companies and showcasing them globally. We\u2019re grateful to TechCrunch for their continued partnership and their ongoing interest in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Between July 21 and August 12, 380 startups pitched across nine national rounds online, delivering an impressive 32 hours of pitching content. The competition showcased remarkable diversity, with 35% of participating startups founded by female founders, and the youngest entrepreneur, just 14 years old, was from Unify (Uzbekistan).<\/p>\n The startups represented various development stages: 43 in the idea stage, 224 with MVPs, 127 in pre-seed, 65 in the seed stage, and 26 in pre-Series A.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now, four standout startups, Polygraf AI (Azerbaijan, USA), QuickShipper (Georgia), Surfaice (USA, Kazakhstan), and ArtSkin (Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan) have secured spots at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2025 in San Francisco, where they\u2019ll compete against some of the most promising ventures from around the world.<\/p>\n This marks the first time in TechCrunch history that startups from Central Eurasia have had a dedicated pathway to one of the tech world\u2019s most prestigious competitions. Beyond identifying high-potential ventures, the initiative has sparked cross-border collaboration, attracted international investor interest, and firmly positioned Central Eurasia as a region to watch on the global innovation map.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 168 applications from Kazakhstan to the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield regional selection is a clear signal of our ecosystem\u2019s growing maturity and global ambition,\u201d said Zhaslan Madiyev, Minister of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan. \u201cThis level of engagement reflects the effectiveness of our national innovation strategy. Through Astana Hub and strategic partnerships with global platforms, we are committed to supporting Kazakh entrepreneurs as they scale internationally.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Following the national rounds from July 21 to August 12, the competition concluded with a Regional Final of Road to Battlefield on August 15, where 20 finalists presented to an international panel of judges.<\/p>\n Techcrunch event<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco<\/span> The 20 finalists who advanced to the Regional Competition were Arlan Biotech, Artskin, Athena AI, Biometric Vision, EZSpeech by Mila4AI, FabStory AI, HaWoO2, Hi Doctor, Investbanq, and Jobster.hr, LYDYA, MiraiTech, NeuroGuard AI, Pikare SkySource, Polygraf AI, QuickShipper, Snory, Steppe AI, Surfaice, and Zero Waste.<\/p>\n A panel of 40 jury members from 10 countries judged the national online competitions, representing a broad spectrum of investors, academics, and ecosystem leaders. The jury included Aidana Bergazdenova (Astana Hub Ventures), Dalerkhon Nodirov (IT Park Ventures), Zolzaya Jargalsaikhan (IT Park Mongolia), Abdulla Al-Naimi (Doha Business Consulting), Agahuseyn Ahmadov (IDDA), Alya Abbaszada (SABAH Angels), Marat Tolybai (Activat VC), Samir Hajibayli (Caucasus Ventures), Yuhan Fang (Stanford Institute), Nihal Yazgan (Bilkent CYBERPARK), M\u00fcge Bezgin (Startup Centrum), Kim Latypov (VC Lawyer, Stanford GSB), Deon Nicholas (Forethought AI, winner of TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2018), Ella Shukho (500 Global), Darsh Mann (StartX), Aziza Zakhidova (EBRD Ventures), Abay Absamet (Silkroad Angels Club), Isabelle Johannessen, Head of TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Program, and others.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s humbling and energizing to see this level of excitement for Startup Battlefield. The SilkRoad Innovation Hub \u2013 Road to Battlefield was one of the most organized and high-energy pitch events I\u2019ve seen, and the enthusiasm from founders across Central Eurasia was incredible. We\u2019re thrilled to welcome Polygraf AI, QuickShipper,\u00a0 Surfaice, and ArtSkin to San Francisco as part of the Startup Battlefield 200 \u2014 and can\u2019t wait to share their stories with the world.\u201d \u2013 Isabelle Johannessen, TechCrunch.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n For the first time in the competition\u2019s history, the panel was joined by an AI judge named AI-Gerim, who served as an independent jury member, adding an innovative layer of evaluation to pitches. Together, this combination of global expertise and AI-driven insights sets a new standard for assessing emerging startups.<\/p>\n The startups showcased a vibrant cross-section of industries, with Artificial Intelligence leading the way. Founders tackled real-world problems in AI & Automation, EdTech, HealthTech, FinTech, Green & Climate Tech, AgriTech, HRTech, MarTech, SaaS, and E-commerce.<\/p>\n After a highly competitive final round, four winning startups were selected to represent Central Eurasia:<\/p>\n Polygraf AI delivers locally deployed AI solutions that detect AI threats and protect policies against any AI solutions. Their SLM (small language model) AI solutions are fast and perform the highest accuracy in third-party audits.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the Central Asian and Caucasus-based founders are growing stronger, and this competition showed again that talent is no longer a problem. It\u2019s no longer just isolated to the Western world. We have an amazing talent in there, and all the participants showed it,\u201d said Yagub Rahimo, Founder of Polygraf AI. \u201cThe competition was proper, amazing. All the participants presented amazing solutions and tools. But as in every other competition, there is one number one, and I\u2019m so glad that Polygraph was that number one. We have won South by Southwest, Summerfest Tech AI Summit, and multiple other awards already this year.\u00a0 We want to win the Startup Battlefield this year, too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n QuickShipper is a delivery gateway that enables every retailer to offer efficient and delightful deliveries instantly from a single window. The startup offers companies a comprehensive ecosystem for managing their in-house drivers, along with a network of integrated delivery partners.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a great experience to compete with startups from so many different and interesting markets. The diversity of ideas and talent was inspiring, and it makes it an even bigger honor to represent the Eurasian market in the finals now,\u201d said Mariam Akhvlediani, Co-founder & CEO of QuickShipper. \u201cWe feel proud and excited to be in the Top 4. It is a significant milestone for QuickShipper and other startups to be on such a stage. We see it as both a recognition of our hard work and a chance to show what we can do on a global level.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Surfaice offers a unified AI-driven operating system featuring an autonomous fleet of agents that integrate workflows such as site search, budgeting, bidding, punch-list automation, and milestone tracking. This results in a 2X increase in productivity, for example, doubling the number of store builds per year from about 100 to 200. It provides a single, comprehensive platform for all their construction software.<\/p>\n \u201cI think our journey to Battlefield has been very dramatic because we almost missed the deadline to apply for this program, but then I motivated my team. So imagine if I hadn\u2019t pushed them and we missed this deadline, we probably would have missed this opportunity,\u201d said Alim Uderbekov, CEO & Co-Founder. \u201cOverall, it was great to compete with all the other startups and finally be on the stage. It is also funny that, just today, I randomly came across a video about Pied Piper from the Silicon Valley TV show, where they were also attending TechCrunch Battlefield, and I thought, \u2018Wow, is this real?\u2019 It\u2019s really hard to understand your feelings because you\u2019re just walking forward, which is a journey that we are going through. But it\u2019s so exciting, looking at my whole past, where I\u2019m coming from, a small city in South Kazakhstan, and I\u2019d be on the main stage for a startup in Silicon Valley, that I used to see only virtually, and now I\u2019m become part of it. I think it\u2019s unbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n In an unprecedented move that added even more excitement to the competition, TechCrunch decided to make their own selection and choose ArtSkin as a special TechCrunch pick, bringing the total to four startups representing the region.\u00a0<\/p>\n Artskin develops neurointerface technology that transmits the sensation of touch to the human body across multiple cutting-edge fields, including AR\/VR, bionic prosthetics, telerobotics, spacetech, surgery, and humanoid robotics.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing selected as one of the top four startups to pitch on the main stage at the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield finals is an extraordinary honor and a thrilling milestone,\u201d said Iliias Dzheentaev and Madina Sabitqyzy, Co-founders of ArtSkin. \u201cIt validates our team\u2019s dedication, innovation, and relentless pursuit of excellence. Knowing we\u2019re among the top 200 startups in the world fills us with pride and excitement, but also a profound sense of responsibility. We\u2019re now more motivated than ever to elevate our pitch, refine our strategy, and showcase our vision to a global audience. Our ambition is clear: we\u2019re aiming to win TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, and this opportunity is a critical step toward achieving that goal.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The other top 10 finalists were Arlan Biotech, Investbanq, Athena AI, MiraiTech, HaWoO2, and Biometric Vision.<\/p>\n These four teams now face a few months of preparation before stepping onto the main stage. At TechCrunch Disrupt, they\u2019ll pitch alongside startups from all over the world competing for investment, partnerships, and global recognition.<\/p>\n For participating founders, the competition delivered value beyond the final rankings. The exposure, connections, and validation from participating in a globally recognized platform proved transformative in ways they hadn\u2019t anticipated.<\/p>\n What\u2019s happening across Central Eurasia reflects a crucial development. This isn\u2019t just about individual companies seeking investment; it\u2019s about an entire region\u2019s entrepreneurs measuring themselves against global standards and finding they belong in the conversation.<\/p>\n \u201cFor Uzbekistan, participation in global arenas like TechCrunch Startup Battlefield is not just about visibility,\u00a0 it\u2019s about shaping a future where our tech talent leads on the global stage,\u201d said Sherzod Shermatov, Minister of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan. \u201cOur goal is to ensure that the next generation of breakthrough technologies isn\u2019t just used in Uzbekistan,\u00a0it\u2019s built here.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The impact of Road to the Battlefield extends beyond the final pitch presentations. The competition has encouraged cross-border dialogue among entrepreneurs across the region and attracted new investor interest in Central Eurasian startups.<\/p>\n The main partner is Freedom Holding Corp, a Nasdaq-listed financial services holding company (ticker: FRHC) headquartered in Kazakhstan. As of May 2025, the company achieved a remarkable milestone with a valuation of approximately US $10 billion, reflecting investor confidence and market strength. It has established itself as one of the most influential financial players in the region, earning a strong reputation for supporting innovation and entrepreneurship. Its support for the Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield reflects not only its global stature but also its long-term commitment to empowering founders from Central Eurasia, helping them connect with international markets and scale their impact.<\/p>\n More significantly, it has introduced Central Eurasia to the tech world in Silicon Valley as a source of innovative solutions and emerging talent. The competition was supported by leading innovation hubs and accelerators across the region: Azerbaijan \u2013 Innovation and Digital Development Agency, SABAH.Hub, SABAH.angels; Bulgaria\/USA \u2013 Future Unicorns; Georgia \u2013 Future Laboratory; International Organizations \u2013 Organization of Turkic States, EBRD; Kazakhstan \u2013 Astana Hub, Astana Hub Ventures, Nazarbayev University, Silkroad Angels Club; Kyrgyzstan \u2013 Accelerate Prosperity; Media \u2013 The Tech; Moldova \u2013 Startup Moldova; Mongolia \u2013 IT Park Mongolia; Singapore \u2013 ACE; Tajikistan \u2013 IT Park Dushanbe; T\u00fcrkiye \u2013 Startup Centrum, Bilkent Cyberpark; and Uzbekistan \u2013 IT Park Uzbekistan, IT Park Ventures. The initiative connected founders who might not have otherwise collaborated and provided a platform to showcase regional talent on a global scale.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the Innovation and Digital Development Agency of Azerbaijan, we are very happy to partner with Silkroad Innovation Hub and actively participate in TechCrunch Road to Battlefield startup competition,\u201d said Farid Osmanov, Chairman of the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDA) of Azerbaijan. \u201cWe are excited that Polygraf AI, an Azeri-founded startup, got into the top four in this competition and will represent the region at the prestigious TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco. This shows that the Azeri ecosystem is developing fast and we are on the right track.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n As the four winning startups prepare for San Francisco, they represent the growing ambitions of Central Eurasia\u2019s entrepreneurial community. The competition has created new pathways for regional startups to access international opportunities and resources.<\/p>\n\n
\n
Competition Results<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t|<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 27-29, 2025<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
Polygraf AI <\/a>(Azerbaijan)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
QuickShipper<\/a> (Georgia)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
Surfaice<\/a> (Kazakhstan and USA)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
ArtSkin (Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
Beyond the Pitch<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Georgia.png)
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/KZ-Round-2.png)