Central Eurasian AI Startups Surge in TechCrunch Battlefield Qualifier
Seventy-two per cent of entrants are building artificial intelligence products, with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan leading the charge as 22 firms advance to the regional final.
The Road to Battlefield competition, organised by Silkroad Innovation Hub in partnership with TechCrunch, has entered its second year with a significant increase in participation. The program aims to provide founders across Central Eurasia with a direct route to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200, which will take place during the Disrupt conference in San Francisco from October 13 to 15.
Applications for the 2026 cycle have risen to 726 from 39 countries, a substantial increase from the 485 submissions from 27 countries recorded in 2025. This marks a nearly 50% growth in submissions and represents a record for the program, which spans Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and South Asia.
Twenty-two startups have advanced to the regional final on August 12. From this cohort, judges will select three winners who will receive a fully paid trip and accommodation to the US event, along with access to a network of more than 1,000 founders. The finalists represent a diverse range of nations, including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Qatar, Japan, and Romania.
Artificial intelligence dominates the applicant pool, with 609 of the 726 startups, or roughly 84%, building AI products. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan each have six startups in the regional final, underscoring their position as the region’s largest startup ecosystems. Asset Abdualiyev, founder and CEO of Silkroad Innovation Hub, noted that the region is producing one of the fastest-growing startup pipelines in emerging markets.
The competition is supported by a wide network of regional partners, including Astana Hub, IT Park Uzbekistan, and Freedom Holding. Magzhan Madiyev, CEO of Astana Hub, stated that the steady growth in AI products tracks with their vision to nurture globally competitive founders. Azamat Karamatov, CEO of IT Park Uzbekistan, added that entering international markets is becoming part of the strategy for founders from the very beginning.
Most applicants are at an early stage, with 41.6% at the minimum viable product stage and 38.6% at pre-seed. The competition’s youngest applicant is just 14 years old, and 89 of the 726 applicants are under 18. The three eventual winners will be narrowed down from the 22 finalists, who pitched online in front of 47 judges from eight countries, alongside an AI judge named AI-Dana.
