The startup landscape in Central Eurasia is experiencing a significant transformation. What began with an impressive 485 applications from 27 diverse countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Pakistan, Qatar, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, UAE, the U.K., Ukraine, the U.S., Uzbekistan, and Vietnam, has culminated in a groundbreaking startup pitch competition that stands as the largest in the region’s history.
The “Journey to the Battlefield” is paving the way for the most promising entrepreneurs in Central Eurasia to showcase their innovations on the prestigious stage of TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield 200 in San Francisco.
This competition, organized by a prominent innovation hub in collaboration with TechCrunch and a leading financial services firm, is not merely another startup contest. It signifies a pivotal moment for a region that has been diligently nurturing its vibrant tech ecosystem, marking its place on the global startup map.
Asset Abdualiyev, the visionary behind the innovation hub, expressed his thoughts:
Our goal is to elevate Central Eurasia’s presence in the global startup and venture capital landscape. This initiative is a landmark achievement, as it is the first time TechCrunch has hosted a regional competition to discover exceptional startups for their esteemed Battlefield event. Initially, it was just a concept, a dream to empower founders from underrepresented regions. We are thrilled to announce that this has evolved into the largest startup competition in Central Eurasia’s history, reflecting the growing interest from founders in creating innovative companies and showcasing them on a global stage. We extend our gratitude to TechCrunch for their unwavering support and interest in our region.
From July 21 to August 12, 380 startups participated in nine national rounds online, delivering an impressive 32 hours of pitching content. The competition highlighted remarkable diversity, with 35% of the participating startups founded by women, and the youngest entrepreneur, just 14 years old, hailing from Unify in Uzbekistan.
The startups represented various stages of development: 43 in the idea phase, 224 with minimum viable products (MVPs), 127 in pre-seed, 65 in seed stage, and 26 in pre-Series A.
Ultimately, four standout startups — Polygraf AI (Azerbaijan, USA), QuickShipper (Georgia), Surfaice (USA, Kazakhstan), and ArtSkin (Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan) — have earned their spots at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2025 in San Francisco, where they will compete against some of the most promising ventures globally.
TechCrunch event
San Francisco | October 27-29, 2025
This marks a historic first for TechCrunch, as startups from Central Eurasia now have a dedicated pathway to one of the tech industry’s most prestigious competitions. Beyond identifying high-potential ventures, this initiative has fostered cross-border collaboration, attracted international investor interest, and firmly established Central Eurasia as a region to watch on the global innovation map.
Zhaslan Madiyev, the Minister of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan, remarked:
The 168 applications from Kazakhstan to the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield regional selection signal our ecosystem’s growing maturity and global aspirations. This level of engagement reflects the effectiveness of our national innovation strategy. Through strategic partnerships with global platforms, we are dedicated to supporting Kazakh entrepreneurs as they expand internationally.
Following the national rounds from July 21 to August 12, the competition culminated in a Regional Final of the Journey to the Battlefield on August 15, where 20 finalists presented their ideas to an international panel of judges.
The 20 finalists who advanced to the Regional Competition included Arlan Biotech, Artskin, Athena AI, Biometric Vision, EZSpeech by Mila4AI, FabStory AI, HaWoO2, Hi Doctor, Investbanq, Jobster.hr, LYDYA, MiraiTech, NeuroGuard AI, Pikare SkySource, Polygraf AI, QuickShipper, Snory, Steppe AI, Surfaice, and Zero Waste.
A diverse panel of 40 jury members from 10 countries evaluated the national online competitions, representing a wide array of investors, academics, and ecosystem leaders. The jury included notable figures from various sectors, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of the participating startups.
Isabelle Johannessen, a key figure at TechCrunch, shared her excitement:
It’s inspiring to witness such enthusiasm for Startup Battlefield. The Journey to the Battlefield was one of the most well-organized and energetic pitch events I’ve encountered, and the passion from founders across Central Eurasia was remarkable. We are excited to welcome Polygraf AI, QuickShipper, Surfaice, and ArtSkin to San Francisco as part of the Startup Battlefield 200, and we look forward to sharing their stories with the world.
In a groundbreaking move, TechCrunch introduced an AI judge named AI-Gerim, who served as an independent jury member, adding an innovative layer of evaluation to the pitches. This combination of global expertise and AI-driven insights sets a new standard for assessing emerging startups.
The startups showcased a vibrant cross-section of industries, with Artificial Intelligence leading the charge. Founders addressed real-world challenges in AI & Automation, EdTech, HealthTech, FinTech, Green & Climate Tech, AgriTech, HRTech, MarTech, SaaS, and E-commerce.
After a fiercely competitive final round, four winning startups emerged to represent Central Eurasia:
Image Credits: Silkroad
Polygraf AI specializes in locally deployed AI solutions that detect AI threats and safeguard policies against various AI applications. Their small language model (SLM) AI solutions are known for their speed and high accuracy in third-party audits.
“The founders from Central Asia and the Caucasus are becoming increasingly formidable, and this competition reaffirmed that talent is no longer confined to the Western world. We have incredible talent here, and all participants demonstrated that,” said Yagub Rahimo, Founder of Polygraf AI. “The competition was exceptional, with all participants presenting remarkable solutions. However, as in any competition, there can only be one winner, and I’m thrilled that Polygraf was that winner. We have already won several awards this year, and we aim to conquer the Startup Battlefield as well.”
Image Credits: Silkroad
QuickShipper is a delivery gateway that empowers retailers to provide efficient and delightful deliveries instantly from a single platform. The startup offers a comprehensive ecosystem for managing in-house drivers and a network of integrated delivery partners.
“Competing with startups from such diverse and intriguing markets was a fantastic experience. The variety of ideas and talent was inspiring, making it an even greater honor to represent the Eurasian market in the finals,” said Mariam Akhvlediani, Co-founder & CEO of QuickShipper. “We are proud and excited to be in the Top 4. This is a significant milestone for QuickShipper and other startups, showcasing our hard work on a global stage.”
Image Credits: Silkroad
Surfaice offers an AI-driven operating system featuring an autonomous fleet of agents that streamline workflows such as site search, budgeting, bidding, punch-list automation, and milestone tracking. This results in a twofold increase in productivity, effectively doubling the number of store builds per year.
“Our journey to Battlefield has been quite dramatic, as we almost missed the application deadline. However, I motivated my team, and we made it just in time. Competing with other startups and finally being on stage is exhilarating,” said Alim Uderbekov, CEO & Co-Founder. “It’s surreal to think that I, from a small city in South Kazakhstan, will be on the main stage in Silicon Valley, a place I once only saw virtually. It’s an incredible journey.”
In an unprecedented decision, TechCrunch selected ArtSkin as a special pick, bringing the total number of startups representing the region to four.
ArtSkin is pioneering neurointerface technology that transmits the sensation of touch to the human body across various advanced fields, including AR/VR, bionic prosthetics, telerobotics, spacetech, surgery, and humanoid robotics.
“Being chosen as one of the top four startups to pitch at the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield finals is an extraordinary honor and a thrilling milestone,” said Iliias Dzheentaev and Madina Sabitqyzy, Co-founders of ArtSkin. “It validates our team’s dedication and innovation. We are now more motivated than ever to elevate our pitch and showcase our vision to a global audience. Our ambition is clear: we aim to win TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, and this opportunity is a critical step toward achieving that goal.”
The other top finalists included Arlan Biotech, Investbanq, Athena AI, MiraiTech, HaWoO2, and Biometric Vision.
These four teams now face several months of preparation before taking the main stage at TechCrunch Disrupt, where they will pitch alongside startups from around the world, vying for investment, partnerships, and global recognition.
For the participating founders, the competition offered value beyond the final rankings. The exposure, connections, and validation gained from participating in a globally recognized platform proved transformative in ways they had not anticipated.
The developments across Central Eurasia signify a crucial evolution. This is not merely about individual companies seeking investment; it represents an entire region’s entrepreneurs measuring themselves against global standards and realizing they belong in the conversation.
“For Uzbekistan, participating in global arenas like TechCrunch Startup Battlefield is not just about visibility; it’s about shaping a future where our tech talent leads on the global stage,” said Sherzod Shermatov, Minister of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan. “Our goal is to ensure that the next generation of breakthrough technologies is not only utilized in Uzbekistan but also developed here.”
The impact of the Journey to the Battlefield extends beyond the final pitch presentations. The competition has fostered cross-border dialogue among entrepreneurs in the region and attracted new investor interest in Central Eurasian startups.
The main partner is a Nasdaq-listed financial services holding company headquartered in Kazakhstan, which has achieved a remarkable valuation of approximately $10 billion, reflecting investor confidence and market strength. This company has established itself as a key player in the region, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship. Its backing of the Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield underscores its commitment to empowering founders from Central Eurasia and connecting them with international markets.
More importantly, 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, connecting founders who might not have otherwise collaborated and providing a platform to showcase regional talent on a global scale.
“As the Innovation and Digital Development Agency of Azerbaijan, we are thrilled to partner with the innovation hub and actively participate in the TechCrunch Road to Battlefield startup competition,” said Farid Osmanov, Chairman of the Innovation and Digital Development Agency of Azerbaijan. “We are excited that Polygraf AI, an Azeri-founded startup, made it to the top four in this competition, representing the region at the prestigious TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco. This demonstrates the rapid development of the Azeri ecosystem, and we are on the right track.”
As the four winning startups prepare for their journey to San Francisco, they embody the growing ambitions of Central Eurasia’s entrepreneurial community. The competition has opened new pathways for regional startups to access international opportunities and resources.
This article was co-written with Aikumis Seksenbayeva.