Forty of the best youth-led startups will receive a total of 2 billion soums in funding, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced during an open dialogue with young people.
The open dialogue brought together more than 60,000 young participants from Karakalpakstan, various regions of the country, and the city of Tashkent. The meeting focused on expanding opportunities in education, employment, entrepreneurship, and the implementation of youth initiatives.
Special attention was given to the development of the startup ecosystem. As part of the “Growth and Development (Upshift)” project, competitions are scheduled for 2026 in areas such as media, design, craftsmanship, manufacturing, and innovation.
A total of 2 billion soums will be allocated to support 40 selected startups. The funding will be used for project development and scaling, the implementation of innovative solutions, and expansion into new markets. This initiative is expected to help young teams accelerate their ideas and strengthen their competitive positions.
In addition, this year the international startup summit “Take Off” is planned to be held in Samarkand. The event will take place alongside a number of major international events and will focus on fostering youth entrepreneurship, supporting innovative projects, and expanding international cooperation. The summit is intended to strengthen Uzbekistan’s position in the global innovation arena and create additional opportunities for young entrepreneurs.
The development of startups and technological entrepreneurship remains a key priority of state policy. For the IT Park Uzbekistan ecosystem, this creates additional opportunities to attract promising teams, launch new tech products, and accelerate the growth of resident companies. Increased funding will allow more projects to move beyond the early stages of development, strengthen their market positions, and scale with the support of IT Park Uzbekistan’s infrastructure and expertise.
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