The startup ecosystem in Central Eurasia is having its moment. What began as 485 applications from 27 countries has culminated in the largest startup pitch competition in the region’s history. The “Road to the Battlefield” event is providing the area’s most promising entrepreneurs a direct path to one of San Francisco’s most prestigious startup stages at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200.
Organized by Silkroad Innovation Hub in partnership with TechCrunch and Freedom Holding Corp, this competition is more than just another contest. It represents a historic milestone for a region that has been steadily building a dynamic tech ecosystem. This event will be remembered as the one that put Central Eurasia on the global startup map.
Between July 21 and August 12, 380 startups pitched across nine national online rounds, delivering an impressive 32 hours of pitching content. The competition showcased remarkable diversity, with 35% of participating startups founded by women and the youngest entrepreneur being just 14 years old from Unify in Uzbekistan.
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. Now, four standout startups have secured spots at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2025 in San Francisco, where they will compete against promising ventures from around the world.
This marks the first time in TechCrunch history that startups from Central Eurasia have had a dedicated pathway to one of the tech world’s 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.
Following the national rounds, the competition concluded with a Regional Final on August 15, where 20 finalists presented to an international panel of judges. A panel of 40 jury members from 10 countries judged the competitions, representing a broad spectrum of investors, academics, and ecosystem leaders.
For the first time in the competition’s 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. 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 way. Founders tackled real-world problems in AI and Automation, EdTech, HealthTech, FinTech, Green and Climate Tech, AgriTech, HR Tech, MarTech, SaaS, and E-commerce.
After a highly competitive final round, four winning startups were selected to represent Central Eurasia.
Polygraf AI from Azerbaijan and the USA delivers locally deployed AI solutions that detect AI threats and protect policies against any AI solutions. Their small language model AI solutions are fast and perform with the highest accuracy in third-party audits.
QuickShipper from Georgia 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.
Surfaice from Kazakhstan and the USA 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, providing a single comprehensive platform for all construction software needs.
In an unprecedented move, TechCrunch made their own selection and chose ArtSkin as a special pick, bringing the total to four startups representing the region. ArtSkin from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan 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.
The other top 10 finalists were Arlan Biotech, Investbanq, Athena AI, MiraiTech, HaWoO2, and Biometric Vision.
These four teams now face months of preparation before stepping onto the main stage at TechCrunch Disrupt, where they will pitch alongside startups from around the world competing for investment, partnerships, and global recognition.
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 unexpected ways.
What’s happening across Central Eurasia reflects a crucial development. This isn’t just about individual companies seeking investment; it’s about an entire region’s entrepreneurs measuring themselves against global standards and finding they belong in the conversation.
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.
The main partner is Freedom Holding Corp, a Nasdaq-listed financial services holding company headquartered in Kazakhstan. As of May 2025, the company achieved a valuation of approximately 10 billion US dollars, 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.
The competition was supported by leading innovation hubs and accelerators across the region including Azerbaijan’s Innovation and Digital Development Agency, Georgia’s Future Laboratory, Kazakhstan’s Astana Hub, Kyrgyzstan’s Accelerate Prosperity, Mongolia’s IT Park Mongolia, Türkiye’s Startup Centrum, Uzbekistan’s IT Park Uzbekistan, and several international organizations.
The initiative connected founders who might not have otherwise collaborated and provided a platform to showcase regional talent on a global scale. As the four winning startups prepare for San Francisco, they represent the growing ambitions of Central Eurasia’s entrepreneurial community. The competition has created new pathways for regional startups to access international opportunities and resources.