Startup events
Meetups, conferences, demo days, and hackathons across the region.
Workshop on September 16 Will Help Founders with Y Combinator Applications
An online workshop on applying to Y Combinator will take place on September 16. The session is designed for founders who want to improve their chances of being accepted. Valery Yalouskikh, partner at MA7 Ventures, will lead the workshop. He will explain Y Combinator's selection criteria and how to avoid common mistakes in applications. Participants will learn how to present traction and key metrics effectively. The agenda also includes preparation for the 10-minute interview with YC partners and practical cases from MA7 Ventures portfolio companies. The event ends with a live Q&A session. It starts at 10:00 Tashkent time. Registration is available at https://startupbase.uz/uz/events/how-to-get-into-y-combinator-insider-strategy-foun .
Baku ID 2026 brings startups and investors together in SABAH.city on 17-18 September
Baku ID 2026, the fifth edition of the festival for startups and investors, will take place on 17-18 September in SABAH.city, a new innovation city in Azerbaijan. The event is organised by SABAH.Hub with support from government and private partners. It brings together founders, venture funds and ecosystem leaders from across the region. The two-day programme includes main stage talks, panel discussions, startup pitches and networking. Topics range from artificial intelligence and venture capital to angel investing, fintech, healthtech, edtech, green tech and proptech. Local and international startups will present their solutions to investors. Investors are expected from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Georgia, the Middle East and North Africa. Funds taking part include Most Ventures, White Hill Capital, Activat VC, IT Park Ventures, APY Ventures, Plus VC, MEVP and Startup Wise Guys — venture firms that back early and growth-stage teams across the region. Over five editions, Baku ID has gathered more than 13,500 participants, 375 startups and 140 partners. Startups have raised over $5.5 million in direct investments through the festival. Those numbers make it one of the larger startup gatherings in the South Caucasus and Central Asia. Strategic partners for Baku ID 2026 are the Ministry of Science and Education of Azerbaijan, Pasha Holding, Socar and the Center for Analysis and Coordination of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR). Main partners are the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDA) and Times. Free shuttle buses will run to SABAH.city, Bolt for Business offers a 30% discount, and tickets are available at .
ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 to Bring Together Startups and Investors in Tashkent
ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 will run from September 22 to 25 at CAEx in Tashkent. The event brings together tech entrepreneurs, venture funds, business angels, and global tech companies to discuss startup growth, capital raising, and international scaling. On September 22, the Startup & Venture Summit opens the startup program. September 23 includes the Enterprise Uzbekistan Summit, which focuses on Uzbekistan as a technology hub, and the Global Startup Ecosystem Awards by StartupBlink. On September 24, the regional final of the Startup World Cup will feature live pitches. The winner goes to the global final in San Francisco to compete for a $1 million investment prize. Also on September 24, the AI Native: Ideas to Innovation program covers AI topics like language models, robotics, and automation. September 25 brings AWS Community Day Uzbekistan and the Ignyte AI Challenge for AI startups, followed by Taqdimot pitch battle. Other conference tracks include fintech, game development, and international tech cooperation. Registration is open at ictweek.it-park.uz .
IT Park Ventures opens Elevator Pitch applications for Seed and Series A startups at ICT WEEK 2026
IT Park Ventures is accepting applications for an Elevator Pitch session at ICT WEEK Uzbekistan 2026. The session gives startups a slot to present to the venture team and other funds in the room, and to hear feedback on their projects. Applications are open to startups with a launched product and growth potential, confirmed traction through revenue or active users, a clear product-market fit, and an experienced team. The stage is Seed or Series A. The format is tight: two minutes for the pitch and two minutes for questions. The session runs on September 23 at 12:00 at CAEx, at the IT Park Uzbekistan stand. ICT WEEK Uzbekistan 2026 is more than its main forums. The IT Park Uzbekistan stand runs interactive activities every day of the week, with prizes. Applications go through a Google Form at forms.gle/PTujLFpsksdz3Fio9 .
IT Park Ventures hosts closed angel investing workshop with Eugene Chebotov on September 23
IT Park Ventures is hosting a closed workshop on angel investing on September 23. The session starts at 17:00 at C-Space Yunusabad and is aimed at business angels and private investors. The speaker is Eugene Chebotov, Managing Partner at Selective VC. The program covers three areas: how to evaluate startups and founders, how to manage investment risk, and how syndicated deals work. Real cases are part of the session, with live interaction with the speaker. The format is closed and spots are limited. The source does not list a fee, the number of seats or the language of the session. Registration is open through a Google Form at forms.gle/usmXKrgZcpCL58wj6 .
VC Party returns to Tashkent on September 23, 2026, for investors and startup founders
VC Party will take place in Tashkent on September 23, 2026. The event starts at 19:00 and brings together investors, startup founders and business angels from Central Asia. The organizers describe it as a meeting point for the region's venture market. Funds, corporations and startups are expected, with time set aside for informal networking. The event leans on that format: welcome drinks, a DJ and conversations that turn into deals. The exact location is not public. It is shared with attendees after they buy a ticket. The date, time and format are confirmed. Tickets are on sale at mostinvest.club/vcpartytashkent . The source does not name the organizers, ticket prices or the venue.