Central Eurasian Venture Forum 2027

The Central Eurasian Venture Forum (CEVF 2027) returns to Tashkent on 3 April 2027 at the JW Marriott Hotel Tashkent. Held in Uzbekistan for the second consecutive year, it is the region's flagship annual gathering for venture investors, startup founders and innovation ecosystem builders, under the banner "Where global capital meets Central Eurasia". Programme

• Keynote talks from regional and international investors
• Investor panels on venture capital in Central Eurasia
• Startup Alley pitch competition for early-stage teams
• Structured networking in the Investor Lounge and a closed-door programme for fund managers
• GP Academy, a new track for venture fund managers covering fund formation, capital raising and investment evaluation

Scale so far The 2026 edition in Tashkent drew more than 800 participants, including 260+ entrepreneurs, 200 startup representatives and 140 private investors, plus delegates from 60+ corporations and 40+ funds and development institutions whose combined assets under management exceed US$6 billion. Across five editions the forum has hosted 5,600+ attendees from over 50 countries and helped broker around US$35 million in preliminary investment agreements. Organisers Run by MOST Holding (venture funds, a digital neobank, hubs and educational initiatives) together with IT Park Uzbekistan, which signed a memorandum during ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 to keep the forum in the country. Tickets Four tiers are on sale — Light, Silver, Gold and Investor — with early-bird pricing from US$99; prices rise as the event approaches.

China Calling: Online Pitching to Chinese VCs

An ongoing online pitching programme run by Khan Tengri Innovation Hub together with venture capital funds from Hong Kong and mainland China, open to startups from Uzbekistan and the wider Central Eurasian region on a rolling-application basis. Selected teams pitch directly to Chinese VCs in an online session and receive:

• Expert feedback on product readiness, business model and scaling potential for the Chinese market
• Introductions to investors and operating partners in the region
• Possible placement into a partner accelerator programme

Priority sectors: B2B, FinTech, AI, healthcare, logistics, green tech, robotics and industrial IT. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through a Google Form linked from the event page; the date shown is the next scheduled online session.

National AI Hackathon 2026 - Grand Final (Tashkent)

Nationwide grand final of the National AI Hackathon, bringing the best teams from all regional stages to Tashkent. Tracks: healthcare, cybersecurity, education, entrepreneurship; winners receive prizes and investment opportunities. Exact December dates TBA.

ICISCT 2026 - International Conference on Information Science and Communications Technologies

ICISCT 2026 — the International Conference on Information Science and Communications Technologies — takes place on 27–28 November 2026 at the Tashkent University of Information Technologies (TUIT) named after Muhammad al-Khwarizmi in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The IEEE-affiliated conference brings together scientists, researchers and engineers across 11 technical tracks, covering artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics, IoT, cybersecurity, photonics and emerging communications technologies. The programme includes keynote sessions, invited talks, panel discussions and networking for the academic and industry community. IEEE members receive a discount on the registration fee. Paper submission and registration details are available on the official conference website.

Startup Week Uzbekistan 2026

Techstars Uzbekistan closes its 2026 programme with Startup Week Uzbekistan 2026, billed by the organisers as the biggest startup festival in Central Asia. The event now has its own dedicated site and official name (previously announced as the Startup and Venture Investment Festival). Dates: 24–26 November 2026, Tashkent (Humo Arena). Organisers expect:

• 5,000+ attendees
• 50+ speakers
• 100+ investors

The three days bring together founders, venture funds and the global tech community for keynotes, investor networking and pitch sessions, wrapping up a year in which Techstars ran Startup Weekend editions across Andijan, Qarshi, Tashkent and other regions of Uzbekistan.

FINNEXT Asia 2026

FINNEXT Asia 2026 — International Forum of Financial Innovations takes place on 19 November 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Tashkent (Navoi Avenue 1a), Tashkent. The forum is built around the strategic direction of banks, payment organisations and fintech companies across 2026–2027, and positions itself as an open-dialogue platform between banks, fintech firms, investors and Central Asian regulators. Programme themes

• Implementation of Open Banking regulation
• Biometric identification requirements
• Tokenisation of securities and digital assets
• Applied artificial intelligence in banking
• Cybersecurity and anti-fraud
• Venture capital and banking ecosystems in Central Asia

Format and scale A one-day in-person programme of plenary sessions, panel discussions, product presentations and structured networking. Organisers expect 600+ participants and 40+ speakers, including executives from Uzbekistan's financial sector alongside representatives of more than 100 leading Russian banks and fintech companies, plus regional financial leaders. Attendance is aimed at banks, payment organisations, fintech companies, investors and regulators — participation is registered through the official forum site.

NASA Space Apps Challenge 2026 — Tashkent

NASA Space Apps Challenge 2026 — Tashkent

The world's largest annual global hackathon returns, and Tashkent is confirmed as one of the 450+ registered Local Events for the 2026 edition. Over two days, teams use open data from NASA and its Space Agency Partners to build solutions to challenges on Earth and in space. Theme: "The Next Frontier" The 2026 edition asks participants to think past conventional boundaries and build for Earth, space, science, technology and humanity's future. When & where

• 14–15 November 2026, worldwide
• Tashkent local event — in-person; venue announced by the local host on the event page
• Note the date shift: previous Tashkent editions ran in early October (4–5 October 2025, 5–6 October 2024)

Key dates

• 26 August 2026 — registration opened; participants pick a Local Event when they register
• 17 September 2026 — challenge topics revealed
• 28 October 2026 — full challenge statements released, together with NASA and Space Agency Partner data sets
• 14–15 November 2026 — hackathon weekend
• 16 November 2026 — judging begins

Who can take part Participation is free and open to all ages, skill levels and professional backgrounds — coders, scientists, designers, storytellers, makers, builders and technologists. Seventeen space agency partners take part alongside NASA. Previous Tashkent editions have been hosted on university campuses, with Tashkent University of Information Technologies (TUIT) leading the 2025 event. Registration Register on the official Space Apps site and select Tashkent, Uzbekistan as your Local Event. Registration stays open until the hackathon closes on 15 November.

Traders Fair Uzbekistan 2026

Traders Fair comes to Uzbekistan for the first time, landing at the JW Marriott Hotel Tashkent (Batir Zakirov Street 5-7) on 14 November 2026. Run by FINEXPO/iEvents, the one-day fair gathers the whole trading and fintech ecosystem: retail and professional traders, brokers, introducing brokers, payment providers, exchanges and financial technology companies from Central Asia and beyond. Programme

• Expert-led educational sessions across two dedicated speaking halls, covering stocks, forex, futures, options, crypto assets and investing
• Keynote presentations and expert panels on market structure and risk management
• An interactive exhibition floor with leading regional and international financial brands
• An Insight Hall built for IBs, brokers, fintech companies and B2B partners to run meetings and close deals
• Networking throughout the day, closing with an evening celebration and awards

The fair is aimed at anyone building or investing in Uzbekistan's fast-growing digital-finance sector, and complements the country's other autumn fintech dates such as the Tashkent Fintech International Forum. Registration and ticket tiers are available on the official event site.

Tashkent Fintech International Forum 2026

The Tashkent Fintech International Forum takes place on 12-14 November 2026 at the Central Asian Expo Uzbekistan (CAEx) in Tashkent. The forum is an international platform for interaction between government, the financial sector and technology business, focused on developing the digital economy, deploying innovative solutions and shaping modern financial infrastructure for the region. Six thematic tracks

1. Artificial intelligence, data and analytics
2. Security and identity management
3. Payments and open banking
4. Fintech transformation and innovation
5. Banking products
6. Digital assets and blockchain technologies

Organisers expect 8,000+ participants across 18,000 m² of exhibition space, with 200+ exhibitors and 30+ events in the programme. The forum is organised by MAXIFORUM together with SAYS.

Machinery Central Asia 2026 — Intelligent Manufacturing, Automation & Industry 4.0

Machinery Central Asia 2026 is the 18th Central Asian International Exhibition on Intelligent Manufacturing, Automation and Industry 4.0, running 10–12 November 2026 at Uzexpocentre NEC in Tashkent. Focus areas

• Digital technologies and software for industrial production
• Factory automation and robotics
• Artificial intelligence applied to manufacturing
• Industry 4.0 solutions for smart factories
• Energy efficiency and production transparency

The exhibition positions itself as a strategic G2B and B2B platform bringing together industry, technology vendors and government to showcase solutions that raise productivity and accelerate the integration of digital technologies into Uzbekistan's domestic market. A business programme of conference sessions runs alongside the exhibition floor. Opening hours

• 10 November (Tue): 10:00–17:00
• 11 November (Wed): 10:00–17:00
• 12 November (Thu): 10:00–16:00

Venue Uzexpocentre National Exhibition Complex, Tashkent. The show is co-located with other Iteca November exhibitions at the same venue. Organiser Iteca Exhibitions, with partner organisations including CCA, ICA Events, UFI, TIIAME and CPR. Visitor registration and stand reservation are both open via the official site.

E-TechExpo 2026

E-TechExpo 2026 is the 5th anniversary edition of Uzbekistan's International Exhibition of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Innovative Technologies, held at Uzexpocentre NEC in Tashkent on 10-12 November 2026. The exhibition covers electronics, electrical engineering, automation, robotics, control systems and digital solutions, alongside cable and wire technologies and renewable energy engineering (solar and wind). Established in Tashkent in 2022 and organised by Iteca Exhibitions, it has grown into one of Central Asia's reference platforms for hardware, industrial automation and embedded technology. What to expect

• Exhibition floor with electronics manufacturers, automation and robotics vendors, and digital solution providers
• Engineering and industry sessions on Industry 4.0, control systems and smart infrastructure
• B2B matchmaking for Uzbek and international technology companies

Who it is for: hardware engineers, automation and robotics specialists, electrical and energy professionals, distributors, and technology companies looking to enter the Uzbek market. Venue: Uzexpocentre NEC, 107 Amir Temur Street, Tashkent. E-TechExpo 2026 runs alongside other Iteca exhibitions at the same venue during the same dates, making it a large combined industrial and technology week in Tashkent.

Eurasia Data Center & Cloud Forum 2026

The Eurasia Data Center & Cloud Forum 2026 is held on 3–4 November 2026 at the AZIMUT Grand Hotel in Tashkent, organised by IKS Media. Over 250 participants are expected. The forum is a regional professional platform for exchanging knowledge and best practice in designing, building and operating data centres, and in delivering services on top of that infrastructure. It examines both the economics of data-centre projects in Central Asia and the engineering choices that shorten build times and improve returns. Programme themes:

• Sustainable development of data centres and computing infrastructure in the digital economy
• Building data centres for AI workloads
• Power supply solutions and energy efficiency
• Liquid cooling technologies
• Structured cabling systems
• Cloud infrastructure, digital transformation and barriers to cloud adoption
• Panel discussions on regional technology trends

Registration is open at https://dcforum.uz/registraciya. The forum lands in the middle of a major national build-out: Uzbekistan is targeting billions of dollars of private investment into AI-ready data centre capacity by 2030.

InnoWeek 2026 — International Week of Innovative Ideas

InnoWeek 2026, the International Week of Innovative Ideas, runs on 27–29 October 2026 at the CAEx Uzbekistan (Central Asian Expo) exhibition complex in Tashkent. This year's theme is "Advanced Innovations for a Changing World". Organised by the Agency for Innovative Development under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, InnoWeek is Uzbekistan's flagship innovation forum and exhibition. It brings together scientists, startup founders, investors, corporates and government representatives across roughly thirty formats: international conferences, panel discussions, seminars, roundtables, B2B and B2G meetings, and project presentations. Focus areas for 2026:

• Artificial intelligence and digital transformation
• Biotechnology and biomedicine
• Green energy and environmental technology
• Industrial engineering and advanced manufacturing

For students and young innovators, the programme includes startup competitions, masterclasses, training sessions and direct meetings with potential investors. Previous editions drew over 15,000 domestic and international participants, including more than 130 foreign delegates from close to 30 countries. A dedicated agenda strand covers scientific and innovation cooperation between the European Union and Central Asia. Free shuttle buses run to the venue from the Uzbekistan Hotel and Do'stlik metro station.

ICPC Uzbekistan 2026 — National Student Programming Olympiad

Applications are open for the national "ICPC Uzbekistan" student programming olympiad, organised by Tashkent University of Information Technologies named after Muhammad al-Khwarizmi (TUIT). The competition runs in two stages:

• Regional stage — 20 October 2026
• National (republican) stage — 17 November 2026

ICPC (International Collegiate Programming Contest) is the world's leading university olympiad in algorithmic programming, drawing the strongest student competitive programmers every year. The stated goal of the Uzbek national edition is to build connections between students from different universities and to surface a new generation of specialists for academia and the IT industry. Why it matters: winners of the national stage receive a special place to compete in the semi-finals of the international ICPC olympiad, the standard route toward the ICPC World Finals. Who can take part: university students in Uzbekistan, competing in teams in the classic ICPC format. Registration: via the official form at https://forms.gle/f3rim9hCaUV9dtif6 — the deadline is 14 October 2026 at 23:59.

TBEC 2026 — 5th Tashkent Business and Economics Conference

The fifth edition of Tashkent's main academic business conference, and this year it is largely about AI. TBEC 2026 runs 20–21 October 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Tashkent, organised by the WIUT Business School together with the School of Graduate Studies and Research at Westminster International University in Tashkent. The theme is Reimagining the Silk Road: Regional Connectivity and Trade Integration. Tracks. Eight of them, and three are squarely technical:

• Cross-Border Markets & AI-Enabled Customer Value Systems
• Financial Integration and Digital Financial Infrastructure
• AI, Automation & Workforce Transformation
• Silk Road Tourism & Hospitality
• Regional Integration, Connectivity & Cross-Border Exchange Economics
• Supply Chains and Cross-Border Coordination
• Sustainable & Green Finance and ESG
• Development and Structural Transformation

Publication. Accepted work routes to a special issue of the International Journal of Tourism Research (Q1 / WoS / SSCI), plus conference proceedings with ISBN. That is a stronger publication pipeline than most regional conferences offer, and it is the reason the paper deadlines are early. Fees. $50 for international participants, 500,000 UZS local, 250,000 UZS for students. Be clear about what this is. TBEC is a peer-reviewed academic conference, not a build event — nobody ships code over the weekend here. The paper submission and registration deadlines have already passed (15 June and 31 July respectively), so October is for attending rather than presenting unless you are already on the programme. Why it is on this calendar anyway. The AI, Automation & Workforce Transformation track is where the evidence base for the labour-market claims everyone in the Uzbek tech scene makes casually actually gets argued — with data, in front of reviewers. If you are building fintech or logistics products for this region, the digital-financial-infrastructure and cross-border-coordination sessions are the cheapest available access to people who study the constraints your product will hit. Student pricing at 250,000 UZS makes that an easy decision.

Startup Pitch Session with Venture Funds - October 2026

An open pitch session where Uzbek startup founders present their projects directly to representatives of venture funds, hosted by StartupBase at the IT Park Tashkent campus. What participants get

• An assessment of the startup from an investor's point of view
• Recommendations on the business model and market potential
• A discussion of go-to-market strategy with experts
• Identification of the project's strengths and weak spots
• Direct contact with venture fund representatives

Details

• Date: 12 October 2026, 14:00
• Venue: IT Park Tashkent, 114A Mahtumkuli Street, Tashkent
• Format: offline
• Application deadline: 7 October 2026

Participation is free; applications are submitted through the StartupBase platform. Contact: info@startupbase.uz, +998 71 209 11 99.

Scientific and Practical Forum 2026 — Autonomous Unmanned Systems

One morning, five topics, six student projects defended in front of the people who build the hardware. The Scientific and Practical Forum 2026 runs on Saturday 10 October 2026 at Inha University in Tashkent, organised by Electronic Autonomous Solutions JSC (EAS Company) with the university as host partner. The subject is narrower than the title suggests. The full billing is a scientific-practical forum on autonomous unmanned systems operating under active radio-electronic interference — in other words, how drones and autonomous platforms keep flying when their communications and satellite navigation are being jammed. The agenda is built around five themes:

• Protected communication and control channels for unmanned systems
• Jamming-resistant navigation
• Radio detection and location systems
• Modern electronic-warfare countermeasures
• Autonomous operation using AI without GNSS signals

Schedule. Registration opens at 09:30, the opening ceremony is at 10:00, and the programme closes around 13:00. Between those: opening remarks, two plenary sessions of lectures from local and international speakers, a coffee break, the student project defence (six projects), closing remarks and a reception. Venue. 9 Ziyolilar Street, Mirzo Ulugbek district, Tashkent — the Inha University in Tashkent campus. Who is behind it. EAS Company organises; Inha University in Tashkent partners; Robotics Lab Future Technology handled student selection for the project competition. Two of the presenting names come from Inha itself — Khasan Khankeldiev and Uddin Ahmed. Registration is online at eas-inha.vercel.app. For questions the organisers list marketing@eascompany.uz and +998 50 176 28 34. Why it is on this list. It is not a hackathon — nothing gets built on the day, and the student competition is a defence of work done beforehand rather than a sprint. It is here because it is one of the few events in Tashkent this month where the engineering is the point rather than the pitch deck: RF, navigation and on-board autonomy, presented to an audience of students and practising engineers. If you are a student working on drones or embedded systems, the six-project defence is the part worth arriving early for. One caveat. The organisers publish the agenda and the half-day window but not a speaker list beyond the Inha names, and the registration site is the only authoritative source for changes. Confirm there before travelling.

One-Month Intensive Incubation Program 2026 (5 Regions)

IT Park Uzbekistan and StartupBase are launching a one-month intensive incubation program simultaneously in five regions of the country, taking founders from a raw idea to a working MVP and an investor pitch. Regions covered Navoi, Kashkadarya, the Republic of Karakalpakstan, Andijan and Fergana. Program content

• Intensive training built on the Lean Startup methodology
• Mentorship from practising experts and hands-on workshops
• Team-based project work
• MVP development with practical guidance
• Final pitching in front of venture funds and investors

Who can apply University students, students of IT training centres, IT company professionals, and young entrepreneurs with a startup idea. There are no industry restrictions. Details

• Start: 10 October 2026
• Duration: one month
• Delivery: sessions run both online and in person at regional venues

Registration is through the StartupBase platform. Contact: info@startupbase.uz, +998 71 209 11 99.

WIUT Hackathon 2026 — Intelligence in Use

WIUT Hackathon 2026 — "Intelligence in Use" is a 48-hour on-campus hackathon at Westminster International University in Tashkent, with the finals running 10–11 October 2026. It is organised by WIUT's Computing Department, which bills it as the country's first inter-university hackathon, in partnership with the Central Bank of Uzbekistan and Mikrokreditbank. Two tracks:

• Computer Vision — build intelligent systems that understand and interpret visual data.
• FinTech / AI in Finance — build AI-powered solutions that change how financial services work.

Format: teams of exactly three students, registered by the team captain. An online elimination round runs 21–25 September 2026; the top 20 teams per track (40 in total) are invited to the two-day final on the WIUT campus, where meals and workspace are provided. Prizes: a total pool of 90,000,000 UZS across the two tracks, plus mentorship and residency at the innoWIUT incubator for the winning teams. All finalists receive certificates and access to partner opportunities. Judging weighs innovation, technical execution, real-world applicability, presentation quality and commercial viability. Registration closes 20 September 2026 via the official hackathon site. Supporting partners listed by the organisers include IT Park Uzbekistan, Yandex ML School, Mikrokreditbank, BYD Royal Motors, Toyota Royal Motors and Ducati. Exact start and end times for the final have not been published; the times shown are indicative.

WIUT Hackathon 2026 — Intelligence in Use

WIUT Hackathon 2026: Intelligence in Use is billed by its organisers as Uzbekistan's first inter-university hackathon. It is run by the Computing Department of Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT), with the finals held on the WIUT campus on 10–11 October 2026.

Format

• Teams of exactly 3 students. All three members must come from the same university and register with university e-mail addresses — personal Gmail / Mail.ru accounts are not accepted. The team captain submits a single registration for the whole team.
• Registration closes 20 September 2026.
• Online elimination round: 21–25 September 2026. Registered teams complete an elimination task remotely; the top 40 teams advance to the on-site finals.
• On-site finals: 10–11 October 2026 at WIUT, Tashkent. Power, Wi-Fi and working space are provided, along with lunch, dinner and coffee breaks on both days.

Tracks

1. Computer Vision
2. FinTech / AI in Finance

Each team competes in one track only.

Prizes and partners

The total prize pool is 90,000,000 UZS. Every winning team also receives mentorship through the innoWIUT incubator, with the opportunity to join its residency programme. Finalists receive certificates and access to partner opportunities. Partners include the Central Bank of Uzbekistan, Mikrokreditbank and IT Park Uzbekistan, with Yandex ML School on the education side and Royal Motors (Toyota, BYD, Ducati) among the sponsors. Registration and full rules: hackathon.wiut.uz

CYBERKENT 4.0 — National Cybersecurity Competition Final

Uzbekistan's largest live-fire cybersecurity competition reaches its final. CYBERKENT 4.0 closes its fourth season on 5-6 October 2026 at Yoshlar Ijod Saroyi (Youth Creativity Palace) in Tashkent, organised by the state institution Kiberxavfsizlik Markazi (Cybersecurity Center). How the field was decided. Over 300 teams entered the online qualifiers: the Blue Team qualifier ran on 15 September and the Red Team qualifier on 22 September 2026 (10:00-19:00 Tashkent time, with the scoreboard frozen at 18:30). The top 10 teams in each track advance, filling 20 slots in the offline final. The two tracks, both running 48 hours:

• Red Team — offensive operations against production-grade infrastructure. The qualifier covered web exploitation, binary exploitation, cryptography, network analysis and steganography, with a dynamic scoring system and Dockerised challenges reached over VPN.
• Blue Team — defensive operations on assigned systems: SIEM work, log analysis and incident response.

Alongside the two main tracks the final runs a CTF competition and the CyberMergan and CyberQuiz interactive zones. Prize pool: 270 million UZS, split evenly — 90M UZS to the Red Team track, 90M UZS to the Blue Team track, and 90M UZS across the side competitions. Teams are 3-5 operators. Registration for the qualifiers ran from 24 August to 20 September through the track portals (red.cyberkent.uz, blue.cyberkent.uz, ctf.cyberkent.uz); the full regulations are published as a PDF on the Red Team site. Contact: info@cyberkent.uz. Worth knowing: the entry route for this year has already closed — the October dates are the final for teams that came through the September qualifiers. If you want a slot next season, the pattern across four years has been a late-August registration opening with qualifiers in mid-September, so the window to watch is roughly eleven months out. What makes CYBERKENT unusual for the region is that it is not purely a jeopardy CTF: putting a defending Blue Team track on equal prize footing with the attacking Red Team is closer to how a real SOC is tested, and it is the reason the event draws sponsorship and attention from Uzbekistan's national cybersecurity apparatus rather than just the student CTF scene.

Cyber Security Summit (CSS) 2026 - Central Eurasia

The Cyber Security Summit (CSS) 2026 - Central Eurasia is an annual, in-person conference held on 5–7 October 2026 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, hosted by the National Cybersecurity Centre of Uzbekistan together with Dialogue Events. The summit convenes national security centres, government agencies, cybersecurity solution providers and information-security leaders from across the commercial and industrial sectors of Central Eurasia. Over three days, delegates take part in briefings, technology showcases, networking and business collaboration focused on strengthening the region's cyber resilience. Registration and the full agenda are available on the official summit website.

Women Cup 2026 Final

Women Cup 2026 is an accelerator and pitch competition for women-led creative and digital businesses in Uzbekistan, run by the U-Enter Innovation Centre together with the international Virtual Accelerate platform and financed by the Government of Switzerland. The programme opened in mid-July 2026 and closed with a final demo day in Tashkent on 1 October 2026.

Scope

• More than 120 applications were submitted from across Uzbekistan.
• Over 30 women-led projects were selected into the programme.
• 12 finalists pitched on stage at the closing event.

Covered sectors included design, fashion, textiles, architecture, art, media, digital production and crafts.

Programme

Participants went through 14 training sessions on product development, customer research, financial management, branding and sales, plus one-to-one mentorship from international experts, business tours and an introduction to 3D technologies.

Winners

1. Shami — a fragrance and souvenir brand producing handmade candles, diffusers and ceramic items.
2. Evoke Bureau — a visual communications studio working with fashion brands.
3. Mimoram AI — an AI platform that turns photos into 3D renovation models with cost estimates.

Winners received the opportunity to take part in Dubai Design Week.

AI Teams & Smart Capital: Workshop with International Experts

A hands-on workshop for founders and tech leads held at School 21 in Tashkent as part of the ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 programme. The session focuses on two themes:

• Building teams that work effectively with AI — role distribution in small teams, and how AI changes the shape of an engineering organisation. Led by Julian Gilliam (Meta).
• Smart capital and strategic partnerships — how to pick investors and partners who add more than money. Led by John Paul Isham (Xsolla).

The programme closes with a fireside chat featuring Antony Doeh and Jahongir Normatov on how founder priorities shift as a company grows and moves into new markets. Starts at 11:00. Free registration via StartupBase.

Techstars Startup Weekend Tashkent 2026

The Tashkent edition of Techstars Startup Weekend runs 25-27 September 2026, one week after the Andijan stage, closing out Techstars Uzbekistan's autumn regional series. Over 54 hours, participants take an idea through the full early-stage cycle: open-mic pitching, team formation, customer validation, prototype development and a closing demo in front of judges drawn from the local and international startup ecosystem. Format highlights:

• Friday: open pitches, voting, teams assembled around the winning ideas
• Saturday: customer discovery, business model work, prototype build
• Sunday: final build, rehearsal and demo day judging

Startup Weekend has run in Tashkent since 2018 and has since expanded into Uzbekistan's regions. The programme is operated by Hackonnect under the Techstars Uzbekistan startup community partnership, alongside UzVC. The weekend is open to developers, designers, marketers, analysts and aspiring founders; teams are formed on site, so individual participants are welcome.

TAQDIMOT 2026 - Startup Show & Pitch Battle

TAQDIMOT (Startup Show & Pitch Battle) closes the four-day startup and investment agenda of ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026. Selected technology startups take the stage for short presentations and live pitch battles. Founders present their product and business model, get direct feedback from the panel, and meet investors and potential partners in the room. Where: CAEx Uzbekistan, Tashkent When: 25 September 2026

IGNYTE AI Challenge 2026

The IGNYTE AI Challenge 2026 is the closing-day startup competition of ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026, held in Hall 3 of the CAEx exhibition centre in Tashkent on 25 September. Five shortlisted finalist teams pitch their solutions to a panel of international experts across dedicated challenge tracks focused on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, followed by recognition of leading talent in AI and security. The session is open to ICT Week attendees, who can watch founders present live, track emerging AI products from the region, and meet the teams behind them. It runs alongside AWS Community Day Uzbekistan and the TAQDIMOT startup show on the same day, closing out the four-day ICT Week programme.

IT Park GovTech AI Challenge 2026

IT Park Uzbekistan's GovTech AI Challenge invites regional and global startups to bring AI solutions that make public services faster, cheaper, and easier to reach. Applications closed on 23 July 2026; the shortlisted teams pitch at the Demo Day held during ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 at CAEx Tashkent (Milliy bog' street 1) on 25 September. Focus areas

• Automating public-sector workflows — applications, document verification, translation
• Predictive, data-driven governance
• Citizen engagement through multilingual chatbots
• Optimising state-owned enterprises
• Closing accessibility gaps for low-digital-access users

Format and prize Three to five finalists compete at the Demo Day. One winner takes US$10,000 and a route into piloting with Uzbek government platforms. Requirements Solutions must be market-ready or close to it, support Uzbek and Russian, comply with Uzbekistan's digital security regulations, and offer an API-first architecture suitable for integration with national platforms. The challenge is administered on the Ignyte platform and appears in the ICT Week programme as the "Ignyte Challenge by IT Park".

Central Asia Fintech Forum at ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026

A fintech forum organised with the Central Asian Fintech Association on the closing day of ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026. The session brings together banks, payment companies, regulators and fintech startups from across Central Asia to discuss cross-border payments, regional regulation and the practical steps behind Uzbekistan's National FinTech Strategy for 2026-2030. Where: CAEx Uzbekistan, Hall 2, Tashkent When: 25 September 2026, 10:00-12:00

GameGap 2026 - Uzbekistan Game Industry Showcase

GameGap is the game development track of ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026. Uzbek game studios present their projects to publishers and investors, with sessions on funding, publishing deals and taking local titles to international markets. The showcase follows IT Park Uzbekistan's delegation of Uzbek studios to Gamescom 2026 in August and the 39 games built at the 35 LVL Game Jam. Where: CAEx Uzbekistan, Tashkent When: 25 September 2026

AWS Community Day Central Asia 2026 - Tashkent

AWS Community Day Central Asia 2026 comes to Tashkent on 25 September 2026, hosted at CAEx (Central Asian Expo Uzbekistan), Main Hall 1, Milliy bog' street 1. It is organised by the AWS User Group Tashkent and closes out ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 (22-25 September), which runs at the same venue. What it is: AWS Community Days are one-day, community-led conferences where the content is owned and delivered by community speakers, leaders and volunteers rather than by AWS itself. The Central Asia edition is run jointly by the AWS user group communities of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Programme: technical sessions, hands-on labs and networking, covering serverless, AI/ML, containers, security, DevOps and cloud architecture. Three session formats are on the agenda - short talks (~25 minutes), full talks (~45 minutes) and workshops (~2 hours). Sessions are delivered in English. Call for speakers: the CFP is open at awsug.uz/cfp and closes on 25 August 2026, with speaker notifications to follow. Organisers say they are looking in particular for sessions with practical value - ideas, approaches and insights attendees can apply directly at work. Supporters listed by the organisers include AWS, IT Park Uzbekistan, EPAM and Startup Choyxona. The detailed agenda and attendee registration have not been published yet; the start and end times above are indicative pending the official schedule. Contact and updates: awsug.uz, hello@awsug.uz.

Practical Workshop for Founders Entering the U.S. Market

A 90-minute practical workshop at Founders Hub, Tashkent, held during ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026, aimed at startup founders and C-level executives planning a move into the United States. Topics covered:

• Visa routes for founders — the practical differences between O-1A, L-1A and L-1B, and which profile fits which route.
• Relocating startup employees to the U.S. and the paperwork that comes with it.
• Expansion planning — what to put in place before the first U.S. entity, hire or customer.

Speaker: Daniyar Yerdenov, CFO at Alma.

SABRIYA: Women in Digital Economy 2026

SABRIYA is the women-in-tech track of ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026, running on 24 September at CAEx (Central Asian Expo Uzbekistan), Milliy bog' street 1, Tashkent. The programme is built around women's entrepreneurship and technology leadership: keynotes, interactive sessions and open discussion on the role of women in the digital economy, how to grow a technology company from Uzbekistan, and the practical routes into launching your own project. The day closes with Leadership Awards. It shares a venue and a day with the Startup World Cup regional final and the Uzbekistan – Middle East Tech Summit, so anyone already on site for the pitch programme can move between halls. Format: in-person, open to individual participants. Registration runs through the ICT Week platform.

Uzum Forum: From Industry to Platforms 2026

Uzum Forum: "From Industry to Platforms" is a dedicated business session hosted by Uzum — Uzbekistan's largest technology group — inside the official programme of ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026. The forum runs on 24 September 2026, 10:00–12:00, in Hall 2 at CAEx (Central Asia Expo), Milliy bog' street 1, Tashkent. It sits on the same day as the Startup World Cup Uzbekistan regional final and the GCC / Uzbekistan–Middle East Tech Summit, so attendees can move between tracks. Theme. The session looks at how traditional industries in Uzbekistan turn into platform businesses — marketplaces, fintech, logistics and delivery networks built on top of shared digital infrastructure. Uzum founder and CEO Djasur Djumaev is among the confirmed ICT Week speakers. Who it is for. Founders, product and platform teams, retail and logistics operators, banks and fintech companies, and investors looking at consumer-internet plays in Central Asia. Access. The forum is part of ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 (22–25 September); visitor registration for the week is free via the official site. ICT Week 2026 expects 25,000+ visitors and 300+ exhibiting companies from more than 50 countries.

AI NATIVE: Ideas to Innovation 2026

AI NATIVE: Ideas to Innovation is IT Park Uzbekistan's AI showcase session at ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026. The programme features live demonstrations of large language models and robotics, plus practical sessions on AI career pathways for developers and students moving into AI-native engineering roles. It runs the same day as the Startup World Cup Uzbekistan regional stage. Where: CAEx Uzbekistan, Hall 3, Tashkent When: 24 September 2026, 10:00-12:00

Uzbekistan-Middle East Tech Summit 2026

A summit connecting Uzbek technology companies and startups with investors and buyers from the Middle East, held during ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026. The agenda covers investment into Uzbek tech, market-entry routes into Gulf markets, and partnership models for companies expanding in both directions. It follows a year of growing Gulf engagement with Uzbekistan's digital infrastructure and startup ecosystem. Where: CAEx Uzbekistan, Tashkent When: 24 September 2026

National AI Hackathon 2026 — Namangan Stage

The Namangan stage of Uzbekistan's National AI Hackathon, run by the AI Alliance NGO as part of the nationwide programme that tours every region of the country and ends with a grand final in Tashkent in December 2026. Over four days, young people from the Namangan region turn their AI knowledge and ideas into a working project, guided by mentors from leading IT companies and evaluated by an expert panel. Tracks

• Healthcare and pharmaceuticals
• Education
• Entrepreneurship
• Cybersecurity

Key details

• Dates: 24–27 September 2026
• Venue: Yoshlar ziyo maskani library, 101 Islam Karimov avenue, Namangan
• Eligibility: age 16+, valid ID, resident of the Namangan region, not previously registered at another stage of the hackathon
• Participation: free of charge
• Registration closes: 16 September 2026

Prizes

• 1st place — Apple MacBook Air
• 2nd place — 20,000,000 UZS
• 3rd place — 10,000,000 UZS
• Special awards for the most compelling presentation and the most relevant social project

The strongest teams from each regional stage move on to the National AI Hackathon grand final in Tashkent.

Startup World Cup 2026 — Uzbekistan Regional Final (Tashkent)

The Startup World Cup holds its first-ever Uzbekistan regional final in Tashkent on 24 September 2026, at CAEx (Central Asia Expo) as part of ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026. Powered by Silicon Valley's Pegasus Tech Ventures and organised locally by Don'tSettle, the regional final puts founders on a 950-seat main stage alongside keynotes, investor matchmaking and panel discussions. Prize The regional winner receives airfare and entry to the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco on 6 November 2026, where startups compete for a $1,000,000 investment prize. Additional partner awards are also available. Who can apply

• Incorporated tech startups from pre-seed to Series A, from any country and any vertical
• At least one team member able to pitch in fluent English
• Global expansion ambitions

Applications close 31 August 2026. Participation and attendance are free. Startup World Cup has run more than 100 regional events across six continents, each feeding a single Grand Finale.

VC Party Tashkent 2026

VC Party Tashkent returns on 23 September 2026 as Central Asia's informal venture networking evening, bringing together startup founders, investors, entrepreneurs and ecosystem leaders from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and the wider region. Unlike a conference, there are no pitches or panels. The format is deliberately casual: welcome drinks, open networking, a DJ set and group photos. It is designed as an after-hours continuation of the week's business programme, giving founders a relaxed setting to meet investors, and professionals a chance to explore partnerships and collaborations. Details

• Date: 23 September 2026, 19:00
• Venue: MOST C-Space Hub, 20A Ahmad Donish Street, Tashkent
• Organisers: MOST Club Limited and MOST HAMKOR
• Tickets: approx. 380,000 UZS; price rises after 14 September

Registration and payment are handled through the organiser's page.

Global Startup Ecosystem Awards 2026 (Tashkent)

Global Startup Ecosystem Awards 2026

StartupBlink and IT Park Uzbekistan stage the Global Startup Ecosystem Awards in Tashkent on 23 September 2026, inside the Enterprise Uzbekistan Summit track of ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026. The ceremony recognises the cities, countries and regions that performed strongest in StartupBlink's Global Startup Ecosystem Index. Uzbekistan itself is a subject of the story this year: in the 2026 index the country climbed 19 places to 79th globally, posted the world's fastest annual increase in ecosystem score, and was named Country of the Year 2026. Programme

• Awards ceremony for top-performing ecosystems in the StartupBlink global rankings
• Panel discussion "Best Practices in Startup Ecosystem Development", where representatives of leading ecosystems discuss growth drivers, where to concentrate resources, and which practices emerging tech markets can realistically adopt

When & where

• 23 September 2026, morning session
• CAEx (Central Asian Expo Uzbekistan), Milliy bog' street 1, Tashkent
• Part of ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 (22–25 September); a single free ICT Week visitor badge grants access

Who should attend Founders, investors, ecosystem builders, policy makers and anyone working on startup-ecosystem development in Central Asia.

OTS Technology Forum 2026 (ICT Week Uzbekistan)

A forum of the Organization of Turkic States held as part of ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026. Delegations from the Turkic States discuss cross-border innovation, shared digital infrastructure and how to connect the region's startup ecosystems into a single market. Sessions cover joint R&D, regulatory alignment and technology transfer between member countries. Where: CAEx Uzbekistan, Tashkent When: 23 September 2026

Tech & Service Outsourcing Conference 2026

A conference on IT and business process outsourcing held during ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026. The agenda covers Uzbekistan's positioning as an outsourcing destination: talent supply and training pipelines, delivery quality, data protection and compliance requirements for international clients, and the practicalities of setting up delivery centres in Tashkent and the regions. IT Park residents exported IT services to more than 90 countries, and the conference is aimed at buyers and providers of those services. Where: CAEx Uzbekistan, Tashkent When: 23 September 2026

International Expert Conference on AI and Ethics 2026

Updated from the official ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 programme, where this session is listed as the AI Ethics Forum under the auspices of UNESCO: Shaping the Future of Responsible AI. Confirmed schedule: 23 September 2026, 10:00–11:30, Hall 2 of the CAEx (Central Asian Expo Uzbekistan) complex, Milliy bog' street 1, Tashkent. The forum runs under UNESCO auspices and gathers policymakers, researchers and industry representatives around responsible AI: ethical frameworks for deployment, technology regulation, and the governance questions raised as Uzbekistan scales its national AI programmes. It is one of several AI-focused forums in the ICT Week 2026 programme, which is dedicated this year to Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, and takes place the same morning as the Enterprise Uzbekistan Summit and the Future Intelligence Forum.

Future Intelligence Forum on the Digital Economy 2026

A forum on the digital economy held in Hall 3 during ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026. Speakers look at how intelligent systems reshape economic policy, productivity and public services, and at what Uzbekistan's digital economy needs in order to keep growing: data infrastructure, skills and regulation. The session sits alongside the Enterprise Uzbekistan Summit on the same morning. Where: CAEx Uzbekistan, Hall 3, Tashkent When: 23 September 2026, 10:00-12:00

Enterprise Uzbekistan Summit 2026

The Enterprise Uzbekistan Summit takes place on day two of ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 in Main Hall 1 at CAEx (Central Asian Expo Uzbekistan, Milliy bog' street 1, Tashkent). The summit is dedicated to Enterprise Uzbekistan — the special technology jurisdiction established by constitutional law in August 2026, which grants long-term legal guarantees to technology companies operating in the country. It brings together enterprise IT buyers, international vendors, policy makers and investors to discuss what the new regime means in practice for building and scaling technology businesses in Uzbekistan. Expected topics:

• Legal and tax guarantees under the Enterprise Uzbekistan framework
• Enterprise digital transformation across finance, industry and the public sector
• International vendor entry and joint-venture models
• Investment and infrastructure commitments

ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 runs 22–25 September and is supported by the Ministry of Digital Technologies, with 300+ exhibitors from 51 countries and 200+ speakers expected.

Global Startup Ecosystem Awards 2026

Date corrected to 23 September 2026 following the official ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 programme announcement. StartupBlink, in partnership with IT Park Uzbekistan, holds the Global Startup Ecosystem Awards in Tashkent for the first time. The ceremony recognises cities, countries and regions with strong results in the StartupBlink global rankings, and is followed by a panel on best practices in startup ecosystem development. Uzbekistan was named StartupBlink's Country of the Year 2026, climbing 19 places to 79th globally, while Tashkent rose 121 positions to become Central Asia's highest-ranked startup city. Where: CAEx Uzbekistan, Tashkent When: 23 September 2026

Startup & Venture Summit 2026 (ICT Week Uzbekistan)

The Startup & Venture Summit opened the startup and investment programme of ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 on 22 September, 14:00–17:10, in Main Hall 1 at CAEx, Tashkent. It is the entry point to the four-day startup track: founders, venture funds, angel investors and ecosystem leaders from Uzbekistan and abroad, working through startup growth, fundraising, international expansion, and how public and private capital are splitting the job of financing innovation in Central Asia. Everything downstream in the week — the Startup World Cup regional final on 24 September, the IGNYTE AI Challenge and TAQDIMOT pitch battle on 25 September — runs off the network formed here. Format: in-person, aimed at startups, funds and corporate partners.

Startup & Venture Summit 2026

The Startup & Venture Summit opens ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 on the main stage at CAEx (Central Asian Expo Uzbekistan, Milliy bog' street 1, Tashkent). Organised by IT Park Uzbekistan, the summit is the country's flagship gathering for founders, venture funds, accelerators and government agencies working on the Uzbek startup ecosystem. The 2025 edition drew more than 500 participants and speakers from Dealroom.co, Plug and Play Tech Center, Purple Ventures, StartX and Doha Tech Angels. Programme format:

• Keynotes on scaling startups out of Central Asia
• Panel discussions on venture development and investor appetite in the region
• Founder case studies and fundraising stories
• B2B matchmaking and networking with funds and accelerators

The summit runs in Main Hall 1 on the opening day of ICT Week, immediately after the official opening ceremony and the VIP exhibition tour.

Uzbek–Japan Digital Community Forum 2026

The Uzbek–Japan Digital Community Forum ran on 22 September 2026 at CAEx, Tashkent, as part of ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026. The forum brought together Rustam Karimjonov (Deputy Minister of Digital Technologies), Kenji Hirata (Ambassador of Japan to Uzbekistan), Hideo Fuseda (Vice Minister, Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications), Yuta Ichinose (Director, JETRO Tashkent), Kazuhiro Oyoshi (Headline Asia) and Kawashima Takeru (01Booster). Concrete outcomes: membership of the Tokyo Innovation Base, and a development programme for five Uzbek ventures delivered with 01Booster. The backdrop is a partnership that has moved quickly — Japanese companies resident in IT Park grew from 2 to 25 in roughly two years, around 100 joint ventures operate in the country, and the Japanese project portfolio in Uzbekistan now exceeds $12 billion. Format: in-person, aimed at companies, investors and government delegations.

Uzbek-Japan Digital Community Forum 2026

A bilateral forum inside ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 dedicated to Uzbek-Japanese cooperation in ICT. The session brings together Uzbek and Japanese companies, agencies and investors around joint ICT projects, investment opportunities and the creative industries. It runs on the opening day of ICT Week at the Central Asian Expo (CAEx) in Tashkent, alongside the Startup & Venture Summit. Where: CAEx Uzbekistan, Tashkent When: 22 September 2026