Uzbekistan Hosts Global Tech Weekend on AI and Startups

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The international technology festival Global Tech Weekend × TECH FEST concluded in Tashkent on 17 May 2026, bringing together more than 2,500 participants over three days, including startup founders, investors, venture capital representatives, and international technology experts.

The event, held from 15 to 17 May, marked the first time a festival of this scale was organized in Uzbekistan’s capital. Organizers said the program covered a wide range of topics, including startup ecosystem development, venture financing, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, international scaling, UGC platforms, game development, mentoring, and investment attraction.

The opening day featured Yasin Ehsan, scout at a16z Speedrun and representative of Headstarter, who discussed the qualities leading global investors seek in startup founders. He said speed of adaptation and strong execution have become increasingly decisive selection criteria.

Sasha Skurikhin of XFounders Accelerator analyzed global venture capital transformation, highlighting the growing importance of a startup’s ability to scale rapidly.

A major discussion on UGC platforms brought together RocketFuel founder and executive chairman Tobin Ireland and Azamat Rakhmon-Zoda, head of export at IT Park Uzbekistan, to examine how user-generated content platforms evolve into full business ecosystems. At the Better Future Demo Day organized by DOMiNO Ventures, speakers including Gamze Demir, Artem Yaremchuk, Ivaylo Ivanov, and Maria Gabriela discussed cross-border scaling and investment strategies.

Local ecosystem development was also a key focus. The “Roots” panel on startup building and investment in Central Asia brought together CEO of IT Park Ventures Dalerkhon Nodirov, managing partner of UzVC Abdulazal Toshkhuzhaev, and partner at Aloqa Ventures Davron Parmonov. The discussion was moderated by DOMiNO Ventures managing partner Yagiz Karadeniz. The first day concluded with F*ckUp Talks, an open format discussion on failure, burnout, and entrepreneurial challenges featuring Luciano Freitas, Tiago Valente, Fakhriddin Yusupov, and Shahzod Umurzakov.

Global Tech Weekend co-founder Jaba Kikvidze expressed confidence in the potential of Uzbekistan’s startup ecosystem, urging founders to expand internationally. He said the country has strong institutional support, including from IT Park Uzbekistan and the government, and encouraged entrepreneurs to work hard, explore new markets, and use available opportunities.

The second day opened with a session on the path from idea to startup featuring Managing Director of Techstars Middle East Oduon Abelsnes, Abdulazal Toshkhuzhaev, and Hackonnect managing partner Aziza Khamdamova. AI-focused sessions formed the core of the program, including a talk by Ethan Pearce, partner at Borderless Ventures and author of “AI-First Economy,” who warned that traditional investment approaches are becoming obsolete in the era of artificial intelligence and require new models of thinking.

Shamil Ibragimov, director of research at MIT Kuo Sharper Center, presented a framework distinguishing economic growth from real social well-being, illustrated with a case study on South Sudan.

On scaling strategies, CARU founder Nika Abashidze shared approaches to startup growth under resource constraints. The day also included a PUBG MOBILE tournament and a Food Challenge, with winners receiving laptops as prizes.

Co-founder of the festival Guri Khoiava emphasized the regional importance of the event, highlighting the potential to connect Central Asia and the Caucasus through cooperation, cross-border investment, and entrepreneurship.

The final day focused on startup pitching and the gaming industry. At the Yoshlar Ventures Startup Arena, startups including Akinda, Birga Quramiz, DocuAI, Polymesh, Avtomall, TrainBall, Camvi, Greva, CastingGo, Safora, GatherUP, and OnFood presented their projects to international investors.

A dedicated gamedev segment featured the “Scaling the GameDev from Central Asia” panel, which examined opportunities for building competitive gaming products from the region. Speakers included executives and investors from MIT Sandbox, Borderless Ventures, and United Founders.

Throughout the three-day event, mentoring sessions were held where participants received feedback from global accelerators, funds, and technology companies. IT Park Uzbekistan ecosystem development head Farrukh Erkinov said direct engagement with the global tech community remains a key driver of ecosystem growth.

The festival concluded with a closing ceremony and a DJ set featuring King Macarella and DJ Geo.