ASTANA – Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan presented 24 startups at the Silkroad Pavilion, the largest exhibit at the TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 tech conference, held on Oct. 28-30 in San Francisco, reported the press service of Kazakhstan’s Consulate General in San Francisco.
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan presented 24 startups at the Silkroad Pavilion, the largest exhibit at the TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 tech conference, held on Oct. 28-30 in San Francisco. Photo credit: Kazakhstan’s Consulate General in San Francisco
“Our delegation of 24 startups, including eight startups from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, five startups from Azerbaijan, and three startups from the United States with founders with Central Asian roots leave behind tech powerhouses such as Korea, Japan, Belgium, and Ukraine,” said Silkroad Innovation Hub CEO and Co-Founder Asset Abdualiyev.
One of the participants, Nourly Sarbakish, the founder and CEO of TrustExam.ai, also known as Oklook.kz in Kazakhstan, made its debut at the event, describing his expressions as “a smooth landing in Silicon Valley.”
“Our company has a strong foothold back in Kazakhstan, and now we’re here to connect with new clients and partners to scale and participate in B2G and B2B markets locally. Although the start has been challenging, especially with the jet lag and setup, the openness and advice from people here have been invaluable,” he shared.
Kazakhstan’s Consul General in San Francisco Nazira Nurbayeva highlighted the pavilion’s impact, stating the country’s aspiration to be recognized “not only as a resource-rich nation but as a country that invests significant effort in developing new technologies and artificial intelligence.”
Abdualiyev described the moment as historic for Central Eurasia, emphasizing that this year’s TechCrunch Disrupt is particularly significant due to the unified presence of Astana Hub and IT Park Uzbekistan in a joint pavilion. This collaboration demonstrates the region’s growing unity and advancements in technology.
According to Abdulakhad Kuchkarov, Executive Director of IT Park Uzbekistan, Central Asia is quickly establishing itself as a prime location on the global tech map, with immense potential for new unicorns and a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.
