The Silkway Accelerator, a renowned initiative by Astana Hub and Google for Startups, has announced the final stage participants for its fifth batch. Out of 238 startups initially announced, only 15 made it to the final round, including two promising projects from Uzbekistan: Al Chiroq and UYSOT. The selection process was conducted by a special commission comprising qualified experts from Central Asian countries and representatives from Google for Startups.
Top Startups Announced
In addition to the Uzbek startups, the final stage includes notable projects from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Mongolia. The selected startups from Kazakhstan are ab.ai, Alaqan, Beksar, biny.co, Car Parking Multiplayer, CheckDoc, Courstore, Grand Mobile, kook, Prometei, and WeGlobal.ai. The Kyrgyz startup Neobis and the Mongolian startup Lambda Global also made it to the final stage.
Opening Day Ceremony
The traditional Opening Day event saw participants presenting their projects and sharing their plans for scaling up. The event was graced by the presence of Zhaslan Madiyev, Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry, Google for Startups experts Askar Aytuov and Olga Skorokhodova, the program's lead tracker Dmitry Beznosyuk, and representatives of the Kazakhstani tech community.
"I would like to thank our partners, Google for Startups, for this large-scale and important initiative for Kazakhstan, our entrepreneurs, and startups. The program has impressive statistics: over 1,300 projects accelerated, around 50 startups valued at more than $400mn, and total investments attracted by participants amounting to $26mn. This is a huge result, and I think it's just the beginning. As a ministry, we strive to support such initiatives and provide all the necessary infrastructure to organize and sustain this program," said Zhaslan Madiyev, head of the ICRIAP RK.
Google for Startups' Commitment
At the opening ceremony, Olga Skorokhodova, Head of Interaction with Providing Power in Central Asia and the Caucasus at Google, emphasized the importance of the Silkway Accelerator. She highlighted that it is the leading program among all those conducted in Central Asia.
"We may be idealists, but we believe that technology should be used to solve the social and economic problems we all face today. We are very grateful for our partnership with colleagues from Astana Hub. We are confident that Kazakhstan and Central Asia have all the advantages to become leaders in digital technologies. As a global company, we are committed to introducing technological innovations in the region," said Olga Skorokhodova.
Support and Training for Participants
The Silkway Accelerator offers comprehensive support to the selected startups. This includes free accommodation for two team members throughout the program, visa support for international participants, and training and mentoring from Google for Startups and Astana Hub. The training will be conducted offline in Astana over three months, providing technology projects with free access to master classes and mentoring sessions led by top Google experts. Participants will focus on mastering effective business processes, scaling strategies, establishing partnerships, and attracting investments.
Kazakhstan's Unique Position
Astana Hub is the largest technology park in Central Asia, aimed at creating and developing an ecosystem for tech business, training tech professionals, and supporting startup projects. Currently, around 1,500 tech companies are registered in the technology park, with nearly 400 of them being foreign members. They receive comprehensive support, including business development and scaling programs, special tax and visa conditions, informational and educational support, as well as material infrastructure.
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