From September 22 to 25, the CAEx complex in Tashkent will host ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026. This year's program places special emphasis on technology entrepreneurship, the venture market, and international expansion. Local and foreign founders, venture funds, business angels, representatives of global tech companies, and industry experts will gather on one platform.
The program brings together events across several tracks. Startup teams will be able to showcase their projects, find new opportunities and useful connections, while the investment community will meet promising solutions and potential partners. ICT Week will become a networking and knowledge-sharing platform for all participants.
Startup & Venture Summit — the main starting point of the startup program
The Startup & Venture Summit will take place on September 22. The event will bring together founders, investors, and startup ecosystem representatives from around the world in one place.
At the heart of the program is the next stage of the region's venture market development: the growth of local startups, capital raising, international expansion, and the role of public and private investors in ecosystem development. The stage will feature founders of tech companies, venture fund representatives, and heads of organizations working with innovative business.
The summit will kick off the entire ICT Week startup program and set the key themes to be continued in the following days.
Enterprise Uzbekistan Summit — a new tech jurisdiction for international business
On September 23, the Enterprise Uzbekistan Summit will be held, dedicated to developing Uzbekistan as a new technology jurisdiction. The main focus is on legal clarity, institutional infrastructure, and the conditions being created to attract international tech companies and investment.
The program includes addresses by Enterprise Uzbekistan representatives, keynote sessions by EY and BDO experts, a fireside chat featuring IT Park Uzbekistan and Enterprise Uzbekistan, and the panel discussion 'Rethinking Jurisdictions for the Global Technology Economy.'
Participants will discuss why international companies choose Uzbekistan for doing business, how responsibilities are divided among the ecosystem's key institutions, and what regulatory conditions are needed for the further growth of the technology economy.
Global Startup Ecosystem Awards by StartupBlink — honoring the best startup ecosystems
On the same day, a special event in partnership with StartupBlink and IT Park Uzbekistan — the Global Startup Ecosystem Awards — will also take place.
The ceremony will honor cities, countries, and regions that have achieved high results in StartupBlink's global rankings. The awards ceremony will be followed by the panel discussion 'Best Practices in Startup Ecosystem Development,' where representatives of leading ecosystems will discuss growth factors, resource allocation priorities, and lessons that emerging tech markets can adopt.
Startup World Cup — from Tashkent to San Francisco
One of the week's highlights will be the Startup World Cup regional final, taking place on September 24.
The best startups will deliver live pitches before an international jury and venture partners. The regional stage winner will earn the chance to compete in the global Startup World Cup in San Francisco, where finalists from around the world will compete for a $1 million investment prize.
For startups, the regional stage is not only a path to the global final but also a chance to test their pitch before international experts, receive feedback, and showcase their product to venture market representatives.
AI Native: Ideas to Innovation — from AI idea to business solution
Also on September 24, the AI Native: Ideas to Innovation program will be held for teams and professionals working with artificial intelligence.
The main focus is on turning AI ideas into working technology and business products. The program covers areas such as LLMs, cloud technologies, multilingual AI, robotics, AI agents, and business automation. Special attention is also given to opportunities for young professionals — AI education, hackathons, and career paths.
For AI startups, this will be a chance to see which technology areas are moving from experimentation to real products and commercial solutions.
AWS Community Day Uzbekistan — technologies for scaling products
On September 25, AWS Community Day Uzbekistan will take place, dedicated to AWS technologies, cloud solutions, and modern technology trends.
For tech teams, these topics are especially important at the growth stage. As user numbers grow, startups must address infrastructure, performance, reliability, and product scaling. AWS Community Day therefore complements the investment-focused part of ICT Week with a technical perspective on company growth.
Ignyte AI Challenge — AI startup pitches
Another event on September 25 is the Ignyte AI Challenge. ICT Week participants will be able to watch startup teams present their AI solutions to international experts.
It is an opportunity to discover promising projects, see what products are being built in AI today, and observe how founders present their solutions to a professional audience.
TAQDIMOT — Startup Show & Pitch Battle
The startup program will conclude with TAQDIMOT (Startup Show & Pitch Battle) on September 25.
Promising tech projects will take the stage in short presentations and a pitch battle format. For startups, it is another opportunity to show their product to a wide professional audience and test how clearly the team can explain the value of its solution.
TAQDIMOT will be the final startup-themed event in ICT Week's four-day program.
What else is happening at ICT Week 2026?
Startups and venture investment are only part of the ICT Week program. The overall program also includes the AI Forum, Fintech Forum, Tech & Service Outsourcing Conference, Uzbek–Japan Digital Community Forum, OTS Technology Forum, GameGap: GameDev Conference, Sabriya: Women in Digital Economy, and the Uzbekistan–Middle East Tech Summit.
The program thus covers not only entrepreneurship and investment but also artificial intelligence, fintech, enterprise tech, cloud infrastructure, outsourcing, gamedev, and international tech cooperation.
ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 — join the year's biggest technology week.
