Tashkent will host ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 from September 22 to 25, bringing together startup founders, investors, technology companies, and industry experts from Uzbekistan and abroad.
The four-day event will be held at CAEx, the Central Asian Expo Uzbekistan exhibition center. Its startup and investment programme will focus on technology entrepreneurship, venture capital, and the international expansion of Uzbek companies.
The Times of Central Asia is a media partner of ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 and will cover key developments and discussions taking place during the event.
The startup and investment programme will begin on September 22 with the Startup & Venture Summit, which is expected to bring together representatives of the global startup ecosystem.
Discussions will focus on developing the regional venture market, access to capital, international expansion, and the roles of public and private investors in building startup ecosystems.
On September 23, the Enterprise Uzbekistan Summit will focus on Uzbekistan’s development as a technology jurisdiction for international businesses. The programme will address legal certainty, institutional infrastructure, and conditions for attracting foreign technology companies and investment.
The summit will include presentations by Enterprise Uzbekistan, keynotes from EY and BDO, a fireside chat involving IT Park Uzbekistan and Enterprise Uzbekistan, and a panel discussion titled “Rethinking Jurisdictions for the Global Technology Economy.”
The same day will also feature the Global Startup Ecosystem Awards by StartupBlink, held in cooperation with IT Park Uzbekistan. The ceremony will recognize cities, countries, and regions that have performed strongly in StartupBlink’s global rankings.
It will be followed by a discussion on best practices in startup ecosystem development, with participants expected to examine factors behind successful ecosystems and how developing technology markets can use existing experience.
One of the main events of the week will be the regional final of the Startup World Cup on September 24. Selected startups will present live pitches to an international jury and venture capital representatives.
The winner will have an opportunity to advance to the global Startup World Cup in San Francisco, where finalists from around the world will compete for a $1 million investment prize.
Artificial intelligence will also have a major role in this year’s programme. The AI Native: Ideas to Innovation event on September 24 will explore the development of AI ideas into technology and business products, covering areas such as large language models, cloud technologies, multilingual AI, robotics, AI agents and business automation.
The programme will also look at opportunities for young specialists through AI education, hackathons and career paths.
The technical side of technology growth will receive attention on September 25 during AWS Community Day Uzbekistan, which will focus on cloud technologies and solutions for scaling digital products.
The final day will also feature the Ignyte AI Challenge, where startup teams will present AI-based solutions to international experts, as well as TAQDIMOT, a Startup Show & Pitch Battle featuring short presentations from technology projects.
The startup-focused programme is part of a broader ICT Week agenda. Other events include several AI-focused forums and sessions, the Fintech Forum, Tech & Services 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.
Taken together, the programme reflects Uzbekistan’s efforts to build a stronger regional role in technology, startups, and digital services. ICT Week will give local companies access to international investors and partners, while giving foreign firms a closer look at the country’s growing technology sector.
