Central Eurasia is looking to show off its entrepreneurial spirit! The Road to Battlefield competition, recently launched on the African continent with Seedspace, promises entrepreneurs a direct path to TechCrunch’s Super Bowl of Startups, Startup Battlefield. This initiative targets early-stage startups from nine Central Eurasian countries, providing them with a unique opportunity to gain exposure at one of the world’s most influential tech conferences, TechCrunch Disrupt.
Scheduled to attract over 165,000 attendees, TechCrunch Disrupt features prominent speakers, including industry leaders such as Elon Musk, Serena Williams, and Satya Nadella. The Road to Battlefield also incubates innovative startups from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, and Türkiye. In return, they receive the invaluable opportunity to showcase their innovations on a global stage and significantly increase their visibility.
Competition Structure
The Road to Battlefield competition is divided into four separate phases. It starts off with National Competitions in all nine participating countries. Startups that make it through this round will go on to the Regional Final. This takes them into the Battlefield Preparation phase, which culminates in participation at the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield.
To qualify for the competition, startups must meet specific criteria: they should not have exceeded the pre-series A funding stage, possess a functional minimum viable product (MVP), and have limited global media exposure. These matching requirements make sure that the competition is geared towards very early-stage ventures seeking out their breakthrough moment.
“Not all investors understand how vast the opportunities are in that region,” – Mr. Abdualiyev
The competition is powered by the bright, creative energy of these incredible startups. It further aims to get investors on board who otherwise may not be aware of the growth opportunities available in Central Eurasia.
Benefits for Winners
Winners of the Road to Battlefield will receive a robust winner support package. This package will allow them to compete on an equal footing at TechCrunch Disrupt. This is full of exciting opportunities, including guaranteed spots in the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 — a high-profile distinction that can lead to more investment down the line.
In addition to pitching their business, each winning startup will get round-trip flights to San Francisco for two company representatives. We’ll pay for accommodations for up to two weeks! Plus, all winners will receive the opportunity to showcase their startup with an exhibit booth on the startup showcase floor throughout all three days of TechCrunch Disrupt. This exposure to these leaders is priceless for professional networking and learning about game-changing industry trends.
“We’ve been helping startups scale in the US through our acceleration programs and have seen real progress. Many companies have already secured local investments, and this competition provides an even bigger platform for Kazakhstan’s startups to be exposed,” – Magzhan Madiyev
Winners will receive exclusive introductions to leading venture capital investors. They’ll be hobnobbing at exclusive private industry events that create opportunities for future funding and joint ventures.
Expanding Global Reach
The Road to Battlefield featured profiles of each startup. It highlights the incredible, collective potential of Central Eurasia’s diverse tech ecosystem. Through convening innovators from different countries, the initiative hopes to create a collaborative learning environment where all participants can share and learn from their experiences.
“We’ve been exhibiting startups at TechCrunch Disrupt for several years as partners, 14 startups in 2023, 24 startups in 2024, and we see that they can be competitive,” – Asset Abdualiyev, CEO & Founder of Silkroad Innovation Hub
This competition is part of a broader initiative to raise the profile of Central Eurasian startups internationally. These entrepreneurs are getting ready to pitch their groundbreaking solutions at TechCrunch Disrupt. Their active involvement can jumpstart fresh collaboration and draw even more investment to the region.
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