Central Eurasia just crossed a significant new threshold in its growing startup ecosystem! The Road to Battlefield competition has wrapped up, and it introduced four exceptional startups ready to take the spotlight on the big stage at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2025. The competition, which attracted a phenomenal 485 applications from 27 different countries, highlighted the region’s emerging startup culture and creative potential. The 25 finalists will showcase their innovative solutions in San Francisco at Pitch Day Finale on October 27-29, 2025.
The Road to Battlefield competition had a wonderfully eclectic group of applicants. Founders from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, and dozens of other countries were welcomed into the thrilling mix. Polygraph from Uzbekistan, which went on to take first place, was one of the ten finalists out of nearly 380 participating startups. Other impressive finalists were Arlan Biotech, Investbanq, Athena AI and MiraiTech.
The competition’s rigorous selection process included steep competition pitching through nine national rounds virtually. It took participants 32 combined hours to present all of their talks. The competition featured some amazing technology. It highlighted the importance of inclusivity, with 35% of the startups in the cohort being woman founded. The youngest of all the entrepreneurs, a mere 14 years old from Unify in Uzbekistan, showcased what’s possible from this dynamic ecosystem.
Celebrating the Winners
The competition’s final showdown led to an exciting showcase of the best new ideas, talent, and skill – ultimately awarding Polygraph the winning title. This young startup has already made a name for itself, taking home several prestigious awards this year alone. They notably won awards at South by Southwest and the Summerfest Tech AI Summit.
Yagub Rahimov, a prominent figure in the competition, expressed his pride in Polygraph’s victory:
“The competition was proper, amazing. All the participants presented amazing solutions and tools. But as in every other competition, there is one number one, and I’m so glad that Polygraph was that number one.” – Yagub Rahimov
Polygraph’s road to victory wasn’t without its drama. Alim Uderbekov shared insights into their experience:
“I think our journey to Battlefield has been very dramatic because we almost missed the deadline to apply for this program, but then I motivated my team.” – Alim Uderbekov
In addition to Polygraph, three other startups will represent Central Eurasia at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2025: Polygraf AI (Azerbaijan and USA), QuickShipper (Georgia), and Surfaice (USA and Kazakhstan). Judging by the originality of their solutions, it’s clear that each of these startups’ respective regions inspire their creativity.
Supporting Innovation Across the Region
Azerbaijan’s Innovation and Digital Development Agency was instrumental in creating this ecosystem. Of course, Georgia’s Future Laboratory had a hugely positive impact too. Farid Osmanov from Azerbaijan highlighted the importance of collaboration:
“As the Innovation and Digital Development Agency of Azerbaijan, we are very happy to partner with Silkroad Innovation Hub and actively participate in TechCrunch Road to Battlefield startup competition.” – Farid Osmanov
The range of innovative concepts shared throughout the competition was truly exciting and indicative of a broad, dynamic variety of industries. Isabelle Johannessen noted that artificial intelligence led the way:
“The startups showcased a vibrant cross-section of industries, with artificial intelligence leading the way. Founders tackled real-world problems in AI and automation, edtech, health tech, fintech, green and climate tech, agritech, HR tech, martech, SaaS, and e-commerce.” – Isabelle Johannessen
This shared realization and commitment from all the players — including entrepreneurs, investors, and the government — is representative of Central Eurasia’s startup ecosystem gaining maturity. Zhaslan Madiyev emphasized Kazakhstan’s increasing global presence:
“The 168 applications from Kazakhstan to the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield regional selection is a clear signal of our ecosystem’s growing maturity and global ambition.” – Zhaslan Madiyev
A New Era for Central Eurasian Startups
The Road to Battlefield competition has been extremely successful. This milestone sets a new standard for Central Eurasian startups that hope to earn international acclaim. The creativity, energy, and enthusiasm on display from each of the participants served as a testament to a region overflowing with young talent. Mariam Akhvlediani from QuickShipper expressed her excitement about competing on such a significant stage:
“It was a great experience to compete with startups from so many different and interesting markets. The diversity of ideas and talent was inspiring.” – Mariam Akhvlediani
As a delivery gateway, QuickShipper allows retailers of all kinds to start providing on-demand, quick deliveries in real time from one easy-to-use portal. It’s this creative and collaborative approach that is putting it at the forefront of today’s highly competitive and fast-paced e-commerce environment.
ArtSkin stole the show during the competition. At the time of writing in May 2025, the company reached a valuation of around $10 billion. This extraordinary milestone is a testament to the exponential momentum that exists for the region’s startups.
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