To discuss these issues, representatives from various sectors, including ministries and agencies, international organizations, businesspeople, investors, and aspiring startup founders, gathered in Tashkent region.

The event was held as part of the joint project of UNDP and the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan, “Empowering the Youth to Embrace the Digital Economy and Digital Entrepreneurship”, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The project aims to prepare young people for active participation in Uzbekistan’s emerging digital economy.

The first day’s program focused on developing practical skills, exchanging experiences, and discussing key challenges faced by aspiring entrepreneurs. Young founders, representatives of incubators and accelerators, as well as international experts, shared success stories, growth strategies, and their first steps in the startup world. Special attention was given to creating MVPs and prototypes, marketing, initial sales, and building effective teams.

As part of the panel discussion, representatives of venture funds, Startup Garage, Venture Fund, and IT Park addressed the issue of limited access to early-stage financing. Participants discussed topics such as pre-acceleration, co-investment, and the potential for joint efforts between government bodies and the private sector to stimulate the startup ecosystem.

The key event of the second day was a Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) session that brought together more than 40 participants. They discussed solutions to bridge the gap between the growing availability of investment and the limited readiness of startups to attract such funding.

During the panel discussion, barriers to ecosystem development were examined, including a shortage of mentors, weak regional coverage of acceleration programs, and limited links to international markets. Startup representatives shared their experiences of entering the market, while donor organizations presented approaches to enhancing the investment readiness of projects.

During an interactive group session, participants jointly began developing a “roadmap” for the development of the startup ecosystem, which will include specific proposals for strengthening cooperation between government institutions, private investors, and supporting organizations.

Uzbekistan is actively promoting an innovation-driven development policy and taking steps to create a favorable environment for startups. In recent years, the government’s efforts have focused on supporting young entrepreneurs, launching acceleration programs, and developing venture infrastructure. However, achieving sustainable results requires coordinated efforts from all ecosystem participants – from government and business to investors and educational institutions.

Roman Bondarchuk, UzA