The Road to Battlefield competition is entering its second year with the aim of giving startup founders in Central Eurasia a direct path to the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 competition, which will take place as part of TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco from October 13 to 15, 2026. The competition is organized by Silkroad Innovation Hub in partnership with TechCrunch, Freedom Holding, Astana Hub, and IT Park Uzbekistan.
This year’s edition received 726 applications from 39 countries, compared with 485 applications from 27 countries in the 2025 edition—an increase of nearly 50% and the addition of 12 countries to the participation scope. Founders presented their pitches online before 47 judges from eight countries, representing venture capital firms, technology hubs, and founders who had previously scaled their companies, alongside the AI-powered judge AI-Dana.
22 Companies in the Regional Stage
The competition’s national rounds were held online between July 6 and 20, resulting in 22 companies advancing to the regional final on August 12. Judges will select three finalists from this group to represent the region at Startup Battlefield 200.
The list includes MoliyAI, Sino AI, Deepen, Fermopolis, Oqim App, and Cerberus from Uzbekistan; Soup, CortexAI, Scano, 4sell.ai, WeGlobal AI, and ZhanCare.AI from Kazakhstan; Kaptın Kaptın and Pocket eSIM from Türkiye; SeaDar from Azerbaijan; Telagri from Georgia; Admyra from the United States; Soulward from Kyrgyzstan; Suriy from Mongolia; MVSxAI from Qatar; Looq from Japan; and Defensive Pedal from Romania.
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan each have six companies in the regional final, which the competition organizers viewed as an indication of the two countries’ standing as the region’s two largest startup ecosystems.
Artificial Intelligence Dominates Applications
The number of companies developing artificial intelligence products reached 609 out of 726 applicants, representing approximately 84% of all applications. Most participants are also at early stages: MVP-stage companies account for 41.6%, followed by the pre-seed stage at 38.6%, then the seed stage at 14.7%, while 4.7% of projects are still at the idea stage.
The competition also includes its youngest applicant, who is 14 years old, while 89 applicants are under 18, including seven founders from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Investment Prizes and OpenAI Credits
The 2026 edition includes a new set of prizes, including a $100,000 investment fund financed by Astana Hub Ventures, IT Park Ventures, and Silkroad Innovation Hub, distributed among the top three places at $50,000, $30,000, and $20,000, respectively.
The three winners will also receive up to $100,000 in OpenAI API credits distributed according to the same proportions, while each of the remaining companies on the top 22 list will receive $10,000 in credits. The three winners will also receive a fully paid trip and accommodation in San Francisco to participate in Startup Battlefield 200, along with access to a network of more than 1,000 founders in 39 countries.