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Road to Battlefield Second Edition Draws Record 726 Startup Applications Across 39 Countries

The Road to Battlefield pitch competition, organized by Silkroad Innovation Hub in collaboration with TechCrunch, Freedom Holding, Astana Hub, and IT Park Uzbekistan, has entered its second year with a record surge in participation. The initiative aims to provide emerging founders across Central Eurasia and surrounding regions with direct access to global venture capital networks and a pathway to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 during TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco.

What Happened

Applications for the competition rose to 726 from 39 countries spanning Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and South Asia. This represents a nearly 50% increase in submissions compared to the inaugural edition, which received 485 applications from 27 nations.

Following online national rounds held from July 6 to July 20, a panel of 47 international judges alongside an independent artificial intelligence judge, AI-Dana, evaluated the pitches and selected 22 regional finalists. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan lead the finalist pool with six startups each, while other selected teams represent Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the United States, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Qatar, Japan, and Romania.

Key Highlights

  • Finalist Lineup: The 22 finalists include 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 U.S.; Soulward from Kyrgyzstan; Suriy from Mongolia; MVSxAI from Qatar; Looq from Japan; and Defensive Pedal from Romania.
  • Heavy AI Focus: Approximately 84% of total applicants (609 of 726 startups) are developing artificial intelligence products.
  • Founder Demographics: The youngest applicant is 14 years old, and 89 applicants—including seven founders from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan—are under the age of 18.
  • Startup Maturity: Early-stage teams make up the vast majority of participants, with 41.6% at the MVP stage, 38.6% at pre-seed, 14.7% at seed stage, and 4.7% at the idea stage.
  • Prizes and Funding: A $100,000 investment prize pool funded by Astana Hub Ventures, IT Park Ventures, and Silkroad Innovation Hub will be split among the top three winners ($50,000, $30,000, and $20,000). The top three also receive up to $100,000 in OpenAI API credits split in the same proportion, while all other Top 22 finalists receive $10,000 in OpenAI API credits each.

Why This Matters

The competition provides founders in emerging ecosystems with visibility and direct connections to international technology hubs and investors. Leaders from regional technology organizations, including Astana Hub and IT Park Uzbekistan, noted that the strong presence of AI-focused products and cross-border participation highlights the region’s expanding innovation capacity and early focus on global scalability.

What to Watch Next

The 22 finalists will compete in the regional final on August 12. Judges will select three winning startups to receive travel and accommodation to pitch on the global stage at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 during TechCrunch Disrupt, taking place from October 13 to 15 in San Francisco.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Road to Battlefield competition?

Road to Battlefield is an initiative organized by Silkroad Innovation Hub with TechCrunch, Freedom Holding, Astana Hub, and IT Park Uzbekistan to connect regional tech founders with global investors and the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield stage.

What do the top three winners receive?

The top three winners share a $100,000 investment prize pool ($50,000, $30,000, and $20,000), up to $100,000 in OpenAI API credits, and fully paid travel and accommodation to participate in TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 in San Francisco.

Source: Silkroad Innovation Hub and TechCrunch reporting.