The "CESV" conference, which brought together technology leaders, startup founders, investors and ecosystem developers from Central Eurasia and Silicon Valley, was held with great interest. Representatives from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, Turkey and Uzbekistan took part in the event.
According to the press service of Silkroad Innovation Hub, the event was held at the Yerba Buena Art Center, where Apple founder Steve Jobs presented the iPhone and iPad. This is the first conference in Silicon Valley focusing on the technological potential of Central Eurasia.
Mammad Karim, the head of the Caucasus Ventures fund, also spoke at the event. He gave information about the state of Azerbaijan's innovation ecosystem, spoke about potentials and made suggestions for strengthening relations. Farrukh Ali, head of FutureLab, also spoke at the event.
Silkroad Innovation Hub was founded in Palo Alto in 2023 by Asset Abdualiyev (Kazakhstan) and Asror Arabjanov (Uzbekistan). This center supports Central Eurasian startups in establishing and expanding their activities in Silicon Valley and the US market. The founders aim to bring global attention back to a region unfamiliar to many in the tech world. Historically, the 4,000-mile long Silk Road was the world's longest trade route, and the countries along the route made significant contributions to the economy and technology of the era.
According to the organizers of the event, Central Eurasia is a developing region with untapped potential. The population of the region is 100 million, and the average age is 27; it graduates approximately 200,000 STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) students each year. The region has everything necessary for the development of the technology industry: universities, a startup ecosystem, venture capital funds and representation in Silicon Valley.
In its first year of operation, Silkroad Innovation Hub attracted 80 resident startups and provided a total of more than $30 million in funding. The founders are convinced that the time has come to put Central Eurasia on the map of the global technology industry.
Kazakhstan accounts for 50% of the region's GDP. It ranks 10th in the UN Global Online Services Index and 3rd in the Global Innovation Index among Central and South Asian countries. In Kazakhstan, the Astana Hub International IT Startup Park, a regional head office for startup companies, operates.
Kazakhstan's Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Space Industry Jhaslan Madiyev noted that local investors are ready to provide early-stage funding worth $100,000-$200,000. However, access to later-stage investments in the $1-2 million range still faces challenges.
He highlighted the role of artificial intelligence (AI); this technology could add $15 trillion to the global economy by 2030. According to Coursera, Kazakhstan ranks fifth in the world among countries ready to adopt AI, after the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Turkey.
The CESV conference allowed participants to discuss technological developments in the region and establish new collaborations. Such events will make an important contribution to the strengthening of the technological ecosystem of Central Eurasia and recognition at the world level.
