Uzbekistan has adopted a large-scale institutional reform to establish a comprehensive four-stage startup ecosystem covering the full lifecycle of innovation from idea formation to international scaling. The initiative introduces structural, financial, and regulatory mechanisms designed to transform early-stage projects into globally competitive companies.
The framework sets ambitious targets for 2030, including the development of thousands of startup projects, attraction of substantial venture investment, commercialization of youth-led ideas, and the creation of tens of thousands of new jobs.
The program aims to:
These targets reflect a shift toward measurable innovation policy rather than declarative support.
The framework introduces a structured four-stage development model:
Each stage is supported by dedicated instruments, funding mechanisms, and institutional backing.
Beginning from the 2026/2027 academic year, regular “Mastery and Business Hour” sessions will be conducted in educational institutions to generate startup ideas among students. Competitions for the best startup ideas are introduced at district, regional, and national levels, with monetary awards and project support through youth and IT institutions.
A national innovation competition will also provide grants funded by innovation support funds. Crowdsourcing mechanisms will be integrated into state bodies and state-owned enterprises to identify problem-solving startup opportunities.
This stage institutionalizes early pipeline generation at the education level.
From 2027, Research and Development (R&D) Centers equipped with laboratories, digital infrastructure, expert support, and co-working spaces will be established.
Selected high-potential projects may receive:
The “Universities as Startup Generators” program will integrate venture funds, IT Park, and higher education institutions into a coordinated acceleration system.
Startup projects participating in the “Digital Startups” program will receive IT Park residency status without the requirement to meet minimum export thresholds.
Registered ecosystem participants may receive:
This stage significantly reduces entry barriers and transaction costs for early-stage companies.
Startups included in the official registry of successful projects may transfer up to $500,000 annually to foreign accounts without separate approvals for establishing foreign subsidiaries or capital contributions, provided tax compliance conditions are met.
A Financial Advisory and Legal Assistance Service will be established within IT Park to support startups free of charge for up to 12 months after registration.
This measure directly addresses cross-border operational flexibility , a key constraint for scaling technology companies.
The reform mobilizes approximately $160 million and 130 billion UZS in funding for 2026-2027, sourced from:
This multi-layered funding model combines grants, concessional loans, venture investment, R&D financing, and performance-based instruments.
An updated Coordination Council for the Startup Ecosystem will oversee KPI monitoring, policy development, regulatory refinement, and ecosystem analysis. Quarterly reviews are mandated to assess implementation effectiveness.
A dedicated financial and legal advisory service will operate under IT Park, strengthening institutional support.
The framework creates structured opportunities for:
The combination of tax flexibility, export facilitation, co-financing, and venture capital development positions Uzbekistan as a rapidly formalizing startup jurisdiction in Central Asia.
The reform signals a transition from fragmented startup support initiatives to an integrated national innovation system. By institutionalizing funding, regulatory facilitation, export flexibility, and education-based pipeline generation, Uzbekistan strengthens its ambition to become a regional technology hub.
For investors and ecosystem participants, early engagement may provide access to state-backed capital flows, international financing channels, and scalable digital market entry platforms.
Uzbekistan’s comprehensive startup ecosystem reform introduces a lifecycle-based support structure backed by significant funding, institutional integration, and export flexibility. The initiative combines youth entrepreneurship development with venture capital mobilization and regulatory facilitation.
For technology entrepreneurs, venture investors, and ecosystem builders, the framework represents a significant expansion of structured opportunity in the country’s innovation landscape.