Uzbekistan’s Startups Could Give the US an Edge in Central Asia

Uzbekistan’s startup ecosystem has surged into international view, with a $2.3 billion pre‑money valuation for Uzum in March 2026 and a rapid expansion of export‑oriented firms anchored by IT Park Uzbekistan. The country climbed into StartupBlink’s Global Top 100 Startup Ecosystems in 2025 at 98th place, then in 2026 recorded a 227.3 percent increase and was named Country of the Year. Tashkent registered 132 percent startup growth, while the nation’s venture market jumped from $69.5 million in 2024 to $329 million in 2025.

“Uzum’s real significance is not that Uzbekistan produced a unicorn. It is that an entire region suddenly looks investable,” wrote Bruno S. Sergi, highlighting the broader geopolitical and commercial stakes attached to the country’s tech momentum.

IT Park Uzbekistan has emerged as the central platform converting startup momentum into export activity and foreign partnerships. The park now lists more than 2,800 member companies, including 752 with foreign investment, and reports exports to 90 countries. In a two‑month burst — March and April 2025 — IT Park added 132 new export‑oriented companies, 56 of them with foreign capital, and projected first‑year exports exceeding $30 million alongside more than 1,600 planned jobs.

• Notable international presence: U.S. firms such as EPAM and First Line operate from IT Park alongside dozens of Delaware‑registered startups.
• Investor ecosystem: growth was fuelled by UzVC, IT Park Ventures and a mix of domestic and international funds shifting attention from pre‑seed to growth stages.
• Sector breadth: active startups span fintech, e‑commerce, logistics, artificial intelligence and digital services.

The surge is already attracting strategic attention. Investment into Uzum was backed by Omani sovereign entities, while IT Park’s membership includes companies from the U.S., Japan, Canada, Europe, East Asia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Norway and Gulf states. The pattern of export orientation and foreign capital suggests Uzbekistan is positioning itself as an alternative commercial partner in Central Asia.

Geopolitically, observers frame this economic opening as part of a competitive dynamic in the region. Washington launched Pax Silica in late 2025 to secure trusted supply chains for AI, semiconductors and critical minerals; Beijing countered with the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO). As one U.S. diplomatic draft warned partners, “to be part of everything is to be part of nothing.” Kazakhstan has joined both initiatives, underscoring the balancing act facing Central Asian states.

Challenges remain: investors continue to scrutinize regulatory predictability, corporate governance and credible exit options. Still, the combination of a visible unicorn valuation, a rapidly expanding venture market and concrete export figures has shifted investor expectations and entrepreneur ambitions across the region.

Looking ahead, the central question is who finances the next wave of scaleups. The Uzbek example suggests the next chapter of competition with China and Russia may be decided as much in incubators, venture funds and lines of code as in diplomatic forums — and that maintaining commercial ties could be pivotal for partners seeking influence in Central Asia.