The semifinal stage of the “Digital Startup Awards” competition has been held in Azerbaijan

In partnership with “INNOLAND” Incubation and Acceleration Center and “Sabah Hub,” the Azerbaijani semifinal of the international “Digital Startup Awards” competition in the “Best Startup Project” category was successfully held.

Twenty innovative startup projects representing Azerbaijan took part in the semifinal. The startup teams presented their projects to the jury, where they were evaluated based on criteria such as business model, technological innovation, and market potential.

The “Digital Startup Awards” program is an international initiative that fosters a multi-level development mechanism within the region’s startup ecosystem and is distinguished by its stage-based selection process. In the “Best Startup Project” category—one of the three main stages of the program—two projects, “StarKidsStories” and “Tryverse,” were announced as winners.

“StarKidsStories” is an innovative startup that creates personalized children’s storybooks using artificial intelligence technologies. The project stands out for its scalable model and strong profit potential.

“Tryverse” is a platform that combines 3D and augmented reality (AR) technologies to enhance online sales of physical products.

These two startup projects have earned the opportunity to represent Azerbaijan in the international final to be held in Uzbekistan, where they will compete with the most promising startups from nine countries.

The startups selected for the semifinal stage were chosen from nearly 100 applications and evaluated by distinguished jury members and experts, including Dalerkhon Nodirov (Deputy Director of IT Park Ventures), Mubariz Shahbazli (Head of the UNEC Startup Incubator), and Masud Alisoy (Investment Specialist representing the Sabah Foundation). Mr. Elshad Mammadzada (Executive Director of Akademi Group), representing the INNOLAND Incubation and Acceleration Center, evaluated the EdTech startups as an expert judge in educational innovation.

Overall, more than 150 startups from Azerbaijan applied for the competition. The “Digital Startup Awards” program is organized by “StartupBase,” an innovation platform of IT Park Uzbekistan. The program aims to promote digital innovation, support the development of the startup ecosystem across Central Asia and the Caucasus, and create opportunities for young entrepreneurs to gain international recognition.

In partnership with the INNOLAND Incubation and Acceleration Center, the “Innovation and Creativity Forum” was held at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Ganja.

The forum was jointly organized by the 2nd Ganja Regional ASAN Service Center, the Ganja-Dashkasan Regional Office of the Youth Development and Career Center, the Heydar Aliyev Center of Ganja, and the Ganja STEAM Center. Its aim was to support the development of innovative thinking and technological knowledge among young people.

Within the framework of the forum, with the participation of about 200 young people, panel discussions were held on the topics: “Startup Ecosystem – Global and Local Approaches,” “Artificial Intelligence: A New Form of Thinking,” and “Robots on Stage – The Union of Creativity and Technology.”

The discussions featured contributions from the Director of the INNOLAND Incubation and Acceleration Center, Nijat Amiraslanov, and the Deputy Head of the Project Management Department, Ziniddin Babayev, who shared their knowledge and experience with the participants.

The event concluded with official speeches and an award ceremony.

On January 10, 2019, Memorandum of Understanding was signed between INNOLAND Incubation and Acceleration Center, Next Step Innovation Center and SUP Startap Accelerator.

The memorandum covers joint cooperation on the promotion of Incubation and Acceleration projects, the provision of co-working services, and the conduct of educational programs for startups. It also includes an exchange of information and involvement in the organization of other mutual events to attract local and foreign investors.

The importance of the incubation service in establishing a sustainable startup ecosystem in our country, as well as the role of the acceleration service in shaping new national startup brands outside the country.