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.

With the support of the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IRIA) and organized by SUP VC, a panel discussion titled INNOSTART on the topic “Support for Azerbaijani Startups” was held at Nakhchivan State University.

The panel featured Nijat Amiraslanov, Head of the “INNOLAND” Incubation and Acceleration Center, Mubariz Shahbazli, Director of the UNEC Incubation Center, and Huseyn Asgarli, Head of the IT Department of NSU, as speakers. The main purpose of the panel was to familiarize young people in the region with innovation and startup opportunities and to encourage them to engage in this field. During the panel, there was a broad exchange of views on state support mechanisms for startups, investment opportunities, and the innovation environment

The “Modern Education and Innovation” panel discussion was held at the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University within the framework of the event organized in partnership between “INNOLAND” Incubation and Acceleration Center and the “ADPU Enactus” international program.

Before the panel discussion, Asaf Zamanov, Vice-Rector for Science and Innovation at ADPU; Laman Ahmadova, Advisor to the Director of the Innovation Center; Nicat Amiraslanov, Head of INNOLAND Incubation and Acceleration Center; and Zenfira Seyidova, Coordinator of the "ADPU ENACTUS" team, delivered speeches emphasizing the importance of implementing innovative approaches in education and the contribution of such events to the generation of new ideas.

The panel was moderated by Ziniddin Babayev, Deputy Head of the Project Management Department at the Innovation Center. Speakers included Ahmet Köse, Head of the "Bilim Azerbaijan" project; Khayala Fatullayeva, Head of the Digital Economy Department at the Center for Analysis and Coordination of the Fourth Industrial Revolution; Isa Gasimov, Head of the "Enterprise Azerbaijan" portal; Aytan Guliyeva-Rzayeva, Senior Training Specialist at the ASAN Innovative Development Center; and Mail Yagub, Head of the "Sociology Academy".

During their speeches, the speakers shared their views and experiences on the importance of applying innovative methods, digital tools, and startup culture in education. The event attracted great interest from young teachers and students, who engaged in extensive discussions and addressed questions to the panelists.

At the end, participants were awarded certificates.