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.

The resident startup "Tada!" from "INNOLAND" was awarded 2nd place among 120 startups and 428 young participants. 
As a result of the collaboration between "STARBUCKS FOUNDATION" and "Alshaya Group" with the "Habitat" Association, the final stage of the "EmpowerMe Youth Program," covering 120 startups and 428 youth across Eurasia, took place. 
At the program’s final stage, 8 teams had the opportunity to present their business ideas at the "EmpowerMe Demo Day" held in Turkey.
The winners with their innovative solutions were the teams "Tada!" (Azerbaijan), "LumoGluco" (Turkey), and "Nauanix" (Kazakhstan). 
We congratulate our startup team and wish them success!

The info sessions of the V "TUSI" Incubation Program are continuing

Within the framework of the program, meetings were organized at Baku Engineering University, Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University, Khazar University, and Azerbaijan Medical University. Students were informed about the goals of the incubation program, startup idea formation, team building, and the opportunities offered by the program, and participants' questions were answered. In total, more than 300 students took part in the info sessions and gained knowledge about the startup ecosystem and the development of innovative ideas. 

You can also register to join the incubation program: ➡️ https://gub.icenter.az/home