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.

At the invitation of the INNOLAND Incubation and Acceleration Center, an online meeting was held with one of the region’s most renowned entrepreneurs, Nevzat Aydın, founder and former CEO of Yemeksepeti.com.

During the meeting, INNOLAND residents — the startups Tada! and Enverson — presented their projects. The discussions focused on evaluating cooperation and investment opportunities, and it is planned to continue the collaboration in the next stage.

“ASAN Service” to organize the next Digital Game Camp

The “DIGIAGE – Baku 2025” Digital Game Camp will be held at the “INNOLAND” Incubation and Acceleration Center under the organization of the Innovation Center of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The main goal of the camp is to create opportunities for talented young people to develop their own games with the support of professional mentors and to promote their projects. Another key objective is to help participants gain experience in entering global markets and support their new initiatives.

The “DIGIAGE” camp, which will be organized for the tenth time worldwide and for the third time in Azerbaijan, aims to provide mentoring support to individual participants, teams, and companies interested in developing in the gaming sector. It will also create opportunities to expand the ecosystem through investments.

Over the past two years (2023–2024), a total of 442 applications have been received for the camp, with 192 participants selected to take part.

Those wishing to participate in “DIGIAGE – Baku 2025” can register until October 24, 2025.

🔗 Registration link: https://forms.gle/aVtVRL7Ah966Yrm18