Japanese Alumni Club Discusses Scaling Uzbekistan’s Startup Ecosystem

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Uzbekistan Japan Universities Alumni Club (UJUAC) convened a strategic session at the U-ENTER Innovation Center on 28 February 2026, to explore how Japanese entrepreneurial frameworks can be adapted to accelerate Uzbekistan's burgeoning startup landscape.

The meeting, hosted by U-ENTER Director and UJUAC member Oleg Ryzhichenko, brought together specialists across diverse sectors, including information technology, green energy, and healthcare. Discussions centered on bridging the gap between Uzbekistan’s current developmental phase and the sophisticated mentorship and venture capital models utilized in Japan.

Experts from the Japan Digital University and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) provided a comparative analysis of digital industries in both nations. A primary focus of the session was the "mentorship culture" prevalent in Japan, which Nadira Muratova, founder of the healthcare consultancy ISIDA, identified as a critical missing link in the domestic market. Muratova emphasized that while the quantity of startups in Uzbekistan is rising, there is an urgent need for rigorous selection criteria, better monitoring mechanisms, and the cultivation of professional mentors to guide early-stage projects.

The dialogue also addressed the necessity of deepening the integration between academia and the private sector. Participants advocated for an expanded network of university-based incubators to ensure that technological initiatives transition successfully from classrooms to the commercial market.

Bakhrom Rajabov, a project head at the UNESCO Representative Office in Uzbekistan, noted that the specialized academic training received by club members in Japan offers a unique reservoir of expertise. He proposed that UJUAC, in partnership with Japanese organizations, could provide a high-level vetting and expert evaluation service for local startups seeking to scale internationally.

The session concludes as the government of Uzbekistan prioritizes the digital economy through a series of recently enacted measures, including the February 2026 presidential resolution aimed at establishing a four-stage comprehensive support ecosystem for startups. The UJUAC members intend to submit their findings as a set of actionable recommendations to further align domestic venture legislation with international best practices.