President Reviews Winning Projects of the President Tech Award Competition

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 24 February, at the Kuksaroy Residence, as part of a dialogue with youth, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, reviewed presentations of the winning projects of the Best Startup in Digital Technologies initiative — the President Tech Award.

The competition has been held since 2023 by the Directorate of the IT Park Uzbekistan with the support of the Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan. The total prize fund of the initiative amounts to US$1 million.

The project aims to identify and support the most promising developments in artificial intelligence, social technologies, MicroSaaS and AdTech solutions, financial technologies and entrepreneurship, game development, as well as a special track in the form of a hackathon.

Interest in the competition has grown steadily. While more than 4,000 participants took part in the inaugural edition, by 2025 the number had increased to 6,000. Over the same period, the number of participating teams rose from 444 to 862.

The winners presented their startup projects to the Head of State, outlining their competitive advantages and potential for practical application.

During the discussion, the President emphasized the government’s readiness to create the necessary conditions for small initiatives to evolve into large, sustainable, and profitable projects. He noted the importance of establishing direct dialogue with each startup founder and providing targeted support.

It was also highlighted that systematic engagement with youth and the encouragement of their initiatives form the foundation for the professions of the future, while startup projects developed by young people in Uzbekistan are attracting growing interest abroad.

The President additionally announced plans to increase funding for startup support programs and offered recommendations on additional sectors and areas where innovative ideas and unconventional approaches from young entrepreneurs are particularly in demand.