Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Sixteen youth-led environmental startups presented innovative green technology solutions to investors and experts at the Green Youth Cup final in Uzbekistan on 29 October 2026, with three leading projects earning the opportunity to attend Web Summit Qatar in 2027.
The competition highlighted efforts by young Uzbek innovators to develop practical solutions for waste recycling, air purification, sustainable resource management and environmental education.
The Green Youth Cup program is implemented by the U-Enter Innovation Center and Intro Group in cooperation with Virtual Accelerate, with support from the governments of Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
The final took place at the CAEx exhibition center, which hosts the International Week of Innovative Ideas, Innoweek. The venue provided participating startups with additional opportunities to engage with potential partners and explore innovations from across Uzbekistan.
Launched on 7 October, the program received 118 applications, of which 55 projects were selected during the initial stage.
Throughout October, participants attended ten educational sessions led by international trainers at U-Enter and took part in two practical business tours.
During the final Demo Day, teams presented their projects in Uzbek, English and Russian, using presentations and product demonstrations to explain their technologies and business concepts.
Participants also answered questions from jury members within strictly allocated presentation times.
The creators of the three leading startups will have the opportunity to attend Web Summit Qatar, scheduled to take place in Doha from 31 January to 3 February 2027.
The event will allow them to present their projects internationally and explore opportunities to enter new markets.
Among the leading projects was CoffeeCycle, an environmental startup developing organic fertilizers from coffee waste.
Project team member Diyora Khasanova described the initiative as a practical application of the circular economy, transforming everyday waste into a useful product for crop cultivation.
The fertilizers contain coffee grounds alongside other organic ingredients.
The team continues to refine the product's composition in cooperation with young specialists, including biotechnology professionals.
CoffeeCycle brings together young people concerned about increasing waste volumes and interested in finding practical ways to reuse discarded materials.
Two other leading startups focused on air purification technologies.
Plazion, led by Bekzod Ergashev, is developing an intelligent plasma-based air purification system designed for industrial facilities and greenhouses.
The project team consists of students from the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers.
The technology is intended to address air purification requirements in industrial and agricultural environments.
Another leading project, AirO² air purifier, presented a different approach to improving air quality.
Led by Raykhona Abdiyeva, the team developed a model of an electrostatic air purifier intended for indoor use.
Affordability is among the proposed advantages of the device.
Beyond the three leading projects, the competition showcased a range of environmental innovations developed by young participants.
Eco Leaf, created by Ayatulloh Abdujabborov, is already producing environmentally friendly products made from fallen leaves.
According to Abdujabborov, leaves from fruit trees, including apricot, sour cherry and sweet cherry trees, are used to manufacture feed briquettes for cattle and sheep.
Leaves from almost any type of tree can also be processed into fuel briquettes as an alternative to coal.
The same raw material is used to produce stronger boards suitable for construction and renovation, including wall insulation, as well as furniture manufacturing.
Another finalist, Ecogenesis, focuses on environmental education through interactive technology.
Its creator, Otabek Erdonov, is a ninth-grade student at one of Uzbekistan's Presidential Schools.
He developed a game-based educational product in which participants manage climate conditions and communities while observing how the simulated system responds to their decisions.
The startup aims to help users understand their individual contribution to overall resource consumption, draw conclusions from their choices and develop greater environmental awareness.
EcoDataHub, founded by 17-year-old Jasmina Ziyodullaeva, proposes a broader approach to waste management.
Rather than focusing exclusively on recycling individual types of waste, the project aims to improve transparency across the waste management system.
Ziyodullaeva sees environmental activists from different regions of Uzbekistan, pilot schools, organizations and green technology experts as potential partners.
The proposed platform would allow members of the public to submit photographs and geolocation information about environmental problems, including illegal waste dumping.
Environmental activists could then use the submitted reports to address the reported incidents.
The Green Youth Cup final demonstrated the range of environmental challenges being addressed by young innovators, from industrial air pollution and organic waste recycling to sustainable materials and environmental monitoring.
The organizers sought to give young entrepreneurs the confidence and practical skills needed to develop their ideas and present them to potential partners.
Investors, who are traditionally invited to the finals of programs organized by U-Enter and its partners, have already begun examining the participating startups.
The next stage of development will depend on the initiative and determination of the young entrepreneurs as they seek to turn their environmental solutions into viable projects.
