Central Eurasian Startups Head to Silicon Valley for Growth Opportunities

This fall, 24 promising startups from Central Eurasia and beyond will participate in the AlchemistX and Silicon Valley Residency programs, launching on September 3.

The selected teams will gain direct access to the U.S. venture ecosystem, connect with top investors, and engage with leading technology companies, providing a valuable gateway to global growth and innovation, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Times of Central Asia.

In 2025, a total of 225 startups from 20 countries applied, but only 24 were selected. Of these, 10 teams from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were accepted into the AlchemistX program, while 14 others, representing Qatar, the U.S., Singapore, Georgia, and Mongolia, joined the Silicon Valley Residency.

“AlchemistX & Silicon Valley Residency is a strategic corridor linking Central Eurasia with Silicon Valley,” said Kazakhstan’s Minister of Digital Development, Zhaslan Madiev. He highlighted the importance of tangible results, noting that in 2024, 22 participating startups generated $380,000 in revenue within four months and secured $1.4 million in funding.

Over the course of the four-month program, participants will receive mentorship from venture partners, attend workshops on U.S. market entry, and pitch their startups to investors at Demo Day. Teams will also have the opportunity to register their companies in the U.S. and become part of the Silkroad Innovation Hub, Kazakhstan’s official innovation outpost in Silicon Valley.

“Silkroad Innovation Hub was created as a bridge between Central Eurasia and Silicon Valley, and today we see this mission becoming a reality,” said Asset Abdualiyev, the hub’s founder.

The programs are organized by Astana Hub in partnership with IT Park Uzbekistan, Silkroad Innovation Hub, and Alchemist Accelerator, with the support of the digital development ministries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, as well as regional venture funds.

The participation of Kazakh and Uzbek startups in Silicon Valley underscores Central Eurasia’s growing presence on the global tech stage and offers new pathways for integration into the international innovation economy.

At the first Central Eurasia at Silicon Valley conference held in October 2024, industry leaders projected that the region could give rise to major global IT companies within the next 10 to 15 years.

Organizers cite the region’s untapped potential: a population of over 100 million, an average age of 27, and around 200,000 STEM graduates each year. With a maturing startup ecosystem, active universities, growing venture capital networks, and an international presence in Silicon Valley, Central Eurasia is poised to become a new tech frontier.