Plug and Play Expo 2025: Silicon Valley’s Top Accelerator and VC Showcases Central Asia’s Startup Innovation in Tashkent
Дворец профсоюзов Узбекистана, Ташкент
May 15
, 08:00
Tashkent, Uzbekistan – April 30, 2025. Mark your calendars for a groundbreaking event that promises to redefine the technological landscape of Central Asia: the Plug and Play Uzbekistan Expo 2025. Hosted by Plug and Play, a world-renowned innovation platform with a storied legacy of fostering global tech giants, this expo will take place on Thursday, May 15, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Palace of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan in Tashkent. Uzbekistan’s capital will host a full day of idea exchange, networking, and practical insights. The event will bring together startups, business leaders, investors, and government representatives — all with a shared interest in advancing the country’s innovation ecosystem.
The CEO of IT Park Uzbekistan, Abdulakhad Kuchkarov emphasized, "The Plug and Play Expo 2025 is a testament to Uzbekistan’s growing role as a regional innovation hub. Through our collaboration with Plug and Play and the Ministry of Digital Technologies, we are fostering an ecosystem where local startups can thrive, attract investment, and scale globally. IT Park Uzbekistan remains committed to empowering entrepreneurs, supporting groundbreaking ideas, and positioning our country as a leading destination for technology and innovation in Central Asia and beyond."
The Plug and Play’s footprint in Uzbekistan is already impressive. Through initiatives like Batch 3 and 4, and the high-profile President Tech Awards Challenge, Plug and Play has mentored dozens of startups, helping them refine their solutions and secure funding. These programs have not only elevated individual companies but also cultivated a thriving ecosystem where creativity and ambition flourish. The Expo 2025 will serve as a grand stage to celebrate this progress, showcasing how Uzbekistan’s innovators are addressing local needs—such as improving financial access or modernizing urban infrastructure—while also capturing the attention of global markets.
Muhammad Mahmudov, Director at Plug and Play Uzbekistan: “2025 marks a significant leap for Plug and Play's partnership with the Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan and IT Park Uzbekistan. Through our joint efforts, we have elevated the quality of our acceleration programs, delivering globally recognized standards with a stronger local focus. This includes our evolution to industry-specific cohorts, exemplified by our recent fintech and enterprise AI batch, and the strategic integration of corporate introductions alongside VC engagement, underscoring our commitment to the ecosystem's growth. We look forward to continued close collaboration with the Ministry and the IT Park to scale startups and nurture the region's future unicorns.”
The Plug and Play Expo 2025 will feature an exciting agenda designed to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and networking. Highlights of the event include:
Speakers Lineup
Olimjon Umarov: As the First Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Mr. Umarov plays a pivotal role in shaping the nation's digital future and fostering a supportive environment for technological advancement.
Abdulakhad Kuchkarov: As the CEO of IT Park Uzbekistan, Mr. Kuchkarov is at the forefront of developing Uzbekistan's innovation ecosystem, driving initiatives to support startups and attract investment.
Sascha Karimpour: As a Partner at Plug and Play Tech Center and co-founder of STARTUP AUTOBAHN powered by Plug and Play, Mr. Karimpour brings global expertise in connecting startups, corporations, and investors. He built Plug and Play Mobility in Stuttgart into the world’s leading open innovation platform for mobility and now oversees operations in Germany, Austria, Uzbekistan, and India.
Muhammad Makhmudov: As the Director of Plug and Play Uzbekistan, Mr. Makhmudov leads the company’s initiatives to foster innovation and connect startups with corporate partners and investors in Uzbekistan and Central Asia. His background includes experience at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Alfredo Gomez Soria: As the Director of Corporate Relations at Plug and Play Tech Center, Mr. Gomez Soria fosters strategic partnerships between innovative startups and global corporations, driving open innovation initiatives.
Aziz Ochilov: As a Ventures Associate at Plug and Play Uzbekistan, Mr. Ochilov is actively involved in identifying and supporting promising startups within the Uzbek ecosystem.
Hussein Mourad: An innovative leader with over 20 years in international banking, financial management, and venture building, Mr. Mourad is the CEO and Co-Founder of SHADOW Tech in Saudi Arabia. He focuses on cultivating scalable startups and empowering entrepreneurs through operational excellence and strategic financial support, having founded and built teams for 9 startups across the GCC.
Stephen Steers: A consultant, trainer, and coach who helps SMBs, MSPs, and Professional Services increase conversion rates, Mr. Steers is the President at Steers Consulting. His expertise spans sales strategies, entrepreneurial development, and confidence-building, with a proven track record of delivering tangible results for clients like Google and BELCHAM.
The third Batch of acceleration program, which started on the first of April, had included 17 Startups in total from different industries.
SynCall AI transforms call center experiences with realistic, human-like AI voices that enhance customer interactions. By integrating advanced AI, it streamlines contact center operations, boosting efficiency and elevating customer service quality.
Datagaze provides certified cybersecurity solutions for medium and large enterprises, protecting against unauthorized software risks. With expert-led services and government-backed compliance, Datagaze ensures trusted, high-quality security.
medevery is an online platform for purchasing medical products, connecting healthcare providers with reliable and high-quality solutions.
K-Tech’s SmartBuilding360 offers an integrated solution for smart management of buildings, energy, and billing, streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency.
VOLTIVA LLC is an AI-powered navigation system with personalized routing, smart charging, auto management for insurance and penalties, and on-road emergency support for a seamless EV experience.
TrustMe is a blockchain-based service for securely signing contracts with multiple methods, including SMS, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Face ID. It allows users to create, share, and sign contracts seamlessly, ensuring secure, verifiable agreements.
Sharh is Uzbekistan’s first independent review platform, where users find honest business insights, and companies improve their services based on real feedback. Sharh creates a transparent ecosystem where trust, quality, and customer experience are the key factors in decision-making.
MARS IT offers innovative spaces for children’s technology education, focusing on programming and IT skills. Designed for kids aged 7 to 17, the center teaches computer literacy, programming fundamentals, and provides a productive alternative to gaming.
Dialix AI offers call center analytics in Uzbek, including sentiment analysis, gender detection, and targeted marketing. It serves all sectors with call centers.
ZebraEye is an AI-powered software to diagnose eye diseases with 95% accuracy in under 1 minute using OCT imaging.
TPM offers smart solutions for residential building management, connecting residents and property managers through a user-friendly platform. From parcel management to facility bookings and technical support, TPM simplifies day-to-day operations, enhancing the living experience through integrated services.
Exode.biz is a platform for creating online schools and courses. It allows you to accept payments directly to your bank account, integrate BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) options, and launch schools under your own domain with a White Label solution.
Sampler.az lets users receive free products from popular brands every month. Simply register, answer a few questions, and provide feedback and reviews to receive customized product samples delivered to your door for free.
Global Green Hub is an ecosystem that creates products that transform thinking towards sustainability, including a unique methodology, a video game, and training programs. Participants gain real skills, develop sustainable eco-projects, and monetize their ideas, becoming part of global change, while we scale their success through our portal, books, courses, merchandise, and international partnerships.
FlexSoft is a leading software provider for microfinance and non-bank credit organizations, with over 20 years of experience in the industry. FlexSoft’s mission is to expand access to financial services through innovative solutions – from credit scoring systems to a Low Code platform to mobile applications featuring biometric identification. FlexSoft offers flexible solutions that support both conventional finance and financial products based on Islamic principles.
ISH.uz is a job portal that connects talent with employers, offering streamlined recruitment solutions. It features job vacancies helping businesses quickly find and hire qualified candidates in various fields.
Growy Me is an innovative AI platform for HR Tech that helps companies boost employee productivity by up to 100% through personalized coaching after Performance Reviews. Using a Telegram bot with AI-powered coaching for employees and a comprehensive dashboard for managers/HR, we automate motivation and development processes, saving up to 70% of time spent on micromanagement.
The fourth part of acceleration program, Batch 4, which started on January 20th, is an ongoing program, which provides mentorship to 15 startups:
Bito.uz is an Uzbekistan-based company specializing in ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) solutions designed to automate business processes.Bito offers tailored software for industries such as retail, e-commerce, sales, wholesale, distribution, and manufacturing.
Karmon is a personal finance management app designed to simplify financial planning and empower users to manage their money effectively. It focuses on loan management, expense tracking, budget monitoring, and improving financial literacy through gamified tools.
1doc.uz is the definitive jurisdiction-independent legaltech platform that offers the fastest way to generate, manage, sign, and execute documents, enhanced by AI-powered legal advice. Empower businesses to work independently, enable law firms to operate efficiently, and achieve remarkable results: 90% cost reduction and 60% process acceleration.
Jett is a service and mini-app that transforms any mobile application into an investment platform. By integrating with Jettt, banking, fintech, or mobile operator apps can launch a fully-fledged investment service in just two weeks — without capital expenses. Jett handles the entire process for end-users: from opening a depository account and purchasing securities to providing seamless analytics, trading, and profit withdrawals. It’s a turnkey solution that empowers partners to offer cutting-edge investment tools effortlessly.
Robosell is an innovative aggregator for launching businesses online, combining all essential services in one solution. It provides a Telegram bot, a website, and an intuitive admin panel, giving full control over orders, payments, and logistics – all within a single platform.
Alem is building an AI-native financial infrastructure platform designed to power instant cross-border payments and AI-to-AI transactions using both chain and stable coins.The platform enables businesses, freelancers, and AI agents to transact globally without the delays, high fees, and inefficiencies of traditional banks. It provides companies with a seamless way to make their graphic flows transactional across borders in a safe and efficient way — regardless of the preferred channels at either end.
MilliyPay enables quick, secure transfers from Russia to Uzbekistan, supporting UzCard/HUMO/VISA cards and payments for utilities, mobile, internet, and more. Offers 24/7 support in Uzbek/Russian via phone, email, and Telegram. Focuses on convenience for Uzbek immigrants abroad.
4Rize is a fintech research platform that provides screenshots and user experience videos from top banking and fintech apps. It allows product teams to see how competitor or foreign apps work and how real users interact with them, without opening a dozen bank accounts. This helps them learn best practices, avoid poor user experiences, save time, and build better apps.
UzbekVoiceAI develops cutting-edge speech-to-text (STT), text-to-speech (TTS), and large language model (LLM) solutions tailored for the Uzbek language. Our AI-driven technology enhances accessibility, automation, and communication for businesses and individuals, enabling seamless voice interactions across various applications, from customer service to education.
Urbo is a real estate platform, providing comprehensive listings for new developments and secondary market properties. The platform offers analytics, mortgage integration, and realtor services to streamline property transactions. The platform aims to revolutionize the real estate market through technology, partnerships, and an optimized user experience.
pDaftar is a mobile-first app for small businesses to track debts, manage repayments, and send automated reminders. Designed for shop owners, service providers, and freelancers, it simplifies financial management. Initially launched in Uzbekistan, it aims to expand to neighboring countries, providing an easy-to-use solution for managing business finances.
Cradle AI is a computer vision solution for Retail, Banks and Education sector for analysing their visitors, employees, automation attendance system of employee and students.
Trust ID is a biometric identity verification solution designed to help banks, fintechs, and government institutions securely and efficiently onboard users remotely. It combines facial recognition, liveness detection, OCR for ID documents, and NFC chip reading into a single platform.
Alsha is an AI-powered platform that automates call center operations by analyzing call records to deliver detailed performance reviews. Platform’s soon-to-launch call agent will further streamline real-time customer interactions, ensuring increased efficiency and enhanced service quality.
Secura provides solutions for secure and confidential payments with a self-destruct function.
Plug and Play’s presence in Uzbekistan, bolstered by local allies like IT Park Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Digital Technologies, has already created a ripple effect. By linking local startups to its vast international network, the platform has opened doors to mentorship, funding, and markets far beyond Central Asia. The Expo 2025 will amplify this momentum, serving as both a showcase and a springboard.
The event also underscores Uzbekistan’s broader ambitions. With a young, tech-savvy population and a government eager to embrace digital transformation, the country is positioning itself as a leader in the region. Plug and Play Expo 2025 will highlight this potential, drawing attention from international players eager to invest in a market on the rise. For attendees, it’s a chance to be part of something historic—a moment when Uzbekistan steps boldly onto the global stage.
Our Founding Partners:
IT Park, which is a facilitator in information technology under the Ministry for the Development of Information Technologies and Communications of the Republic of Uzbekistan, includes facilities, buildings and structures designed to ensure the launch and market launch of promising startup projects, an extraterritorial free economic zone for IT companies.
Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan, which has been focusing on development and implementation of comprehensive programs for the implementation and development of the national information and communication system, modernization of the telecommunications infrastructure and attraction of foreign investments.
About Plug and Play Uzbekistan
Plug and Play launched its Uzbekistan office in 2023 in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan and IT PARK Uzbekistan. Plug and Play Uzbekistan serves as an open innovation platform, connecting key local, regional, and international stakeholders to create new opportunities for corporations and accelerate the growth of Uzbekistan's startup ecosystem. This initiative allows international startups to tap into the rapidly growing Central Asian market, now emerging as a regional innovation hub, while Uzbek startups gain access to resources, mentorship, and pathways for global expansion.
For more information, visit: https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/locations/uzbekistan
For media inquiries and further information about the Plug and Play Expo 2025, please contact:
Program Manager — Aziza Ortikkhujaeva:
Phone: (+998) 91-191-60-10.
May 15
, 08:00
Дворец профсоюзов Узбекистана, Ташкент