This year’s Web Summit Lisbon – one of the world’s largest gatherings of tech founders, investors, and policymakers – once again turned the capital of Portugal into a global innovation arena. Amid the noise of product demos, investor meetings, and government delegations, Uzbekistan stood out as one of the most active and fast-moving participants, signaling clearly that the country is not just entering the global tech conversation – it is becoming an emerging force within it.

 

Web Summit Lisbon is the flagship event in the Web Summit series, held each year in Lisbon, Portugal. It brings together major tech companies, investors, startups, accelerators, engineers, and policy-makers from all over the world. This year’s edition drew approximately 71,386 attendees from 157 countries, included 1,857 investors from 86 countries, and featured around 2,725 startups from 108 countries — making it one of the largest and most globally connected tech gatherings.

 

Uzbekistan was represented by a delegation from IT Park Uzbekistan and IT Park Ventures, together with four startups — Mirasoft, Tuzuk.ai, Datox, and Deepen. Their presence at the country pavilion offered international visitors a direct look at the teams driving the ecosystem forward and highlighted how quickly Uzbekistan’s tech landscape is developing and entering global conversations.

 

 

The week began with a strong international spotlight when Vsevolod Li, Director of IT Park Uzbekistan’s European Representative Office, took part in the Web Summit Lisbon’s panel “How innovation and foreign direct investment work in tandem.” Vsevolod Li spoke about how Uzbekistan’s technology landscape has been reshaped over the past few years – from regulatory reforms and digital infrastructure to startup programs that now attract attention from major venture ecosystems. One of the most impressive examples of this is the new green data centers developed in cooperation with DataVolt, now under construction. They aim not only to deliver world-class data-center technologies, but also to train local AI specialists – helping transform the country into a strong AI powerhouse.

 

“FDI is no longer about capital – it’s about capability. The investments that matter bring technology, skills, and engineering culture. This is the transformation we’re building in Uzbekistan together with our partners – creating real capacity and world-class expertise”, – stated Vsevolod Li.

 

 

That momentum was immediately felt at the side-event “Plug and Play unlocks new destinations: Explore Uzbekistan”, organized during the Web Summit in partnership with Plug and Play Tech Center, one of Silicon Valley’s most influential innovation platforms. The room quickly filled with more than 90 founders, investors, and ecosystem builders curious about the dynamics of a market they’re hearing more and more about. Questions ranged from tax incentives and sandbox regulations to cross-border scaling opportunities — a clear sign that Uzbekistan is no longer perceived as a distant emerging market, but as a real strategic option for startups looking for fast-growing regions.

 

Carolina Ferreira da Silva, Partner Success Manager at Plug and Play Tech Center, opened the event, sharing why the organization chose Uzbekistan as its HQ for Central Asia and the Caucasus. She highlighted the depth of local engineering talent, the country’s accelerating digital reforms, and the unique opportunity for global partners to work with a market that is growing significantly faster than many traditional tech hubs.

 

The presentation of Uzbekistan’s ecosystem reinforced this message, giving participants a clear sense of why the country is emerging as a compelling new destination for expansion. As Vsevolod Li noted:

 

“Uzbekistan has always been a connector — from the Great Silk Road to today’s Digital Silk Road. Our position in the heart of Eurasian continent, combined with time-zone alignment across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, makes collaboration effortless.

 

And even though our ecosystem is young, it’s already valued at $3.9 billion, ranked among the fastest-growing in the world and #1 in Central Asia. With 600+ startups, two unicorns, and strong government support — including 0% tax incentives — Uzbekistan is becoming a genuine launchpad for global expansion.”

 

Conversations continued far beyond the event rooms. Throughout the week, the Uzbekistan delegation held multiple meetings and engaged in partnership discussions with global ecosystem players — building the picture not of a newcomer, but of a country deliberately shaping long-term international partnerships.

 

Market Entry Partnerships: Turning Interest Into Concrete Pathways

 

A key priority of the Lisbon visit was engaging with international ecosystem players to explore new market-entry pathways for Uzbek and foreign startups. Through these discussions, the delegation outlined how future collaboration could support founders expanding into Europe, APAC and the Middle East. As these dialogues progress, IT Park Uzbekistan’s global partner network is positioned to evolve further, opening up additional avenues for cross-border programs and growth.

 

 

The delegation held a series of targeted meetings with organizations that shape diverse innovation landscapes across the globe.

 

Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands & DutchBaseCamp

 

Discussions centered around a structured market-entry track enabling Uzbek startups to soft-land in Europe more efficiently. With growing strength in fintech, e-commerce, and retail, Uzbek startups database captured the interest of several stakeholders.

 

The Dutch partners expressed interest in supporting Uzbek startups as they enter the Netherlands’ and broader EU markets through access to office space, mentorship, and operational guidance. Both sides agreed to continue discussions to define a roadmap and outline initial steps for collaboration.

 

Seoul Business Agency (South Korea)

 

During the meeting with the Seoul Business Agency, representatives of IT Park Uzbekistan presented the vision and current progress of local teams expanding their products globally, noting the growing interest in the Korean market and the large number of young Uzbeks studying in Korea or speaking Korean. The discussions covered potential joint acceleration models, bilateral support programs, and ways to connect Korean and Uzbek startups with each other’s corporate innovation ecosystems.

 

IT Park Uzbekistan also shared the experience of its current two-way startup exchange program with Astana Hub, which supports founders entering the markets of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. This case drew particular interest from the Seoul Business Agency, and both sides agreed to continue discussions on how similar cooperation could be developed.

 

Korea’s interest in Central Asia, combined with Uzbekistan’s ambition to expand further into East Asian markets, made the meeting especially relevant for both parties.

 

Investment & Finance Office of Turkey

 

The conversation focused on how Uzbekistan and Turkey could jointly build a practical market-entry pathway for startups, leveraging the strengths of both countries’ fast-developing entrepreneurial environments. The sides discussed soft-landing support, access to local investors, and potential collaboration with accelerators across both markets.

 

What made the meeting feel especially natural was how much the two countries already share. Both countries’ ecosystems are expanding quickly, driven by young talent, active startup communities, and deep cultural and historical ties. This shared ground made it easier to explore what future support programs might look like — and how a long-term bridge between the two ecosystems could take shape.

 

VNTR VC (Cyprus)

 

Cyprus was positioned as a practical and efficient European entry point for Uzbek founders, offering a business-friendly environment, accessible regulations, and proximity to major EU markets. VNTR VC outlined how cooperation could help Uzbek startups establish a presence on the island and use it as a launchpad for entering the European Union.

 

The discussion covered several areas of potential support, including legal and financial guidance for EU company setup, assistance with banking and compliance, and operational infrastructure for day-to-day work. Both sides also noted that Cyprus’ growing startup community and experience working with founders from emerging regions make it a strategically valuable gateway for Uzbek teams planning to expand into Europe.

 

Building Global Bridges: From VC Pipelines to Tech Giants

 

Throughout the summit, Uzbekistan’s country booth attracted a steady stream of visitors — founders, investors, and representatives of governments and tech hubs. IT Park showcased the country’s digital landscape, investment incentives, infrastructure, and fast-growing ecosystem.

 

Startups from Europe, the CIS, and Asia showed strong interest in Uzbekistan’s tech landscape. Many visited the pavilion to learn how the ecosystem is structured, how market entry typically works, and whether Uzbekistan could be a practical place to test or scale their products.

 

Their interest extended far beyond tax incentives. Many founders were drawn to the Digital Startups Program, noting its structured support for startups and accelerators, including legal and operational assistance during market entry. There was also notable attention on the expansion opportunities IT Park offers through its representative offices and partner network abroad, which help founders explore new markets and build connections more easily.

 

Alongside market-entry opportunities for startups, the delegation met with several venture capital funds, holding discussions around creating a consistent investment pipeline from Uzbekistan. These talks included mapping priority sectors, identifying fast-growth startups, and preparing a curated list of Uzbek companies that VCs will review in the coming investment cycle.

 

Four Uzbek startups — Mirasoft, Tuzuk.ai, Datox, and Deepen — represented the new wave of tech talent coming from the region. Their products drew active interest, with many visitors surprised by the technical sophistication and market readiness of Uzbek teams.

 

 

By the end of the week, the impression was clear: Uzbekistan arrived in Lisbon not to observe the global tech scene, but to take part in shaping it. The country’s strategic focus on international programs, partnerships, and investment routes shows that its ecosystem is stepping confidently onto the world stage — and isn’t planning to slow down.