SEOUL, May 23. /Dunyo IA/. Central Asia and the Caucasus continue to strengthen their positions on the global technology map. One of the key platforms uniting the region's innovation ecosystems has become the international summit INMerge Innovation Summit, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing with the South Korean newspaper “Global Korea Post”.

It is noted that in recent years, the forum has turned into one of the leading technological platforms in Central Eurasia, bringing together startups, investors, corporations, and government representatives from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye.

In 2026, “INMerge” expanded beyond a single city for the first time by launching a regional “Roadshow”.Tashkent became one of the key venues, hosting discussions on startup development, artificial intelligence, investments and digital infrastructure.

Today, Uzbekistan ranks among the fastest-growing technology markets in the region: over the past year, the volume of venture capital investments has increased more than fivefold, and the number of startups has exceeded 950. For the first time, Tashkent has entered the top 100 global startup ecosystems.

Kazakhstan continues to develop its innovation infrastructure and is forming a USD 1 billion fund of funds to support startups and the international scaling of projects.

In turn, Azerbaijan is strengthening its role as a regional hub for interaction among investors, corporations, and technology teams. Baku was recognized as the “Startup City of the Year” and “INMerge Ventures” fund became one of the country's first locally registered venture capital funds.

In 2024, “IT Park Uzbekistan” and “Astana Hub” launched the “Central Asian Innovation Hubs” initiative, providing Central Asian startups with access to joint programs and international accelerators.

The final stage of “INMerge” will take place on October 8-9 in Baku, bringing together startup founders, investors and technology business representatives from across the region.