20 startups from Central Asia presented their projects at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

The GoAbroad 2026 program — an accelerator for startup founders from Central Asia — has concluded. Over two months, 20 teams progressed from refining their pitch decks to presenting at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, one of the world’s leading technology conferences. The program was implemented by the Sustainable Innovation and Technology Foundation (SITF) in partnership with the Silkroad Innovation Hub, with support from the NU Impact Foundation.

In August, most participants had only an idea and a ten-slide pitch deck. By October, they were already presenting their projects in Silicon Valley — to investors who make funding decisions for technology companies worldwide.

Participants included developers of AI solutions as well as DeepTech projects in medicine and industry. Nearly half of the startups are DeepTech ventures, with their products based on scientific research.

SITF launched GoAbroad in 2024. This year, the program received approximately 100 applications, 20 startups were selected for the main track, and 13 of them participated in an offline bootcamp in Silicon Valley.

How the program unfolded

Training began with a two-week online intensive held from September 15 to 26. Participants refined their pitch decks, learned how negotiations with American investors work, and studied the legal and tax specifics of launching a business abroad. This stage concluded with a pitch session, where startups defended their ideas before a jury for the first time.

Founders completed a course on key aspects of entering the U.S. market: legal foundations for doing business, intellectual property protection, sales tactics, and business culture. For DeepTech projects, there was a separate module: teams developed company development roadmaps and adapted their pitch decks to meet investor expectations.

During the VC 101 and VC 102 sessions, participants learned how venture capital investing works in Silicon Valley, and in mentoring meetings, they received feedback on their projects. The program also included training on cross-cultural communication and lead generation.

A week in Silicon Valley

The offline component included visits to research laboratories, a trip to Stanford University, and a meeting with the StartX team — Stanford’s accelerator. The highlight was participation in TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where startups from Central Asia presented their projects to an international audience and networked with founders and investors from Silicon Valley.

Access to venture capital and international markets remains one of the key challenges for startups in the region. GoAbroad gives founders the opportunity to directly connect with people who make daily investment decisions in technology companies.

Considering the previous two cohorts in 2024 and 2025, a total of 57 startups have gone through the program, and nine of them have presented on the stage of TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco.