Golden Gate Ventures opened an office in Uzbekistan as part of a strategic partnership with UzOman

The new office in Central Asia creates a two-way bridge for promising startups expanding between Central Asia and the Middle East. The initiative was formalized through a memorandum of understanding with IT Park Uzbekistan and was presented at the Tashkent International Investment Forum TIIF 2026.

Golden Gate Ventures MENA Fund, headquartered in Qatar and focused on the Middle East and North Africa, today announced the opening of a new office in Uzbekistan to operate in the Central Asian region. The expansion was implemented in partnership with the Uzbek-Omani Investment Company UzOman and was presented at the fifth Tashkent International Investment Forum TIIF.

The goal of the initiative is to support promising technology companies across Central Asia, as well as to provide Golden Gate Ventures’ existing portfolio companies in the MENA region with a clear pathway to enter Uzbekistan and the broader region. This solidifies Golden Gate Ventures’ role as a strategic two-way bridge connecting ambitious founders, capital, and markets between Central Asia and MENA.

The partnership combines Golden Gate Ventures’ expertise in cross-border investments with UzOman’s local market presence to direct capital, operational support, and market access to fast-growing companies on both sides of the corridor. UzOman has joined as an institutional partner of Golden Gate Ventures’ office in Uzbekistan. UzOman is a private investment fund headquartered in Tashkent, established through a partnership between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Sultanate of Oman, with a portfolio spanning financial services, logistics, real estate, and other sectors. UzOman’s participation reflects institutional investors’ view that Uzbekistan’s technology sector is entering a new phase of maturity.

A central element of the initiative is a memorandum of understanding between Golden Gate Ventures and IT Park Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan’s flagship technology hub, as well as its venture arm, IT Park Ventures. The memorandum lays the foundation for joint entrepreneurial programs, structured development of an early-stage startup pipeline, and co-investments in promising Uzbek startups, solidifying Golden Gate Ventures’ presence in the country’s rapidly growing innovation ecosystem and creating a direct channel between local programs and regional and global capital.

Uzbekistan has become one of the most rapidly reforming economies in Central Asia, boasting a young, digitally native population and a fast-maturing startup ecosystem. The new office enables Golden Gate Ventures to identify and support industry leaders in sectors such as FinTech, B2B artificial intelligence, e-commerce, logistics, clean and alternative energy, and other technology areas.

Michael Lints, Founder and MENA Region Partner, Golden Gate Ventures Central Asia today is one of the most compelling growth stories in the world, and Uzbekistan is at its center. From our base in Qatar, we can support the best founders in the region and directly connect them with capital, clients, and talent from the MENA region. Our memorandum of understanding with IT Park Uzbekistan provides us with a strong local foundation, while the partnership with UzOman ensures that our MENA-based companies have a reliable local partner to expand into Central Asia. This is a true two-way bridge.

Omar Bahram, CEO, Uzbek-Omani Investment Company
As an institutional investor with a long-term interest in Uzbekistan’s economic development, UzOman views the technology sector as a strategic pillar of the country’s growth story. Our participation in the Golden Gate Ventures MENA fund is a deliberate step to expand our presence in promising early-stage companies in a market we understand well. The memorandum between GGV MENA, IT Park Uzbekistan, and IT Park Ventures strengthens the very ecosystem infrastructure that gives the best founders a real path to scale. We are excited to support this initiative and look forward to the value it will create for Uzbekistan’s innovation landscape.

The announcement was made at TIIF 2026 — the fifth edition of the Tashkent International Investment Forum, held under the theme “Investment Sustainability: New Horizons, New Partnerships.” The forum served as Central Asia’s premier platform for global investors, bringing together thousands of delegates from around the world to Tashkent.

Golden Gate Ventures MENA Fund has been operating in the region for nearly 10 years. Established and managed within the Qatar Financial Centre, the fund is now expanding its presence into Central Asia, with the Uzbekistan office serving as its first dedicated project in the region.