How is the startup ecosystem in Tajikistan developing?

In our Telegram channel The Tech, we held a live stream where we discussed the future of Tajikistan’s startup ecosystem. We are sharing the key thoughts and expert predictions in a text version.

Umed Rahimov, city — Tashkent, product manager at immo.uz

Ravshan Kurbanov, city — Dushanbe, investor, Instagram

Isfandiyor Abdullo, city — Dushanbe, director of Accelerate Prosperity, Instagram

About us

Isfandiyor. I am the director of Accelerate Prosperity in Tajikistan — this is a business incubator that is also considered a public foundation. We engage in incubation, acceleration, as well as financing of small and medium-sized businesses. Currently, we are moving towards working with startups and financing them.

I have quite a diverse professional background: I have worked in donor projects, in the private sector, and as an entrepreneur. I have businesses in the trade and agricultural sectors. In addition, I have worked in investment funds both in Tajikistan and abroad. 

Umed. I am a product manager by profession. For the past six months, I have been recording podcasts with startuppers, representatives of venture funds, and large IT holding companies. Recently, we also started shooting documentaries. We shot one such film in Tajikistan. Now we plan to expand the project and shoot a similar film in Uzbekistan.

Ravshan. I am the founder of Tajikistan Venture Capital — an organization whose goal is to develop the venture industry in Tajikistan: from legislation to increasing knowledge and education in this field. I am also an investment director at one of the advanced corporations in Tajikistan — FIFTYFIVE GROUP. We actively invest and develop investment activities not only in Tajikistan but also throughout the region.

About the documentary film "The Birth of Innovations"

Umed. Initially, we planned to tell in detail about startups in Uzbekistan; however, while working on this, we noticed that there is extremely little information about the country's startup ecosystem. Unlike IT Park Uzbekistan, Astana Hub in Kazakhstan, or the High Technologies Park in Kyrgyzstan, in Tajikistan, the investment and innovation boom is just beginning, and no one was talking about it. We decided to fix this situation and shoot a film about the Tajik startup ecosystem.

Inspired by the film of Arman Suleimenov, we shot our project in just four days and then quickly finished editing. In the future, we plan to also record podcasts with representatives of the ecosystem.

The role of state and private organizations

Ravshan. In general, support for the startup ecosystem in Tajikistan follows the same path as in other Central Asian countries. Usually, the ecosystem first develops through private and donor funds, and then the state gets involved.

A sign of serious state support was the creation of a state business incubator, as well as measures to develop youth entrepreneurship, which in Tajikistan is often perceived as a synonym for the startup ecosystem. The state also stimulates private investments, grants for the development of women's entrepreneurship, youth initiatives, and innovative projects.

In the last two years, state support has become much more tangible, but, of course, there is still much to improve.

Isfandiyor. At the beginning, the ecosystem developed mainly due to donor money, as there were few private investors. The situation is gradually changing, but private investments are still attracted with caution.

In 2025, Accelerate Prosperity is set to invest its own funds more decisively. We partially work with donor money, but we also have our own fund that is ready for more risky deals. To date, we are actively cooperating with the Agency for Innovations of Tajikistan to eliminate legislative barriers and create conditions for Pre-seed and Seed investments.

I am confident that the ecosystem is moving in the right direction. In the next two to three years, all players will occupy their niches: someone will work with ideas, someone with Seed investments, and someone with more mature projects. The state has already announced that in the next five years, it will pay special attention to the development of investments, IT, and startups. 

Isfandiyor. For the growth of the startup ecosystem in Tajikistan, it is important to help young people change their mindset about startups, investments, and venture capital. Many want to create the next Google or the next Facebook, but often do not understand that the success of Silicon Valley lies in creating many startups, their rapid growth, and sale.

There are examples of successful business models that can be applied here. For example, teams that develop mobile games: they create 10 games a month, sell three or four of them a year, and make good money. The same applies to voice recognition technologies localized for our language and dialects.

If young people understand that a startup is not only about creating a single large project, but also about rapid testing, development, and selling ideas, it will significantly accelerate the growth of the ecosystem.

The future of Tajikistan’s startup ecosystem

Ravshan. Forecasting is a difficult and thankless task, especially in such a dynamic field as the startup ecosystem. However, if we focus on current trends, we can assume that in the coming years, Tajikistan’s startup ecosystem will develop towards startup studios, specialized incubation and acceleration programs. These programs will most likely focus on more targeted scientific research rather than classic incubation models with explosive growth.

I expect that a significant part of startups will be focused in the scientific field, and the development of programming as the main direction will gradually give way to scientific laboratories. Although there is a global trend towards developing national strategies in areas such as artificial intelligence, I am not sure that these initiatives will be fundamental and long-term. In this context, the key bet should be on the private sector.

Umed. Making long-term forecasts in this field is extremely difficult. However, based on experience interacting with key market players, it can be noted that at the current stage, the state is focused on creating infrastructure.

Currently, institutions such as innovation agencies and IT parks are being formed in Tajikistan. In the coming years, their mechanisms of operation will become more structured and understandable for startups. At the next stage, we can expect the appearance of venture funds and startup studios that will operate on the basis of already created state structures, contributing to the further development of the market.

Isfandiyor. Tajikistan is in a unique position: our market demonstrates difficulty in adapting foreign startups. Some international companies tried to enter our market, for example, taxi services and marketplaces, but the population did not always accept them. This indicates the presence of opportunities for local entrepreneurs to occupy this niche.

However, our startups also face difficulties when entering regional markets. The further development of the ecosystem will largely depend on the willingness of entrepreneurs to think globally and overcome geographical limitations.

Another important area of development is the technologicalization of small and medium-sized businesses. There are already Telegram groups for the agricultural sector where entrepreneurs exchange resources, and some companies are starting to implement sensors and other technologies. This trend will most likely intensify: business will become increasingly technological, which will create demand for local startups.

To date, one of the key problems is the lack of sufficient demand for innovative solutions from small and medium-sized businesses. However, over the next five to six years, we can expect a significant growth in interest in technologies, which will open up new opportunities for local startups.

Recommendations

Umed. It is important to understand that Tajikistan is a special market with its own nuances. Before launching a startup, it is worth conducting thorough research to ensure that the product is really in demand.

Ravshan. Startups need to work more on themselves: study terminology, understand the principles of attracting investments. Often, we receive applications where even basic aspects are not worked out. You need to know what MVP, break-even, dilution, and other key concepts are.

Isfandiyor. I would advise coming to us — we will help! But, seriously, you need to be aware of your strengths and weaknesses. There are already many resources in the ecosystem, and if a startup understands what it needs, it will easily find help — both in the country and abroad.