Startup Opportunities Calendar for May 2026

Devpost
A global platform for hosting hackathons and technology competitions that brings together developers, startups, and companies. It launches open and corporate innovation programs where participants create prototypes, receive feedback, and gain access to international technology ecosystems.

VC PARTY ALMATY 2026
The premier IT party in Central Asia, taking place in Almaty after the GITEX Central Asia & Caucasus Kazakhstan forum. It will bring together investors, startup founders, and technology market leaders for informal networking and discussions on future deals. The event will serve as a hub for the region's strong VC community, fostering new connections, partnerships, and idea exchange by uniting funds and entrepreneurs in one space to create future investments and collaborations.

When: May 5 at 19:00
Where: Almaty

NU Social Startup 2026
A program for social startups by NU Impact Foundation in collaboration with Astana Business Campus, aimed at supporting projects that solve social problems through sustainable business models. Participants can receive funding of up to 3,000,000 tenge for project development. Applications are open to individuals, initiative groups, sole proprietors, LLCs, and NGOs, provided that a student or graduate of Nazarbayev University plays a key role and the ABC Incubation stage is completed.

Application deadline: May 7

UZ HACK DAY
An offline cybersecurity event featuring Cyber Park, School 21, and ONESEC. Participants solve practical tasks: finding vulnerabilities, analyzing case studies, and working with systems under time constraints. The program also includes expert talks and networking opportunities with companies.

When: May 7
Where: Tashkent, School 21

EIT Jumpstarter 2026
Applications are now open for a seven-month pre-acceleration program for early-stage startups and innovators, designed to turn ideas into businesses. Participants will receive mentorship, training, and the opportunity to win up to €10,000 across thematic tracks, including Food & AgriTech, Healthcare, Energy, Smart Cities, Green Manufacturing, and Industrial Technologies. The program is available to applicants from Horizon Europe participating countries, including Armenia.

Application deadline: May 8

KBTU Open Spring 2026
The 35th annual ICPC-style programming olympiad. The competition will bring together developer teams to solve algorithmic problems during a five-hour contest. Participants can win cash prizes, with up to 300,000 tenge for first place, additional awards including special categories for women's and school teams, as well as merchandise and grants from KBTU.

When: May 10
Where: Almaty, Kazakh-British Technical University

Ladder Internships Application Form
An international internship program for students, where participants work with startups and NGOs on real-world projects. The program lasts eight weeks and includes three formats: Startup Internship — working with startup teams; CEO Internship — working directly with CEOs from FAANG companies; and Combination Program, which includes a research component.

Application deadline: May 10

Entrepreneurs First
A global Pre-Seed program for future founders that transforms strong individuals into startup founders: participants are first selected based on potential, then helped to find a co-founder, develop an idea, launch a company, and enter the US market. The program takes place full-time offline in London, followed by a stage in San Francisco, and includes access to top investors, mentorship from founders of Stripe, Google DeepMind, and OpenAI, as well as investments of up to $250,000 and support of up to $5 million in subsequent rounds.

Application deadline: May 10

Global Tech Weekend Tashkent
A major technology event in Tashkent where startups, developers, and investors gather. Over several days, various activities take place: talks, project pitches, meetings, and networking. Participants can showcase their ideas, meet investors, find partners, and learn about new technologies and startups.

When: May 15-17
Where: Tashkent

a16z Speedrun
Applications are now open for the Summer-Fall 2026 batch — one of the strongest accelerators for early-stage startups worldwide, especially in AI, infrastructure, and tech products. The program runs from July 27 to October 11, with Demo Day on October 6. Participants can receive up to $1 million in investments via SAFE + follow-on, access to $5 million+ in cloud and AI credits, and a network of thousands of investors and operators.

Application deadline: May 17
When: July 27 - October 11

VENTURE CASE CUP 2026
A competition for young innovators aged 12 to 19 and teams, where participants can present an IT idea or a ready-made product in the format of a full business case and defend it before a jury at the in-person finals in Almaty. Participants will enjoy pitch sessions, practical experience, diplomas, special nominations, as well as grants for project development and support from partners. The championship theme is "Solving Everyday Problems Through IT."

Application deadline: May 31

When: June 13
Where: Almaty

Mastercard Data Quest
A data analytics case championship where participants solve real business problems related to data and digital services. Teams work on practical cases, analyze information, and propose solutions applicable in the financial and technology sectors. Throughout the process, participants enhance their data handling skills, critical thinking, and ability to find solutions under time constraints. The best teams compete for prizes and the opportunity to gain visibility within the industry.

When: May 23 — June 7