UzCombinator, the first startup accelerator, has launched in Uzbekistan

UzCombinator is the first structured startup accelerator in Uzbekistan, created to address one of the key problems of the ecosystem — the lack of strong accelerators and incubators that systematically prepare founders for venture-level scaling.

Launched in 2026, UzCombinator was initially conceived not just as a program, but as a startup — an experimental platform designed to test whether Uzbekistan can consistently produce high-quality, investment-ready founders.

The results confirmed this hypothesis. In its first cohort, UzCombinator received over 1,500 applications and selected 31 startups for an intensive 45-day acceleration program focused on product, growth, and preparation for fundraising. The program concluded with a Demo Day, after which the startups collectively raised $975,000 — an early but strong signal of the ecosystem's potential.

Ulugbek Ismatov, Ecosystem Effect
Before this, Uzbekistan had talented founders, but there was a lack of connecting infrastructure between them. UzCombinator became that missing link — uniting ambition, capital, and execution into a single system. When founders see others building products, raising investments, and scaling, it fundamentally changes their perception of what is possible.

Laylo Ismailova, Vision / Insight
Working in the venture industry and launching startup media gave me a clear understanding of the key gap in Uzbekistan's ecosystem — the absence of strong accelerators and incubators. That is exactly why we created UzCombinator as a startup.

Since then, we have witnessed impressive changes. The transformation of founders happened in real time — teams became more focused, disciplined, and significantly stronger in execution. They were not just building products — they were becoming founders who understand capital, speed, and global thinking. This kind of growth is what truly indicates ecosystem development.Murodullo Ismoilov, Founders
What impressed us most was the quality of applications. These are not founders following trends — they are solving real problems they have personally encountered. The level of motivation, resilience, and ingenuity in this cohort was significantly higher than we expected at such an early stage.