Uzbek Startup Event in June

Uzbekistan will host a national startup event as part of the government’s plan to open up more sectors of the economy to new businesses.

The Central Asian country was closed to the rest of region in recent years until former president Islam Karimov passed away in 2016. With Shavkat Mirziyoev now at the helm, the government is pushing ahead with liberalizing the economy with the help of new startups.

As part of the plan to get moving, “Startup of the Week” as it is dubbed, will host business development events across the CIS from June 5-16, according to Gazeta newspaper.

The project was initiated by the labor ministry and the ministry of higher and secondary special education with the support of local banks, the paper said.

University graduates have the opportunity to present their projects to representatives of banks and public authorities in the field and potential investors, as well as receive support to start a business.

Startup events are more common in other Central Asian states including Kazakhstan and Tajikistan which have invested in several projects.