October 13–15, 2026

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Road to Battlefield is an Official Regional Startup Competition for TechCrunch Battlefield

Road to Battlefield is an Official Regional Startup Competition for TechCrunch Battlefield

ABOUT THE COMPETITION

What Is Road to Battlefield?

The largest startup pitch competition in Central Eurasia — for the second year in a row.
Bringing together the boldest founders from across the region to compete on a global stage.

TOTAL PRIZE POOL

$100K

in investment funding for TOP 3 Startups

What to expect?

$100K investment prize for winners

Fast track to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 finals in San Francisco

OpenAI credits for all participants

Media exposure across Central Eurasia and beyond

What is TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield 200

Learn more

TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield 200 is an Ultimate global startup competition held in San Francisco on October 13-15, where the world’s most innovative early-stage startups take center stage in a pitch competition like no other—top-tier judges with valuable insight on how to scale a viable business.

$100,000 equity-free prize

Free booth at TechCrunch Distrupt

2-month programming & mentorship

Media coverage by TechCrunch.com

Access to the biggest investors

Membership in Silkroad Innovation hub

TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield in numbers

TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield

in numbers

1,700+

Companies

$32B

Total Funds Raised

250+

Total Exits

Notable participants

Why Apply?

What Winners Get

$100K Investment Prize

1st place — $50K | 2nd place — $30K | 3nd place — $20K

Eligibility: Registration in Astana Hub (Kazakhstan), IT Park Uzbekistan (Uzbekistan), or a C-Corp is required

*Selected startups must have a valuation not exceeding $3M. Equity will be allocated in proportion to the investment provided, on standard market terms

Three spots at TC Startup Battlefield 200

The winners are guaranteed three spots in the TC Startup Battlefield 200

Trip to Silicon Valley

Winners receive round-trip flights to San Francisco and up to 1 week of stay covered for 2 team members

Startup Booth for all 3 days of TC Disrupt

Exhibit space for all 3 days of TechCrunch Disrupt

$100K Investment Prize

1st place — $50K

2nd place — $30K

3nd place — $20K

Eligibility: Registration in Astana Hub (Kazakhstan), IT Park Uzbekistan (Uzbekistan), or a C-Corp is required

*Selected startups must have a valuation not exceeding $3M. Equity will be allocated in proportion to the investment provided, on standard market terms

Three spots at TC Startup Battlefield 200

The winners are guaranteed three spots in the TC Startup Battlefield 200

Trip to Silicon Valley

Winners receive round-trip flights to San Francisco and up to 1 week of stay covered for 2 team members

Startup Booth for all 3 days of TC Disrupt

Exhibit space for all 3 days of TechCrunch Disrupt

$100K Investment Prize

1st place — $50K | 2nd place — $30K | 3nd place — $20K

Eligibility: Registration in Astana Hub (Kazakhstan), IT Park Uzbekistan (Uzbekistan), or a C-Corp is required

*Selected startups must have a valuation not exceeding $3M. Equity will be allocated in proportion to the investment provided, on standard market terms

What Participants Get

Exclusive OpenAI for Startups Perks

10 seats of ChatGPT Business (incl. Codex access) — 3 months$5K in API credits Automatic upgrade to Tier 5 (highest API rate limit tier)

Startup Community

Startups gain access to a curated network of 500+ founders from 27 countries

Official TechCrunch certificate

All participants receive an official certificate of participation signed by TechCrunch and Silkroad Innovation Hub

Three spots at TC Startup Battlefield 200

The winners are guaranteed three spots in the TC Startup Battlefield 200

Trip to Silicon Valley

Winners receive round-trip flights to San Francisco and up to 1 week of stay covered for 2 team members

Startup Booth for all 3 days of TC Disrupt

Exhibit space for all 3 days of TechCrunch Disrupt

Apply now

The deadline is June 31

Eligibility Criteria

We’re looking for bold, early-stage startups ready to launch big on a global stage.

To be eligible for Road to Battlefield, your startup must be:

We’re looking for bold, early-stage startups ready to launch big on a global stage.

To be eligible for Road to Battlefield, your startup must be:

We’re looking for bold, early-stage startups ready to launch big on a global stage.

To be eligible for Road to Battlefield, your startup must be:

Early Stage

Startups must be at or below the Seed stage with a valuation not exceeding $5M

Early Stage

Startups must be at or below the Seed stage with a valuation not exceeding $5M

Early Stage

Startups must be at or below the Seed stage with a valuation not exceeding $5M

MVP

Your MVP must be fully functional and demonstrated in your pitch deck

MVP

Your MVP must be fully functional and demonstrated in your pitch deck

MVP

Your MVP must be fully functional and demonstrated in your pitch deck

Under radar

Ideally, you’ve had limited media exposure and are preparing to reveal something truly disruptive on stage

Under radar

Ideally, you’ve had limited media exposure and are preparing to reveal something truly disruptive on stage

Under radar

Ideally, you’ve had limited media exposure and are preparing to reveal something truly disruptive on stage

Central Eurasia

Startups from the region; founders worldwide welcome

Central Eurasia

Startups from the region; founders worldwide welcome

Central Eurasia

Startups from the region; founders worldwide welcome

Timeline

June 1 – June 30

Application & Selection Process

Application call

July 6 – August 10

Online National Competitions

Shortlisted startups
compete in local pitch
events within each country

August 12

Online Regional Final

The best startups from each country compete to
represent their region at TC Startup Battlefield

August 20 - October 13

Battlefield Prep

Winners will start online
preparation with weekly
webinars until Disrupt 2026

October 13-15

TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200

The top 3 finalists will travel to the TechCrunch
Startup Battlefield 200

June 1 – June 30

Application & Selection Process

Application call

July 6 – August 10

Online National Competitions

Shortlisted startups
compete in local pitch
events within each country

August 12

Online Regional Final

The best startups from each country compete to
represent their region at TC Startup Battlefield

August 20 - October 13

Battlefield Prep

Winners will start online
preparation with weekly
webinars until Disrupt 2026

October 13-15

TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200

The top 3 finalists will travel to the TechCrunch
Startup Battlefield 200

May 4 – June 20

Application & Selection Process

Application call

June 23 – August 10

Online National Competitions

Shortlisted startups
compete in local pitch
events within each country

August 12

Online Regional Final

The best startups from each country compete to
represent their region at TC Startup Battlefield

August 20 - October 13

Battlefield Prep

Winners will start online
preparation with weekly
webinars until Disrupt 2026

October 13-15

TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200

The top 3 finalists will travel to the TechCrunch
Startup Battlefield 200

2025 Highlights

485

applications

countries

380

startups pitched

startups

pitched

startups pitched

national

competitions

national

competitions

45+

jury members from 10 countries

jury members

from 10 countries

•

incl. AI jury

Winners

Notable participants

ARLAN BIOTECH

MIRAI TECH

ATHENA AI

BIOMETRIC

TASS VISION

PUSH3D

CALL2ACTION

HORIZON

PRESS COVERAGE

Media

20+

Publications Across International & Regional Media Outlets

550K

Total views

TECHCRUNCH

Road to Battlefield: Central Eurasia’s gateway to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield

Historic regional competition launches to showcase Central Eurasia’s rising startup ecosystem on Silicon Valley’s biggest stage.

Read article →

TECHCRUNCH

Road to Battlefield featured on TechCrunch

Central Eurasia’s largest startup competition brings top founders one step closer to the global TechCrunch Startup Battlefield stage.

Read article →

YAHOO!FINANCE

Road to Battlefield: Central Eurasia’s largest startup competition in history

A flagship regional contest that sends four standout Central Eurasian startups to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield.

Read article →

TECHCRUNCH

Road to Battlefield Puts Central Eurasia on Silicon Valley’s Map

A record-breaking startup competition that showcases Central Eurasian founders to investors and partners across Silicon Valley.

Read article →

Reviews

The Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield initiative has become truly international — with participants from 27 countries actively sharing their experiences on social media, amplifying the program’s visibility and expanding its global reach.

"Exciting news: the Surfaice project has been selected to take part in the TechCrunch Battlefield pitch competition. It is a great honour for me to represent not only our company, but all of Central Asia on the main stage of Silicon Valley."

Alim Uderbekov
Founder & CEO @ Surfaice.pro

"From zero to TechCrunch — and straight to the finals! 🌟 Student Box AI is proud to have become a finalist of TechCrunch Startup Battlefield ‘Road to Battlefield 2025’. Our first pitch in front of such a prestigious jury and global audience has been an unforgettable milestone — and this is only the beginning of our journey!"

Rakhima Akramkhojayeva
CEO & Founder @ StudentBox AI

Yagub Rahimov
Co-founder
@ Polygraf AI

"Some wins are truly worth celebrating. We took first place out of more than 400 tech companies from Central Asia, the Caucasus and Türkiye in the Silkroad Innovation Hub ‘Road to TechCrunch Battlefield 200’ competition. This is a game with just a 0.25% success probability — for comparison, the chance of getting into Y Combinator is around 1.5–2%."

"From Georgia to TechCrunch and beyond! 🚀 I’m proud to share that Foxy Buddy has officially received a participant certificate for the Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield program. This is an important step toward our goal of building a unicorn."

David Mamporia Founder @ Foxy Buddy

Abdulakhad Kuchkarov
CEO @ IT Park Uzbekistan

"Ideas Without Borders: Central Eurasia at TechCrunch. Sometimes history is not written in boardrooms or conference halls — it is written by founders who have an idea, the courage to stand up for it, and the resilience to keep moving forward. The Road to Battlefield project has shown just how immense the untapped potential of our region truly is."

Maksim Sonin
PhD FEI Energy Executive & Thought Leader

"I was glad to serve as a judge at the global round of TechCrunch #RoadtoBattlefield. Thirty-one startups from seventeen countries competed in the finals of the national selection, making their way toward TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Many thanks to all the participants, fellow judges, and organizers for the incredible energy."

International Coding Academy

"We express our sincere appreciation to Freedom Holding Corp., TechCrunch, and Silkroad Innovation Hub for the opportunity provided and for creating a space where our community can grow."

Elyar Akhi
3x Founder | CEO @ Waiter Call

"Special thanks to the organizers - Freedom Holding Corp., TechCrunch, and Future Laboratory 0 as well as personally to Asset Abdualiyev, Madi Tazhikenov, and Lyazzat Shamishiyeva for the outstanding level of preparation and execution of the event."

Battlefield 2025 moments