IT Park Uzbekistan announced the launch of a global market entry program called Land of Startups in 2027. This program provides a prize fund of five million US dollars for 25 winners, according to Izzat Hamidov, Head of Global Growth at IT Park Uzbekistan.
The announcement was made during the Startup and Venture Projects Summit held in Tashkent as part of ICT Week 2026. The program targets startup founders from around the world who will receive funding and be based directly in the Uzbek market.
The new initiative will run parallel to the existing Presidential Technology Award, which also has a prize fund of five million US dollars. Additionally, there is a digital startup support program that reimburses costs for patents, mentors, and accelerators, and provides R&D vouchers of up to $50,000 for validated MVPs.
According to Hamidov, Uzbekistan's sovereign ratings have been upgraded by S&P, Moody's, and Fitch in recent months, with all three agencies assigning a stable outlook to the country.
He noted that Uzbekistan is among the top ten countries globally in the World Bank's GovTech Maturity Index and also ranks highly in ease of doing business. Foreign investors can own 100% of businesses in the country, and capital movement across borders is free. Since 2017, foreign direct investment has increased approximately 13 times, trade turnover has tripled, and GDP has doubled over seven years.
Uzbekistan's population is 39 million, accounting for half of Central Asia's population, with 65% of residents under 35 years old. More than 25,000 IT graduates enter the ecosystem annually. According to the global Coursera report on digital skills, Uzbekistan ranks first in the world for female participation in generative AI education.
This year, StartupBlink named Uzbekistan the country of the year and the fastest-growing startup ecosystem in the world, while the analytical platform Dealroom ranked first globally for venture capital growth rates.
Two 'unicorns' are already operating in Uzbekistan—Uzum and TBC Bank. The national platform has registered over 1600 startups, more than 130 of which are expanding into international markets in 28 countries. IT Park has opened six foreign hubs to support market entry, which currently serve over 150 companies worldwide.
Hamidov defined the Enterprise Uzbekistan jurisdiction as a key element of the support system. It is governed by English and Welsh law and protected by constitutional law until 2100. In this jurisdiction, corporate, social, property, and land taxes are set at zero, and imported services are exempt from VAT. Company registration takes three days.
For companies entering the market, the Zero Risk program offers up to three years of free office space outside Tashkent, and it also reimburses personnel salary and training costs. By 2030, IT Park plans to increase Uzbekistan's digital exports to $5 billion, create 300,000 high-paying jobs, and attract 1000 companies to the Enterprise Uzbekistan jurisdiction.
