Sonny Valindra
The regional finals of the prestigious Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2026 have concluded, identifying three groundbreaking startups poised to represent Central Eurasia on the global stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco. Cerberus, WeGlobal AI, and LOOQ have secured the top three positions, earning their coveted spots in the Startup Battlefield 200 competition, scheduled to take place from October 13-15, 2026. This elite event will bring together over 10,000 leading figures from the international tech industry, providing an unparalleled platform for these emerging companies.
The journey to this regional triumph was highly competitive, with Cerberus, WeGlobal AI, and LOOQ emerging victorious from a pool of 22 finalists. These finalists were meticulously selected from an unprecedented 726 applications submitted by innovative startups hailing from 39 diverse countries across Central Eurasia. The sheer volume of applications underscores the burgeoning entrepreneurial spirit and technological advancement within the region.
The Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield, a vital initiative orchestrated by Silkroad Innovation Hub in strategic partnership with TechCrunch, Freedom Holding, Astana Hub, and IT Park Uzbekistan, has demonstrably grown in scale and influence. This year’s iteration saw a significant surge in participation, with applications increasing by nearly 50% compared to its inaugural event in 2025, which attracted 485 startups from 27 countries. The rigorous selection process involved national rounds that narrowed down the vast applicant pool to the 22 finalists who then presented their innovations live before a distinguished panel of 47 jurors. These jurors, representing eight different countries, brought a wealth of experience and global perspective to the evaluation process. Adding a futuristic dimension to the judging, AI-Dana, an artificial intelligence judge, served as an independent juror for the second consecutive year, reflecting the increasing integration of AI in critical decision-making processes.
Isabelle Johannessen, head of the Startup Battlefield program at TechCrunch, highlighted the significance of the event and the caliber of participants. "Road to Battlefield 2026 had record applications and representation from more countries than ever," Johannessen stated. "The companies pitching across health tech, education, productivity, enterprise, and cyber were cutting-edge and impressive. These founders are getting global visibility at TechCrunch Disrupt, and that sends a message to the next generation: You can build locally and scale globally. That visibility is a catalyst. Road to Battlefield proves this ecosystem is thriving and that there’s a real pathway for founders here to compete on a world stage."
A striking trend observed this year was the overwhelming prevalence of artificial intelligence in the submitted applications. A remarkable 84% of the 726 startups that applied were actively developing AI-powered products, signaling a definitive shift in technological focus. All three winning companies exemplify this AI-centric innovation. Cerberus is an AI agent designed to proactively identify security vulnerabilities. WeGlobal AI offers an AI platform aimed at enhancing student mental health and providing career guidance. LOOQ utilizes AI-powered hardware to measure real-world attention to out-of-home advertising.
Asset Abdualiyev, founder and CEO of Silkroad Innovation Hub, emphasized the challenging nature of the selection process and the overarching mission of the Road to Battlefield initiative. "We had a very strong applicant pool this year, which made the final selection genuinely difficult," Abdualiyev commented. "From the beginning, the idea behind Road to Battlefield has been to give talented founders a platform to be seen, heard, and connected to opportunities beyond the region. Throughout the competition, we invited experienced VCs and tech leaders from different countries, giving founders the opportunity to pitch their companies, receive feedback, and build relationships with the global startup community. The strongest teams made it through to the final, and we are proud to have TechCrunch as a partner in creating this global pathway for founders from Central Eurasia."
The depth of talent was further evidenced by the remaining top 10 finalists, showcasing a broad geographical and sectoral representation. These included Suriy from Mongolia, TelAgri from Georgia, SeaDar from Azerbaijan, Kaptăn Kaptăn from Türkiye, Admyra from the United States, MVSxAI from Qatar, and Soup from Kazakhstan.
The Winners: A Glimpse into Innovation
The three startups that have earned the distinction of advancing to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 represent diverse yet impactful applications of technology:
Cerberus (Uzbekistan): Fortifying Digital Defenses with AI
Claiming the first-place title, Cerberus is a pioneering cybersecurity startup from Uzbekistan that leverages artificial intelligence to automate the detection of vulnerabilities within corporate IT systems. The company addresses a critical gap in current AI-driven security solutions, many of which rely on general-purpose language models susceptible to hallucinations. Such inaccuracies can have severe repercussions when these models are granted access to sensitive corporate data. Cerberus has already demonstrated its potential by successfully completing the 500 Global Eurasia accelerator program and securing acceptance into the prestigious Alchemist Silkroad – Silicon Valley Residency program, marking significant milestones in its development and market validation.
Aziz Akhmedkhodjaev, founder and CEO of Cerberus, expressed his gratitude and outlined the company’s unique value proposition. "We were simply glad to be part of Road to Battlefield. Competing against 726 applications from 39 countries is valuable in itself, whatever the outcome," Akhmedkhodjaev stated. "What made our pitch unique is that we’re solving a problem the market is already feeling. Everyone is writing code with AI now, vulnerabilities are appearing faster than teams can find them, and there’s no established way to let an AI agent test real infrastructure safely. We believe the judges recognized that, and we’ll do our best, treating it as a serious responsibility. We don’t intend to let our region down."
This victory marks a significant achievement for Uzbekistan, positioning Cerberus as its first champion in the Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield. This success signals a growing ambition within the country to elevate its emerging technology companies onto the international stage. Sherzod Shermatov, Minister of Digital Technology of Uzbekistan, lauded the achievement, stating, "Uzbekistan’s startup ecosystem has changed significantly in the past few years. We are seeing more founders building sophisticated technology products and thinking about international markets from the beginning. Cerberus taking first place and advancing to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 is a strong example of that progress, and an important opportunity to show the global technology community what founders from Uzbekistan can build."
WeGlobal AI (Kazakhstan): Addressing Mental Health and Career Development with Intelligent Support
Securing the second position, WeGlobal AI, a startup from Kazakhstan, has developed an innovative platform designed to tackle the critical shortage of school psychologists. The company provides educational institutions with AI-powered tools to monitor student mental health and offer personalized career guidance at a scale previously unattainable through traditional hiring methods. This solution offers a scalable and accessible approach to supporting young people’s well-being and future planning.
Bolat Ashim, co-founder and CEO of WeGlobal AI, shared his enthusiasm for the experience and the future ahead. "Road to Startup Battlefield was an incredible experience for our team," Ashim said. "Going through the National and Regional rounds gave us the opportunity to challenge our thinking, sharpen our story, and meet some amazing founders along the way. Finishing second and earning the opportunity to join TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 in San Francisco is a huge milestone for us. We’re excited to represent Kazakhstan on a global stage and introduce what we’re building at WeGlobal AI to the wider tech community."
WeGlobal AI’s success resonates with Kazakhstan’s strategic focus on AI as a cornerstone of its digital development agenda. The country is actively seeking to foster greater international market access for its technology companies. Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan, commented on the broader implications, noting, "AI is creating an opportunity for countries like Kazakhstan to compete globally in ways that were not possible a decade ago. Our task is to make sure talented founders have the infrastructure, skills, and international connections to take advantage of that opportunity. Road to Battlefield is one of those bridges, connecting entrepreneurs from Kazakhstan and across Central Eurasia directly with the global technology ecosystem."
LOOQ (Japan): Measuring Physical World Attention with AI
Taking the third spot, LOOQ, a joint venture founded by Ayan Sakenov and Yudai Ishida, is pioneering a new frontier in advertising analytics. The company has developed camera-based hardware complemented by an "attention API" to accurately measure the viewership of billboards and other out-of-home advertisements. This technology provides advertisers with a quantifiable metric for real-world attention, bridging the gap between digital and physical advertising effectiveness.
Ayan Sakenov, founder and CEO of LOOQ, articulated the company’s vision and the significance of this achievement. "LOOQ started with a simple but ambitious idea: If we can measure every click online, why can’t we measure what happens in the physical world? Since then, we’ve taken that idea from a prototype to real-world deployments, customers, and now third place at Road to Battlefield. Earning our way to San Francisco is a huge milestone, but for us, it’s really just the beginning. Startup life is basically building, testing, learning, and occasionally sleeping – and now we’re excited to bring LOOQ to the U.S. and show what Google Analytics for the physical world can become."
Financial and Technological Support for Emerging Innovators
Beyond the competitive spotlight, the winning startups will also benefit from a substantial investment pool totaling $100,000. This fund is jointly contributed by Astana Hub Ventures, IT Park Ventures, and Silkroad Innovation Hub, with investments structured on standard market terms in exchange for equity. Cerberus will receive $50,000, WeGlobal AI $30,000, and LOOQ $20,000.
In addition to the financial investment, OpenAI has generously awarded $280,000 in API credits to all 22 finalists. The three main winners have collectively received $100,000 in these credits, mirroring their investment prize structure. The remaining 19 finalists have each been granted $10,000 in API credits, providing them with crucial access to cutting-edge AI tools to further develop their innovations.
Thomas Jeng, Head of Startups APAC at OpenAI, commended the participating founders, stating, "Founders across Central Eurasia showed real ambition, a clear focus on solving real problems, and strong technical skill in building with AI. It’s great to see competitions like this connecting them with the global networks they need to turn their ideas into products that reach people far beyond the region."
For Cerberus, WeGlobal AI, and LOOQ, the regional final of Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2026 marks a significant culmination of their efforts. However, it also signifies the commencement of a far more expansive and globally impactful journey as they prepare to compete on the grand stage of TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco. The event is poised to offer them an unparalleled opportunity to showcase their innovations, forge vital connections, and accelerate their growth trajectory within the global technology landscape.
The broadcast of the final round of the Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2026 is available for viewing, offering insights into the pitches and the competitive spirit that defined the event.
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