A few years ago, the idea of a billion-dollar Uzbek tech company would have sounded far-fetched. Today, investors are searching for the next Uzum, Uzbekistan’s largest digital ecosystem. It is attracting increasing attention, with hundreds of startups across fintech, e-commerce, logistics, artificial intelligence, and digital services.
This is exactly why Uzbekistan matters. If the U.S. wants Central Asia in its orbit and not locked into Russian surveillance tech, Chinese AI models, and processing of its critical minerals, it needs a success story that is not built on sanctions or pressure, but on commerce. Uzum's rise to a $2.3 billion pre-money valuation in March 2026, backed by Omani sovereign entities, is the clearest example.
Breakthrough companies tend to reset investor expectations as they search for the next success story. Entrepreneurs gain a local example of what scalable growth can look like. Park Uzbekistan is emerging as a thriving technology hub, with growth spreading across the country's regions.
Export-oriented firms, foreign companies, and technology service providers are establishing operations. The ecosystem is already showing tangible results. After experiencing one of the fastest growth rates among emerging markets, Uzbekistan joined StartupBlink's Global Top 100 Startup Ecosystems in 2025, placing 98th worldwide.
In 2026, it was named Country of the Year, with a 227.3 percent increase, the fastest globally. Tashkent also became the fastest-growing startup city in Central Asia, with 132 percent growth. IT Park Uzbekistan has become a major platform for technology exports, attracting companies from the U.S., Japan, Canada, Europe, East Asia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Norway, and the Gulf.
It now counts more than 2,800 member companies, including 752 with foreign investment, exporting to 90 countries. In just two months — March and April 2025—IT Park added 132 new export-oriented companies, including 56 with foreign capital, with projected first-year exports exceeding $30 million and more than 1,600 planned jobs — more than two new firms every day. IT Park already hosts U.S. firms like EPAM, First Line and dozens of Delaware-registered startups exporting to 90 countries.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
