Road to Battlefield 2026 Draws Record 726 Startups for Disrupt
Road to Battlefield drew a record 726 startup applications from 39 countries, with 22 finalists chasing cash, OpenAI credits and Disrupt berths in 2026.
Summary
Silkroad Innovation Hub’s second Road to Battlefield, run with TechCrunch, Freedom Holding, Astana Hub and IT Park Uzbekistan, drew a record 726 applications from 39 countries, up nearly 50%, with 12 more countries, from 485 across 27 countries in 2025. The program spans Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and South Asia. Online national rounds from July 6 to 20 used 47 judges from eight countries plus independent AI juror AI-Dana, selecting 22 startups for the August 12 regional final. Three will advance to Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, October 13 to 15. The 2025 representatives were Polygraf AI, Surfaice and Investbanq, from Azerbaijan/U.S., Kazakhstan/U.S. and Singapore/U.S., respectively.
The finalists are Uzbekistan’s MoliyAI, Sino AI, Deepen, Fermopolis, Oqim App and Cerberus; Kazakhstan’s Soup, CortexAI, Scano, 4sell.ai, WeGlobal AI and ZhanCare.AI; Türkiye’s Kaptın Kaptın and Pocket eSIM; SeaDar of Azerbaijan; Telagri of Georgia; Admyra of the U.S.; Soulward of Kyrgyzstan; Suriy of Mongolia; MVSxAI of Qatar; Looq of Japan; and Defensive Pedal of Romania. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan lead with six each. AI products account for 609 applications, about 84%. Of 726 applicants, 89 are under 18, including seven founders from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and the youngest is 14. The field is 41.6% MVP, 38.6% pre-seed, 14.7% seed and 4.7% idea-stage.
Astana Hub Ventures, IT Park Ventures and Silkroad Innovation Hub fund a $100,000 investment pool split $50,000, $30,000 and $20,000. The top three get up to $100,000 in OpenAI API credits on the same split, while each remaining finalist gets $10,000. Winners also receive paid travel and accommodation and access to more than 1,000 founders across 39 countries. A 25-organization regional network supports the competition, with media backing from TheTech.
Positives
- 726 applications from 39 countries set a program record, rising nearly 50% from 485 applications across 27 countries in 2025.
- 609 applicants, about 84% of the field, are developing AI products across Central Eurasia and neighboring regions.
- $100,000 from Astana Hub Ventures, IT Park Ventures and Silkroad Innovation Hub will be divided among the top three.
- Up to $100,000 in OpenAI API credits will go to the winners, while each remaining Top 22 finalist receives $10,000.
- Three winners receive paid San Francisco travel and accommodation plus access to more than 1,000 founders across 39 countries.
Risks & concerns
- Only three of the 22 regional finalists will advance to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200, leaving 19 without a Disrupt berth.
- 80.2% of applicants are at MVP or pre-seed stage, showing that most companies remain very early in development.
- 609 of 726 applications involve AI, leaving only 117 startups outside the competition’s dominant technology category.
- Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan supply 12 of 22 finalists, concentrating more than half the regional field in two countries.