“Yay Fest 2025” — From Idea to Signature
As part of “Yay Fest 2025,” a panel discussion titled “From Idea to Signature: Sovereign Thinking, Local Innovative Initiatives” was held with the participation of young attendees.
Speakers included Nicat Amiraslanov, Head of the “INNOLAND” Incubation and Acceleration Center, and Nofel Aliyev, trainer at the ASAN Center for Innovative Development.
During the panel, participants were provided with in-depth information on startup building, shaping successful ideas, and the role of artificial intelligence tools in this process. The session continued with an interactive discussion involving the youth.
An info session visit to the "INNOLAND" Incubation and Acceleration Center was organized for the trainers of the "Power of the Morning" development program.
During the visit, participants received valuable information about the activities of the center, the startup ecosystem, the stages of turning ideas into business, and the operating principles of the innovation environment.
The info session was presented by the INNOLAND team.
Have you heard startups say, “we’re already in the acceleration stage”?
But what does acceleration mean?
Acceleration is the phase where startups that have tested their idea and are ready to grow gain speed.
At this stage, teams:
meet with investors
strengthen market strategies
refine sales and marketing plans
focus on realistic goals with mentor support
In simple terms, acceleration is the moment when a startup is not just starting, but preparing to grow.
What do you think is the most important factor for a startup at this stage — mentorship, market strategy, or investor support?
“ASAN Service” at the “Take Off Istanbul 2025” Startup Summit
On December 10–11, 2025, a delegation from the Innovation Center of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan participated in the international “Take Off Istanbul 2025” startup summit held in Istanbul, Turkey.
At the event, where “ASAN Service” is a partner, Azerbaijan was represented with its national stand. The stand showcased the Innovation Center, ASAN AI Hub, resident startups of the INNOLAND Incubation and Acceleration Center, as well as promising local startups representing the innovation ecosystem, including Enverson AI, Convitsa, Polygraf AI, Speakday, IOMETE, Qmeter, Tryverse, and StarKidStories.
During the two-day summit, the Azerbaijan stand was visited by Selcuk Bayraktar, Technical Director of Baykar, İrem Bayraktar Aksakal, Director of the Take Off Girişim Summit, as well as investors and other key participants of the innovation ecosystem. The startups’ activities were closely reviewed, and potential collaboration opportunities were discussed.
On the second day of the event, Vusal Rustamov, Director of the Innovation Center, spoke at a panel discussion on “Regional Startup Ecosystem: Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Turkey” held within the framework of “Take Off Istanbul 2025.”
This year, the “Take Off Istanbul” summit brought together more than 500 startups from 40 countries, over 250 investors, 75 stakeholders, and 11 sponsoring organizations.
The summit is organized within the framework of TEKNOFEST, initiated by the T3 Foundation, the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey, and the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidential Administration. It functions as one of the region’s largest innovation and startup platforms, creating a favorable and barrier-free environment for innovation by bringing together entrepreneurs, mentors, venture capital representatives, and companies.