The semifinal stage of the “Digital Startup Awards” competition has been held in Azerbaijan

In partnership with “INNOLAND” Incubation and Acceleration Center and “Sabah Hub,” the Azerbaijani semifinal of the international “Digital Startup Awards” competition in the “Best Startup Project” category was successfully held.

Twenty innovative startup projects representing Azerbaijan took part in the semifinal. The startup teams presented their projects to the jury, where they were evaluated based on criteria such as business model, technological innovation, and market potential.

The “Digital Startup Awards” program is an international initiative that fosters a multi-level development mechanism within the region’s startup ecosystem and is distinguished by its stage-based selection process. In the “Best Startup Project” category—one of the three main stages of the program—two projects, “StarKidsStories” and “Tryverse,” were announced as winners.

“StarKidsStories” is an innovative startup that creates personalized children’s storybooks using artificial intelligence technologies. The project stands out for its scalable model and strong profit potential.

“Tryverse” is a platform that combines 3D and augmented reality (AR) technologies to enhance online sales of physical products.

These two startup projects have earned the opportunity to represent Azerbaijan in the international final to be held in Uzbekistan, where they will compete with the most promising startups from nine countries.

The startups selected for the semifinal stage were chosen from nearly 100 applications and evaluated by distinguished jury members and experts, including Dalerkhon Nodirov (Deputy Director of IT Park Ventures), Mubariz Shahbazli (Head of the UNEC Startup Incubator), and Masud Alisoy (Investment Specialist representing the Sabah Foundation). Mr. Elshad Mammadzada (Executive Director of Akademi Group), representing the INNOLAND Incubation and Acceleration Center, evaluated the EdTech startups as an expert judge in educational innovation.

Overall, more than 150 startups from Azerbaijan applied for the competition. The “Digital Startup Awards” program is organized by “StartupBase,” an innovation platform of IT Park Uzbekistan. The program aims to promote digital innovation, support the development of the startup ecosystem across Central Asia and the Caucasus, and create opportunities for young entrepreneurs to gain international recognition.

The first online training of the “RoboCode” robotic coding camp successfully took place.

During the session, Baha Dursun, a Robotics Software Engineer at “Saha Robotics,” taught participants the basics of robotic coding.

The opening of the "NeecroLearn" program took place with the support of INNOLAND

The opening ceremony of the "NeecroLearn" game incubation and intensive training program was held, organized by the "INNOLAND" Incubation and Acceleration Center of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the "Neecro Project" studio.

In the first part of the event, a networking session was organized to allow participants to meet and connect with one another.

In the second part, detailed information was provided about the general flow of the program, its stages, and expectations from the participants. It was announced that within the framework of the program, participants will learn to develop games and interactive projects using Unity and Blender.

Participants will also take part in meetings with local and international mentors, and will gain hands-on experience by working on real projects in teams.

The goal of the "NeecroLearn" program, which will run for 6 months, is to develop the practical skills of young people in the field of gaming and digital products, and to support the creation of new projects in this area.