The accelerator received 238 applications from 11 countries, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Pakistan, the USA, the UK, South Korea, and the UAE. Out of these, 15 teams passed the rigorous selection process, with 13 successfully completing the acceleration program.

“Over three years of collaboration with Google for Startups, 62 startups from Central Eurasian countries have successfully completed the acceleration program. Graduates from previous batches have raised over $26 million in investments, and the total valuation of these companies has reached $425 million, with expansion into markets such as the UAE, Turkey, the USA, and others. We believe this partnership provides access to international experts and lays a strong foundation for scaling startups globally. We plan to further enhance cooperation with leading global companies to support the growth of the startup ecosystem,” said Magzhan Madiyev, CEO of Astana Hub.

Participants of the fifth batch presented their projects and achievements during Demo Day. A notable success story from this batch was Beksar, a startup focused on digitalizing small and medium-sized businesses in the retail sector. During the accelerator, the company tripled its revenue, with its MRR reaching $75,000.

“Participation in the Silkway Accelerator significantly improved our financial performance and operational processes. We also reduced customer churn by 70% through the implementation of a quality control system. The program helped us clearly define our scaling strategy, and as a result, we launched offices in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. We have also identified Central Asia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia as key markets for further growth,” shared Maksat Bektibayev, co-founder of Beksar.

The Checkdoc.kz startup increased its monthly income by 20 times and signed contracts worth 46 million tenge. “We restructured the team, bringing in key specialists, and entered the B2B market, securing major contracts in the medical and insurance sectors. We are also planning to launch a new product, Checkdoc Digital Insurance, which will enable efficient management of insurance services for employees,” said Aktoty Smatova, CEO of Checkdoc.kz.

The following Kazakhstan’s projects also successfully completed the acceleration program: ab.ai, a web platform for adaptive learning for schoolchildren; Alaqan, which enables users to log in, access locations, and make payments using their palm; biny.co, the largest online platform for freight forwarding; Courstore, a SaaS platform for online courses that uses AI to automate processes; Prometei, a platform for automating marketplace sales with AI; WeGlobal.ai, an AI platform for career guidance and university admissions; and kook, a platform for managing orders and payments for restaurants and wholesale suppliers.

Among the international participants was Lambda Global from Mongolia, which developed a platform for collaboration with remote specialists worldwide. Startups from Uzbekistan also participated, including AL-Chiroq, a platform for loyalty programs for mobile operators, and UYSOT, a digital ecosystem for the real estate industry. Kyrgyzstan's Neobis introduced an AI-based work simulator for programmers.

Over the course of 12 weeks, startups benefited from the expertise of international professionals who helped them refine scaling strategies and boost revenue. Participants were provided with free housing and office space, while workshops, mentoring support, and active networking opportunities played a crucial role in strengthening their market positions and fostering the development of innovative business models.

It is important to note that Kazakhstan is the first and only country in Central Asia to launch an accelerator in partnership with the global company Google for Startups. Detailed information about the participants from the first, second, third, and fourth batches can be found on the Astana Hub platform at astanahub.com. 

For reference: Google for Startups is a startup program initiated by Google in 2011, comprising over 50 coworking spaces and accelerators across 125 countries, offering practical lessons for technology entrepreneurs.