A panel of Central Asian experts and Google for Startups representatives conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the submitted projects. Following the evaluation, the top 15 Silkway 2023 finalists were selected, representing the best startups from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Mongolia. These selected finalists will undergo a 3-month acceleration program in Astana.

• TASS VISION, a B2B SaaS tool with artificial intelligence that helps offline retailers collect sales analytics from smart cameras;
• Voiceloft, which offers highly accurate speech recognition models for 110 languages and dialects that are 10 times faster and 100 times cheaper than those of any competitor;
• BILLZ is a versatile retail management platform for small and medium-sized businesses that comes equipped with POS, inventory management, CRM, analytics, e-commerce, and financial tools;
• Proopportunity.kz is a regulated real estate investment platform that enables individuals to increase their wealth through collective investments in income-generating properties.
• Kid Security: a parental control application that allows parents to locate their children and manage their screen time more effectively.
• TrustContract: a SaaS service that enables both parties to sign SmartContracts with a one-time password in just a few clicks, powered by blockchain technology.
• ApartX: a SaaS platform that automates 80% of property-sharing transactions for landlords using smart locks, which can increase their net income by up to 30%.
• EZapp - Mobile Orders: an app that allows manufacturers and distributors to manage orders from customers across thousands of outlets using a mobile app, website, or add-on within their company's accounting system.
• Bilimber: an app that instantly connects students with faculty.
• Squares: a marketplace and SaaS platform for booking venues and organizing all types of events.
• Kwaaka: a SaaS platform for restaurants that work with delivery services such as Glovo, Wolt, Bolt Food, and Uber Eats, and integrates all online orders from various delivery services directly into the restaurant's POS terminal.
• Garderob: a C2C marketplace where individuals can buy and sell clothes from their personal closets.
• Let's Codify: an HR-Tech startup for IT and Digital recruitment that aims to create an ecosystem of professionals open to new career opportunities, continuous learning, and professional development.
• ProsperPay: a service that provides "access to earnings," allowing employees to receive a portion of their accrued but unpaid pay for a small transaction fee.
• Cody: a versatile multi-channel trading platform that offers extensive customization options to suit the unique needs of businesses.

As part of the Silkway 2023 program, Astana Hub will offer free accommodation for two members of each participating startup team for the duration of the program. Additionally, international participants will receive visa support, while all participants will have access to training and mentorship opportunities provided by Google for Startups and Astana Hub.

It is worth noting that Kazakhstan is the first and only country in Central Asia to have launched a joint program with Google for Startups. Following the successful outcomes of last year's two streams of the Silkway Accelerator program, Google for Startups has decided to continue its exclusive partnership with Astana Hub in 2023.

In the previous year, 567 technology projects applied for the program, with 30 being selected and 25 of those increasing their income and expanding into new markets during the program. To learn more about the achievements of participants in both the first and second streams, please visit the Astana Hub website at astanahub.com.

Google for Startups is a startup program launched by Google Corporation in 2011, with over 50 co-working spaces and accelerator programs located in 125 countries. The program provides practical lessons and support for technology entrepreneurs.