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July, 2024

Silkway Accelerator

Joint program of Astana Hub and Google for Startups

The breakthrough traction-focused acceleration program
designed for startups from Central Asia,
Mongolia, Azerbaijan and Georgia

Apply here

Achievements

6

Participant countries

49

Startups

$26 M

The total volume of attracted investments

$425.1 M

The cumulative valuation of graduates

Why should you apply to Silkway Accelerator?

  • Traction

    - Main tracker

    Main Tracker will build strategic path of your stratup where you will grow . Work with Main Tracker will be both on individual and group basis where you will track your progress and hit milestones. Main tracker is responsible for  implementing management methods, track the dynamics of business performance, facilitate meetings with partner companies, etc. 

    - Line tracker

    A line tracker helps a startup to achieve specific goals set within the gas pedal program. Startups can meet with their line trackers on a daily basis.

  • Workshops

    - Workshops by Google for Startups and Astana Hub

    Highly curated workshops run by experts from Google for Startups and Astana Hub, who share their vast experience on all aspects of growing a startup. 

    - Guest lectures

    The Silkway Accelerator program also includes guest lectures with local and international VCs, successful funders and top managers of technology companies. These lectures provide startups with an opportunity to get valuable advice from experienced professionals and make useful contacts.

  • Mentors & Experts

    - Mentorship and one-to-one sessions with field experts

    Google for Startups and Astana Hub provide top-notch industry experts, who have built successful businesses, and will help to build yours. Our experts host one-on-one sessions to discuss challanges and get your company on new level by consulting on every business decision. Our community of mentors includes experts in functional areas such as marketing, finance, sales, MedTech, FinTech, etc.

  • Investment support

    - Invest Days

    An event with participation of investors, where a startup can attract investments, get financial support, sharpen presentation skills and get informational support.

    - Investor Network

    We have established relationships with venture capital funds that manage 200 million in venture capital, as well as business angel clubs with over 200 members. Our graduates are highly sought after by investors, as evidenced by the success of past graduates of the program.

    - Investment Proposal

    Everything you need as investment proposal will be developed during program, so at the end of the program you will have full package.

    - Mock Pitching

    Full feedback on investment proposals, pitching from highly advanced experts and VCs.

    - Demo Day

    Demo your product/service and pitch to a select, invite-only audience of business angels, VC funds and corporations.

  • Networking & Market entry

    - Access to market-leading regional corporates

    Connect with corporations and government agencies to have an opportunity of implementing your startups’ technology and get feedback.

    - Access to international market (Silk Road Innovation Hub)

    Astana Hub rents an office near Stanford, Sillicon Valley at California for about 300 square meters. Events, meetups, networking and studying there would be available for the top achievers .

    - Access to exclusive meetings

    As part of the ecosystem, you will meet like-minded people and make connections on a daily basis. Conferences, forums and business events in IT and entrepreneurship will open up networking opportunities for you.

    -Teambuilding

    Team building with startups from the gas pedal with different activities to increase motivation and also motivates them to work towards common goals.

    - Alumni network

    Get continuous advice and support from our active alumni network.

  • Infrastructure support

    - Accommodation

    Free accommodation for 2 team members for 3 months in Astana, within walking distance of the Astana Hub.

    - Coworking

    We give access to 23,000 square meters of 24/7 access coworking, conference rooms, event halls, in the heart of innovation centre.

    - Full Visa support

    Find full assistance for international companies with visas and electronic digital signatures.

  • Full media support

    - Regional and global media publications

    Top regional and global publishers such as Bloomberg, Forbes, Digital Business and TheTech write about us.

    - Astana Hub official page and social networks

    Interesting and successful startups will be given the opportunity to participate in interviews and live broadcasts, be published on the official page of Astana Hub, as well as in social networks with a total audience of more than 50 thousand users and a reach of more than 100 thousand views per publication.

  • Partner resources

    - Perks from Google for Startups 

    Google for Startups partners and their startups receive up to $300,000 in cloud credits depending on startup stage and revenue.

    - Perks from other partners 

    Yandex Could Boost, Github, GOhost.kz, Digital Ocean Hatch, Selzy, Notion, and etc. offer access to their services for our startups.

Criteria for participation

Mandatory offline participation

The program is conducted for 3 months in an offline format in Astana, Kazakhstan. Physical presence of the founders during the program is a mandatory requirement.

Language of the programme


Fluency in English by the founder is required to participate in Silkway's accelerator program.

Only for Central Asia and neighboring countries

The program is available only for startups from Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Georgia or Mongolia.

Startup development stages

The program is designed for startups at the PMF (achieving product-market fit) and Scale (at the scale-up and export stage).

Join the Silkway Accelerator Telegram-chat and receive

• Prompt feedback from the program supervisors

• Networking and community with program participants

Join the chat

Selection Process

  • April 15

    Application period

     

    Applications are accepted until May 24th, 23:59 (+5 GMT, Astana time)

     

  • May 27

    Initial Screening

     

    Initial screening of applications will be done without your participation, early-stage startups won't proceed further

     

     

  •  June 3

    Interview with CEO

     

    Comprehensive interview of your project with field experts

  • June 10

    Commission Selection

     

    Top 60 companies will be evaluated by comission

  • June 17

    Announcement of participants

     

    The final list of program participants will be announced on June 17 on all social media outlets

  • July 1 

    Orientation week

     

    This is an important step in the accelerator program that helps participants get to know the program, its team and resources.

  • July 6

    Program start

     

    The program will officially begin on July 6, 2024

Results of program participants

.

zypl.ai

Tajikistan

Expanded sales to 2 new markets: Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Tripled MRR and reached break-even. Investor valuation of zypl.ai at pre-seed increased from $6 million to $10 million as a result of progress in the accelerator. Raised $1.1 million from 12 global venture and angel investors.

EasyTap

Kazakhstan

MRR doubled by the end of accelerator from $20k to $40k despite the fact that core team decreased from 19 to 9 members . Moreover, the number of users grew from 5500 to 10000 with 0 marketing investments. 


Citix

Kazakhstan

Increased the company's valuation from $30 million to $40 million and entered the markets of Turkey and the UAE.





Sxodim.com

Kazakhstan

During 8 months of this year company earned $350K, while at accelerator in 3 months were able to reach $300K.  Regarding the  media stream, sales increased from $65K to $90K of stable income.

Fibo cloud

Mongolia

Increased their MRR by 22 times during the accelerator, signed a contract with the government of Mongolia for cloud services, and successfully signed an agreement with a major telecommunications company in Kazakhstan.

Cody

Mongolia

Doubled MRR, figured out the sales funnel, set up a system of key metrics and gained 3 global clients from Japan, Uzbekistan and Georgia.



TASS VISION

Uzbekistan

Increased ARPU till 70$, create new product store and changed company mission and strategy.


Codify

Kyrgyzstan

Launched a new HRTech product and subscription model. New product sales for one month is $10K.


Codify

Uzbekistan

Launched sales, grew to $140,000 GMV, piloted quality control system, increased team and built top level management, increased factoring from $100,000 to $800,000.

Feedback from participants of the Silkway Accelerator

Azizjon Azimi
СЕО оf zypl.ai
 

"It was a trio of two's, 2 contracts in 2 markets. Together, what happened is that we have 2 new partners who are going to issue more than $ 30 million in microloans and car loans using our credit scoring software, which happened within the accelerator."

Syrga Tilekova
СЕО оf NB FIT
 

"I didn't expect such a level of mentors and trackers, because in 2 weeks I realized that we are surrounded by some of the most ambitious and some of the most promising startups, well, trackers and mentors. I think it will be even more interesting next. The rest of the weeks will be even hotter and at the end of this acceleration we will be a completely adult startup."

Madiyar Toleugali
СЕО оf UvU Ridesharing
 

"Yes, we actually went through a lot of acceleration programs, but this one is different in that here you are constantly under very severe stress, and all startups, despite their even high level there, are under this stress, and this kick, it helps a lot, so the expectations - they were met, the quality speakers are also very cool, invited guests. That's why we're happy so far."

Bazar Purevjav
СЕО оf Fibo cloud
 

"We had a little history back home. And then we ended up at Silkway Accelerator, in the hands of Alisher Khasanov and the wonderful program team. The Silkway Accelerator made us think differently and changed our mentality. Now there is a focus on big results and there are no territorial limits, whether it is Mongolia or another country.."

Get a closer look at graduates of Silkway Accelerator

Silkway Alumni page

Information for foreign applicants (outside of Kazakhstan):

Azerbaijan

Georgia

Kyrgyzstan

Mongolia

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan

Azerbaijan

— No Visa needed - up to 90 days

— Companies from the Republic of Azerbaijan can apply for a temporary residence permit to stay for up to 1 or 2 years after receiving the IIN(Individual Identification Number) and EDS(electronic digital signature).

— The basis for obtaining a temporary residence permit is a signed Agreement for participation in Silkway Accelerator.

— More detailed information about obtaining an individual identification number and an electronic digital signature can be found here

 

FAQ

  • How long will the program last?

    The program will last for 3 months, including the Demo Day.

  • What is the cost of participating in the program?

    The program is fully free of charge for the participants.

  • Can I bring my team members/employees in Astana to participate in the program?

    Yes, lodging will be provided for a maximum of 2 people per team.

  • Is it mandatory for the CEO of the company to participate in Saturday traction meetings?

    Yes, the participation of the CEO of the company at Saturday traction meetings is mandatory, without exceptions.

  • Is it mandatory for a company CEO to attend Saturday track rallies?an I bring my team members/employees to Astana to participate in the program?

    Yes, participation of the CEO of the company at Saturday track rallies is mandatory, no exceptions.

  • Our group has two ideas. Can we submit two applications?

    We don‘t recommend it. You should pick your favorite idea and apply with that one.

  • As a CEO of my company, can I send someone else in my stead to participate in the program?

    No, the participation of the CEO on the program is obligatory.

  • What is the language of the program?

    The program will be held in a bilingual format both in English and Russian languages.

  • I am a founder of a startup/company and my citizenship is from outside of the Central Asian region. Can I apply?

    We only accept CEOs whose citizenship is from either Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, and Georgia.

  • Will there be accomodation offered in the city of Astana?

    Yes, for those participants that are in need of accomodation we will be able to provide solutions in Astana.

  • How do I determine if my startup/company is at PMF, Scale or higher stage?

    There are no clear guidelines on what is considered as the PMF or Scale stage of the startup. Our definition is that PMF - working channel of sales, clear of understanding of growth, good unit economy.

    Scale - putting funds into the channel of sales.

Contact with us:

 

   

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