The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), MOST Holding, and Investbanq are co-hosting the Central Eurasian Venture Forum (CEVF) in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The event aims to connect individuals, organizations, and resources to boost startups in the region and foster an environment conducive to enterprise growth.
The forum is themed "How to Ride a Unicorn?" highlighting both risks and opportunities as the region deals with technology leadership, international AI regulations, and other disruptive innovations. Attendees at the forum acknowledge that while innovation can initially be unsettling, it has the potential to optimize processes across various sectors and create significant capital growth opportunities for private investors.
"Supporting the venture capital and startup ecosystem in Central Asia is vital for fostering economic diversification, technological innovation, job creation, and inclusive growth," stated Nora Pinzon, USAID Central Asia’s Acting Regional Mission Director.
"Kazakhstan is an exceptionally innovative country," remarked Pavel Koktyshev, organizer and managing partner of MOST Holding. "Investors and startups find promising projects here. They invest and diversify their portfolios with the help of venture capital instruments."
The forum attracts business angels, venture funds, investors interested in technology startups and corporations, as well as individuals eager to learn about the region's venture capital ecosystem. It features a special exhibition platform for Central Eurasian startups where promising concepts compete for US$20,000 in seed money and other prizes from forum partners.
This year's event builds on last year's success when over 1,000 participants attended what became the largest event in the Central Asian technology ecosystem. Startups at that time raised US$5 million from investors while venture capitalists discovered creative startups and expanded their networks of institutional players.
For more information about USAID's work in Central Asia or details on the U.S. Mission’s initiatives in Kazakhstan, interested parties are encouraged to visit relevant websites or social media pages.