Uzbekistan and Serbia Partnered on Startup Funding
The two nations aim to scale startup support through shared grant frameworks and acceleration programs.
Updated on Oct. 8, 2026 in Startups
Live Poll
Do you believe cross-border technology cooperation agreements between nations effectively support local startup growth?
IT Park Uzbekistan and Serbia's Innovation Fund met in Tashkent to finalize plans for joint technology investments. The collaboration follows a memorandum of understanding signed between the two organizations in September 2026.
Why it matters
This partnership seeks to integrate startup support systems across borders by leveraging the Serbian Innovation Fund's Katapult acceleration program alongside Uzbekistan's venture infrastructure. It marks a push to align regional funding mechanisms into a more cohesive international framework.
The collaboration centers on the integration of existing grant structures and the Katapult acceleration program, a Serbian initiative designed to scale high-growth startups. Specific financial allocations and equity requirements for joint ventures remain under development.
The players
IT Park Uzbekistan
An innovation hub that manages venture capital and technology support programs for startups in Uzbekistan.
Serbia's Innovation Fund
A government-backed agency that oversees research grants and the Katapult startup acceleration program in Serbia.
The details
The collaboration leverages the Serbian Innovation Fund's experience in managing Katapult, an acceleration program—a structured environment providing mentorship, funding, and resources to early-stage startups—to bolster the investment strategy of IT Park Uzbekistan. Officials from the Serbian delegation and the director of IT Park Ventures discussed operationalizing their September 2026 memorandum of understanding into specific co-financing projects. The exchange focused on aligning grant programs across both countries to foster a shared venture ecosystem.
Timeline
September 2026: Memorandum of understanding signed.
October 8, 2026: Meeting held in Tashkent.
2027: Expo Belgrade.
The Tech Race
This partnership follows the operational model of the Katapult acceleration program, applying its structured mentoring and funding workflow to cross-border startup investment. The move signals an attempt to scale national startup ecosystems by linking regional investment pools.
Startups within the respective ecosystems may gain access to expanded grant opportunities and international mentorship networks. Specific criteria for these joint funding initiatives are expected to emerge as the two organizations formalize their 2027 plans.
The takeaway
The collaboration creates a formal link between Central Asian and Balkan startup support structures. Stakeholders should monitor the outcomes of the 2027 hackathon as a benchmark for the success of these joint investment initiatives.
What happens next
The organizations are scheduled to participate in a hackathon at Expo Belgrade in 2027.
Further reading
For more on international startup development, see our Startups section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Trend.
Live Poll
Do you believe cross-border technology cooperation agreements between nations effectively support local startup growth?
