An Uzbek satellite in orbit and a digital bridge across the Caspian: how August 2026 shaped Central Asia and the Caucasus

We round up the month’s key stories on technology, venture capital, and ecosystem development.

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are building a digital bridge across the Caspian Sea
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are continuing construction of a trans-Caspian fiber-optic cable running along the seabed of the Caspian Sea, with the project scheduled to become operational by the end of 2026. A cable-laying vessel has departed from the port of Baku and is laying the cable toward Kazakhstan’s port of Aktau. The project is being implemented by CaspiLink B.V., a joint venture established by Kazakhtelecom and Azerbaijan’s Azertelecom Int.

Uzbekistan’s Samarkand-2028 satellite successfully launched into orbit
STAR.VISION successfully launched the hyperspectral satellites Samarkand-2028 and Lampung-1 from a sea launch platform off the coast of China’s Shandong Province. Specialists from Uzbekistan’s space agency Uzbekcosmos developed a dedicated AI module for the satellite’s onboard system, allowing it to process data directly in orbit. The satellite was named after Samarkand, which will host the 79th International Astronautical Congress in 2028.

Kyrgyzstan adopts a law on venture financing
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed the Law “On Venture Financing,” introducing legal definitions for venture funds, venture managers, business angels, and convertible loans. The law establishes the rights and obligations of parties involved in venture transactions and introduces international instruments, including future equity agreements and option agreements. According to parliament, Kyrgyzstan has between 300 and 500 startups, while venture financing reached 1.5 billion soms in 2024.

Kyrgyzstan launches its first voice AI assistant in the Kyrgyz language
FINCA Bank has launched the first voice AI assistant in the Kyrgyz language. The system operates in the bank’s contact center and processes customer requests in natural speech. The bank developed its own Kyrgyz speech recognition and synthesis models because existing solutions did not provide sufficient quality for banking use cases. The assistant identifies the customer’s intent rather than individual commands and transfers the conversation to a human operator when necessary.

Winners of Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2026 announced
Three winners were selected from 22 startups at the regional Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2026 final: Cerberus from Uzbekistan, WeGlobal AI from Kazakhstan, and LOOQ from Japan. They will represent Central Eurasia at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 in San Francisco on October 13-15, 2026, and compete for a $100 000 investment prize pool. The remaining 19 finalists in the top 22 will receive $10 000 each in OpenAI API credits.

Kazakhstan outlines key digital transformation goals through 2029
The Government of Kazakhstan has approved an action plan to implement the Digital Qazaqstan strategy through 2029. The plan covers digital transformation for citizens, businesses, and government institutions. By 2029, at least 80% of school, college, and university graduates are expected to have basic AI skills, while the time required to deliver government services should be reduced by at least 50%. IT services and digital solutions exports are also expected to grow by at least 50%.

Armenia opens its first Apple-accredited educational academy
ACT College in Parakar, near Yerevan, has received Apple Authorized Training Center for Education status, becoming the first educational institution in Armenia to receive official Apple accreditation. The college will be able to offer Apple-certified programs and prepare students for the company’s international qualification exams, particularly in Swift and SwiftUI app development. The accreditation allows students to prepare for international certification without leaving the country.

Uzbekistan hosts its first Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum
The Central Bank of Uzbekistan and the Global Finance & Technology Network held the first Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum in Tashkent on August 24-26 at Central Asian Expo Uzbekistan and the Center of Islamic Civilization. The event was part of Uzbekistan’s strategy to strengthen its position as a leading FinTech hub in Central Asia, with plans to attract $1 billion in foreign investment, train more than 5,000 specialists, and license over 200 market participants. During the forum, the Central Bank presented Regulatory Sandbox 2.0, the QFinex Quantum Test Bed, and a $50 million venture fund.

Kazakhstan and Presight AI discuss cooperation on AI infrastructure
Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov met with Presight AI CEO Thomas Pramotedham to discuss cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, and Smart City projects. Presight AI is part of the G42 group and has already participated in the development of Smart City infrastructure in Astana and Kazakhstan’s national supercomputing infrastructure, Alem.Cloud. Following the meeting, the sides identified several priority areas for further cooperation, including the development of intelligent infrastructure at Astana International Airport.

Uzbekistan launches Enterprise Uzbekistan
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the Constitutional Law “On the International Center for Digital Technologies,” establishing a special legal framework for Enterprise Uzbekistan that will remain in effect until 2100. The law introduces zero rates for corporate income tax, VAT, and personal income tax for foreign employees, while English has been designated as the official language for administrative procedures. A regulatory sandbox for testing innovative solutions for up to 12 months has also been introduced. The Center’s highest governing body is a Supervisory Board chaired by the country’s president.

IT Park Uzbekistan and 500 Global discuss expanding cooperation in venture investment
Uzbekistan’s Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov and IT Park Uzbekistan CEO Azamat Karamatov met with 500 Global Managing Partner Pedro Santos Vieira to discuss the development of the country’s startup ecosystem and the expansion of local startups into international markets. 500 Global manages around $2.3 billion in assets and has invested at least $600 000 in Uzbek startups since 2021–2022, including TASS Vision, IMAN, Cerberus, Tezbor, Talklabs, and Unitlab AI. Following the meeting, the parties agreed to continue cooperation on creating favorable conditions for venture investment in Uzbekistan.