Road to Battlefield Advances 22 Startups to Regional Final as 726 Applications Hit Record
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Aug 12
Road to Battlefield Advances 22 Startups to Regional Final as 726 Applications Hit Record
1 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Aug 12
Summary
Twenty-two startups from 11 countries reached the August 12 regional final after online national rounds, with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan supplying six finalists each.
A record 726 startups from 39 countries applied this year, up nearly 50% from 485 in 2025, showing the competition’s widening reach across Central Eurasia and nearby markets.
AI drove the surge: 609 applicants—about 84%—are building AI products, and judges from eight countries screened pitches alongside AI-Dana as an independent AI juror.
Three regional winners will advance to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 in San Francisco in October, competing for a $100,000 investment pool, up to $100,000 in OpenAI credits, and fully funded travel.