In a record-breaking competition, Cerberus, WeGlobal AI, and LOOQ have emerged as the top three startups from Central Eurasia. They are now headed to San Francisco to compete in the prestigious Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026.

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  • Cerberus, WeGlobal AI, and LOOQ secured the top three spots in the Central Eurasia regional final.
  • The winners will represent the region at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco this October.
  • A record 726 applications were received from 39 countries, a 50% increase from 2025.
  • AI dominance was evident, with 84% of all applying startups building AI-based products.

The regional final of the Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2026 has concluded, crowning Cerberus, WeGlobal AI, and LOOQ as the champions of Central Eurasia. These three innovators have earned their place in the Startup Battlefield 200, where they will pitch before more than 10,000 tech leaders and investors at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco from October 13-15.

Managed by the Silkroad Innovation Hub in partnership with TechCrunch, Freedom Holding, Astana Hub, and IT Park Uzbekistan, the competition saw an unprecedented surge in interest. Out of 726 applications spanning 39 countries, only 22 finalists made it to the live pitch session. The judging panel consisted of 47 experts from eight different nations, complemented by AI-Dana, an AI judge who returned for a second year to provide an objective, data-driven perspective.

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Why This Matters

BozokMedia analysis shows that the sheer volume of AI-centric applications (84%) indicates that Central Eurasia is no longer just adopting global trends but is actively competing in the 'AI Arms Race.' The shift from traditional software to AI-agentic workflows in cybersecurity and mental health suggests a sophisticated maturation of the regional talent pool, making it a prime target for global VC investment.

"Road to Battlefield proves this ecosystem is thriving and that there’s a real pathway for founders here to compete on a world stage." - Isabelle Johannessen, Head of Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch.

The first-place winner, Cerberus from Uzbekistan, is pioneering AI-powered cybersecurity. By automating the hunt for vulnerabilities in corporate IT systems, Cerberus aims to eliminate the 'hallucination' risks associated with general-purpose LLMs. This victory marks a milestone for Uzbekistan, signaling the country's rapid ascent in the global deep-tech arena.

Following closely, WeGlobal AI from Kazakhstan took second place. Their platform leverages AI to bridge the gap in student mental health and career guidance, addressing a critical shortage of school psychologists. Rounding out the top three is LOOQ, which utilizes AI-powered hardware to provide precise analytics on billboard engagement, transforming traditional outdoor advertising into a measurable digital-like medium.

Startup Country Core AI Innovation
Cerberus Uzbekistan Automated Cybersecurity Vulnerability Hunting
WeGlobal AI Kazakhstan Student Mental Health & Career AI Platform
LOOQ Central Eurasia AI-powered Billboard Engagement Hardware
Did You Know?: The competition integrated a non-human judge, AI-Dana, to evaluate pitches, reflecting the very technology the competing startups were building.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where will the final competition take place?
The winners will compete at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco, California, from October 13-15.

2. What percentage of the applicants were AI-focused?
An impressive 84% of the 726 applying startups were building AI products.