Global Tech Weekend (GTW) officially announces its arrival in Tashkent, taking place on 15, 16 and 17 May 2026. For three days, Tashkent will transform into a fully decentralized, city-wide celebration of innovation, networking, and culture, uniting global tech leaders, businesses, investors, and ecosystem builders at the crossroads of the modern Silk Road.

Tashkent is emerging as the innovation and investment capital of Central Asia, serving as a regional gateway and connector between Central Asia, the Caucasus, and global innovation hubs. GTW Tashkent is designed to reflect exactly that ambition, bringing a world-class international movement to one of the region's most vibrant and fast-growing cities.

Founded in Los Angeles and built across borders, GTW is a cross-city innovation platform connecting corporates, founders, governments, investors, creatives, startups, and universities across the Caucasus and Central Asia. Launched in Tbilisi in 2025, the movement now arrives in Uzbekistan for the first time.

GTW Tashkent is made possible in partnership with IT Park Uzbekistan, a cornerstone of the country's innovation ecosystem and a key enabler of the country's growing tech community. IT Park's support reflects a shared commitment to positioning Tashkent as a leading destination for technology, investment, and entrepreneurship across the region.

GTW Tashkent is structured as a fully decentralised, city-wide experience across three distinct days. On 15 May, the Opening Wave kicks off the movement with community-led events hosted by accelerators, universities, embassies, and innovation hubs across the city. On 16 May, the city comes fully alive with 40 or more parallel partners and community-led events running simultaneously. The weekend closes on 17 May with a day where culture meets innovation, featuring creativity and impact-focused experiences and a closing ceremony bringing the community together.

With 120 regional and international speakers distributed across partner events throughout the city, there is no single main stage. Each event curates speakers relevant to its own audience and theme.

GTW Tashkent will bring together leading businesses and high-growth startups, investors and venture leaders, government representatives and policymakers, and industry experts and global speakers, all in one city across three days.

“Global Tech Weekend is built as a platform where innovation doesn’t just get discussed, but is built, tested, and scaled in real time - bringing together founders, investors, companies, and creatives across an entire city. What started in Los Angeles and took shape in Tbilisi in 2025, bringing together over 10,000 participants, has shown that this model can create something bigger than a conference,” said Nodo Ivanidze, Co-Founder of Global Tech Weekend. “Tashkent is a natural next step in that journey - a dynamic and fast-growing market with strong local energy, where this format will unlock new connections and help strengthen the local innovation landscape.”

“Uzbekistan has been consistently building the foundations of a globally competitive technology ecosystem — from talent development and infrastructure to international market integration. Global Tech Weekend is a natural extension of this trajectory, creating a platform where local and global communities can connect, collaborate, and scale together,” said Azamat Karamatov, CEO of IT Park Uzbekistan. “For Uzbekistan, this is not just an event, but an opportunity to further position the city as an open and fast-growing hub for innovation, investment, and technology in the wider region.”

“Tashkent is rapidly emerging as one of the most dynamic and promising tech ecosystems in the region. We are seeing strong momentum across the community, and Global Tech Weekend provides a unique platform to bring all players together - creating real opportunities for collaboration, visibility, and growth,” said Aziz Akhund, Director and Co-Founder of Global Tech Weekend. “We are especially grateful to partners like IT Park Uzbekistan, whose commitment to developing the local ecosystem makes initiatives like Global Tech Weekend possible.”