Representatives from Uzbekistan earned international recognition at the Global Startup Awards Grand Finale held during the EU-Startups Summit in Valletta, Malta, winning two major global categories in a competition featuring participants from more than 54 countries, reported The Tashkent Times on May 12. The achievement marks a significant milestone for the country’s growing startup ecosystem.
The Global Startup Awards is a leading international platform that recognises outstanding startups, founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders, connecting innovation communities across 154 countries and 19 regions worldwide.
Following expert evaluations and international community voting, Rakhimakhon Nugmanova, founder of the startup Peritech, received the “Ecosystem Hero of the Year” award, while Catextra was named “Best Greentech Startup of the Year.”
The recognition builds on the momentum generated during the Global Startup Awards Central Asia regional final held in Tashkent in September 2025 as part of ICT WEEK, supported by IT Park Uzbekistan. The regional event created new opportunities for Central Asian startups to gain international exposure and attract global investors and ecosystem stakeholders.
Catextra’s win in the Greentech category highlights the increasing global relevance of solutions emerging from Uzbekistan in environmental innovation, sustainability, and green technology.
The startup focuses on improving transparency, traceability, and responsible production in the textile industry by providing manufacturers with tools to map, verify, and monitor every stage of the supply chain. Its platform helps companies demonstrate product origin, production transparency, and compliance with ethical standards.
The success of Uzbekistan’s representatives in two global categories underscores the growing ability of the country’s startups to compete internationally and contribute solutions to global challenges. The achievement also reinforces Uzbekistan’s potential as an emerging destination for investors, technology partners, and international innovation ecosystems.
