Today in Astana, the Eco Startup Competition Central Asia 2026 acceleration programme officially opened – a regional intensive designed to advance climate innovations as part of RES 2026 EXPO, the international exhibition of environmental and green technologies.

The programme is organized by the International Green Technologies and Investment Projects Center (IGTIC) with the support of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Fifteen startups from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan have been selected to take part in the programme. Their projects cover key areas of the green economy, including renewable energy and energy efficiency, waste management and the circular economy, climate-resilient agriculture and water technologies, green construction and clean transport, digital climate and monitoring solutions, decarbonization, and clean technologies.

The three-day intensive is taking place from April 20 to 22 at the Hampton by Hilton Astana Triumphal Arch hotel.

Throughout the accelerator, the teams are working with leading mentors from the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP) – one of the flagship initiatives of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and UNIDO – as well as industry experts in commercialization and pitching. The programme covers core areas such as shaping a compelling offer and reaching first sales, developing a business model and go-to-market strategy, unit economics and marketing, attracting financing through grants, investors, and international programmes, and assessing the project’s climate impact.

Final to take place on April 23 at the Main Stage of EXPO IEC.

On April 23, the final of Eco Startup Competition Central Asia will take place on the Main Stage of the EXPO International Exhibition Center in Astana. The competition will be one of the key events of the business programme of RES 2026 EXPO and will run from 09:00 to 12:00 in a Demo Day format.

The award ceremony for the winners of Eco Startup Competition Central Asia will be held on April 23 at 18:00 on the Main Stage of the EXPO International Exhibition Center.

Eco Startup Competition Central Asia is being held as part of RES 2026 EXPO and is aimed at fostering and supporting climate startups across the region.