The Kazakhstani startup Aua Line has won the Grand Prix of the international Eco Startup Competition Central Asia 2026, held as part of RES 2026 EXPO.

The final of the competition, organized by the International Center for Green Technologies and Investment Projects, brought together the region’s leading climate startups, which presented innovative solutions in the fields of sustainable development, resource management, and environmental technologies.

Following the results of the competition, the top award – the Grand Prix – was presented to Aua Line (Kazakhstan), which demonstrated a high level of development, innovation, and potential impact on the climate agenda of Central Asia. The founder of the project is Narmina Imangaliyeva.

The other winning projects were Water Watch AI Plus (Kyrgyzstan), represented by Oman Abyshev; Defuse-IT (Uzbekistan), represented by Ezozbek Ozodov; Sirly (Uzbekistan), represented by Khojiakbar Nosirov; and Organic Living (Uzbekistan), represented by Odinakhon Pulatova and Robiyabonu Ganieva.

The competition included a prize fund: the Grand Prix winner received a cash prize of 5 million tenge, while four additional finalists each received 3 million tenge.

The projects presented covered key areas of the green transition, ranging from water resource management and waste reduction to digital climate solutions and the development of sustainable production models.

As part of the competition, a strategic session entitled “Regional Development of Climate Innovations” was held with the participation of representatives of профильных ministries from the Central Asian countries. Participants discussed the prospects for jointly advancing cleantech solutions, developing the climate startup ecosystem, and strengthening regional cooperation.

Eco Startup Competition Central Asia 2026 became one of the key platforms for identifying and supporting innovative projects capable of contributing to the sustainable development of the region and the achievement of climate goals.

As a reminder, RES 2026 EXPO took place in Astana from April 22 to 24, bringing together leading companies, international organizations, and experts, and serving as a platform for promoting green technologies, investment, and innovation in Central Asia.