Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have held their first joint INMerge Almaty forum, aimed at fostering innovation and technological entrepreneurship. A key outcome was the signing of a memorandum between Kazakhstan's Al-Farabi Innovation Hub and Azerbaijan's SABAH.HUB.

This document is designed to support startups in entering international markets, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions, and to develop joint intensive and educational programs. The forum served as a platform for strengthening ties and exchanging experiences between the innovation ecosystems of both countries.

A significant part of the event was the Startup Competition, where 10 leading Kazakhstani startups competed for a spot in the finals of the INMerge Innovation Summit 2025 in Baku, which offers a grand prize of $30,000. The winning project was Porte Tech, a digital concierge service for hotels.

The forum gathered over 100 participants and highlighted similar challenges faced by both countries in human capital development. The partnership between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, united by culture and and history, opens new opportunities for startups in the region.

ORIENT