Central Eurasia has chosen its top startups for the 2026 Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield competition, with Cerberus, WeGlobal AI, and LOOQ taking the leading three spots at the regional finals. These companies will advance to represent the region at the Startup Battlefield 200 during TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco from October 13 to 15, where over 10,000 industry figures will gather. The 22 finalists were selected from a record-breaking pool of 726 applications spanning 39 countries, highlighting the region’s growing prominence in the global startup ecosystem.

The winners include Cerberus from Uzbekistan, which won first place with its AI-driven cybersecurity platform that autonomously detects vulnerabilities in corporate IT infrastructures, addressing gaps left by current AI security tools. Kazakhstan’s WeGlobal AI secured second place by developing an AI system to support student mental health and career counseling, solving the problem of a shortage of school psychologists. Third-place went to Japan-based LOOQ, which created camera-based hardware and analytics technology to measure actual human attention to outdoor advertising, bridging the gap between digital and physical ad tracking.

The competition reflects a strong focus on artificial intelligence, as 84% of applicants operated in the AI space, demonstrating the region’s rapid adoption and innovation in this technology. A joint investment pool of $100,000 will be distributed among the top three winners, with Cerberus receiving $50,000, WeGlobal AI $30,000, and LOOQ $20,000, supported by Astana Hub Ventures, IT Park Ventures, and Silkroad Innovation Hub. Additionally, OpenAI granted $280,000 in API credits across all finalists, reinforcing commitment to nurturing emerging AI-driven startups in Central Eurasia.

This year’s event underlines Central Eurasia’s increasing global connectivity and capacity to scale tech solutions internationally. Officials from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan emphasized the importance of global competition exposure, infrastructure, and international partnerships for their technology sectors. The Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield serves as a vital platform helping startups not only gain regional recognition but also attract strategic investments and enter global markets, promising an exciting showcase at TechCrunch Disrupt next month.