Cliona Jordan, Early Stage Startup Lead, Google

“I’d like to highlight Azerbaijan’s remarkable human capital. First, the demographic profile is a major advantage: a young population that is highly adaptable, digitally fluent, and quick to embrace new technologies. Second, having a market of 10.5 million people gives you an ideal environment to test, scale, and refine products — essentially, a perfect innovation lab. Another strength is the country’s linguistic diversity. Operating across four languages naturally builds bicultural and cross-cultural fluency, which extends beyond communication to a strong understanding of both Western and Eastern business practices. This ability to bridge different worlds is a true competitive edge. One of the qualities that struck me most is hospitality. If you channel that same spirit into your businesses, particularly in customer experience and service, it will set you apart. Finally, what I admire most in emerging markets is resilience. When challenges arise, you tackle them head-on. Unlike organizations that may have become complacent over time, you demonstrate an impressive capacity to adapt, persevere, and innovate.”

Samir Hamidov, National Program Manager for EBRD’s Advice to Small Business Programme in Azerbaijan

“EBRD Start Venture program is designed to support startup development and is currently active in 26 markets. Through Start Venture, participating startups receive a comprehensive business diagnostic. Selected startups are then provided with up to €50,000 to cover training, mentorship, and advisory services of their choice — whether local or international. Advisory support can include IT development, marketing, organizational development, and more, all fully funded within the program limit. Startups also gain access to world-class mentors, opportunities to pitch at major events and demo days, and tailored support for fundraising activities. To date, the combined valuation of Start Venture portfolio companies has reached nearly US$4 billion, with more than 600 advisory projects implemented.”

Judges: Amy Peck, Founder & CEO, EndeavorXR; Ryan Wang, Co-founder and General Partner of Outpost Capital, Managing Partner at Solaris Venture; Fabio La Franca, Founder and Managing Partner of Blueverse; Masud Alisoy, Investment Associate, SABAH.fund; Abdulla Al-Naimi, Managing Director Doha Business Consulting; Ilkay Demirdag, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Energy Shift Capital