“Open dialogue is essential for the innovation and startup ecosystem” — Osman Gunduz
Osman Gündüz, President of the Azerbaijan Internet Forum and an expert, shared his position regarding the meeting held by Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev with startup representatives.
Startup.az reports that the expert made a statement about this on his social media account.
O. Gündüz noted that the minister’s regular meetings with startup founders are a positive step, but he believes this format is not sufficient. In his view, the problems of the startup ecosystem should be discussed in a broader format — with the participation of authorized government bodies, private sector representatives, startup founders, investors, accelerators, and community leaders.
The expert stated that currently the sector is dominated by a lack of coordination and inefficient use of resources. He emphasized that the participation of the leadership of the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDA/İRİA) in the meeting showed that the event was mainly organized by this institution.
Osman Gündüz expressed concern over IDDA’s recent preference for closed formats, noting that this is no longer a coincidence but a systematic approach.
He also pointed out that although IDDA’s 2025 statistical report appears “bright,” questions remain as to whether these figures have translated into real market products, funded startups, favorable university conditions, and international results.
According to the expert, the situation in early-stage startup financing is unsatisfactory, and Azerbaijan still lacks a functional venture capital legal framework. For this reason, real venture funds have not been properly formed.
At the same time, Osman Gündüz acknowledged that IDDA has achieved certain successes in digital government development, but this approach has not yet been reflected in the startup and innovation sector.
In conclusion, he called on IDDA to move beyond “report language,” engage all stakeholders in open and continuous dialogue, support ecosystem-building programs, and take measurable, result-oriented steps.
Finally, the expert stressed that narrow-format meetings are insufficient to solve real problems and that systemic changes are required.