The Next Stage of the Startup Competition Has Been Launched
The next stage of the “5th IsDB Group Startups & Innovation Pitch Competition 2026” has officially commenced. The competition is being organized as part of the 51st Annual Meetings of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, which will be held in Baku.
According to information provided by the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBIA) and reported by Startup.az, more than 200 applications from Azerbaijan were submitted to the competition, which is being implemented in partnership with KOBIA. Following a selection process conducted through the IsDB’s evaluation platform, 25 startups across six strategic innovation sectors have qualified for the next stage of the competition.
As part of this stage, a three-day Bootcamp program will take place at the Baku SME House from June 14 to 16. During the program, selected startups will participate in intensive training and mentoring sessions aimed at enhancing their pitching skills, improving business models, strengthening communication with investors, and increasing their capacity to attract investment. Local and international experts and mentors with extensive experience in innovation and entrepreneurship have been engaged for the program.
The competition results will be announced on June 17 during the “Strategic Knowledge Dialogue & Global Demo Day” to be held at the Baku Congress Center. Alongside panel discussions dedicated to innovation, artificial intelligence, finance, trade, and entrepreneurship, 12 finalist startups will present their projects to an audience of international investors and experts.
In the final stage, participants’ presentations will be evaluated by an international jury appointed jointly by the Republic of Azerbaijan and the IsDB. A total of nine winners will be selected and awarded prizes.
The primary objective of the competition is to support the development of innovative entrepreneurship, expand cooperation opportunities between promising startups and investors, facilitate startups’ access to international markets, and contribute to the integration of Azerbaijan’s innovation ecosystem into global collaboration platforms.