- One of the region’s leading innovation festivals, “Baku ID 2026,” held at SABAH.city, has concluded.
Baku, Absheron, Oct 13, 2026, ZEX PR WIRE — The two-day programme brought together prominent international speakers, including Balázs Hendrich (Representation of the Organization of Turkic States in Hungary), Khamis Said Abdalla (Ministry of Education and Vocational Training of Zanzibar), Walid Mansour (MEVP), Sina Afra (Founder One), Tanat Uskembayev (Astana Hub), and Dominique Piotet (Ukraine Phoenix Tech Fund).
The local ecosystem was represented by Fariz Jafarov (Center for Analysis and Coordination of the Fourth Industrial Revolution), Taleh Karimli (Innovation and Digital Development Agency), Ramik Guliyev (Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan), Teymur Aliyev (SOCAR), and others.
“Baku ID 2026” also hosted the Azerbaijan Regional Final of the Startup World Cup, created by Pegasus Tech Ventures, organized by SABAH.angels, and supported by Turkish Airlines as the official travel partner. From 160 applications across 20 countries, an international jury selected 10 finalists to pitch to investors. Kazakhstan-founded 4sell.ai won the competition, securing a spot at the Grand Finale in San Francisco on November 6.
Another highlight was the NEXUS Awards, spotlighting promising regional startups and investors. This year, 80 startups competed across 15 categories, drawing over 100,000 public votes, with 12 winners announced. Key recipients included Forg3t Protocol (“AI Startup of the Year”), Ayan Capital and Paypercut (“FinTech Startup of the Year”), Wellbees (“Health and Wellness Startup of the Year”), Jusoor Labs (“EdTech Startup of the Year”), and Fuelin (“Mobility & Logistics Startup of the Year”). Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP) won “Venture Capital Fund of the Year,” and Sina Afra received the “Special Recognition Award.”
Additionally, SABAH.HUB, SABAH.fund, and Türkiye’s AI Startup Factory platform signed a memorandum of cooperation to foster startup growth and expand cross-border investment.
The Startup World Cup regional final, the NEXUS Awards, and the new partnership agreements reinforced Baku ID’s role as a vital hub connecting regional innovation ecosystems.
The strategic partners of “Baku ID 2026” were the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, PASHA Holding, SOCAR, and C4IR Azerbaijan under the Ministry of Economy. The main partners were the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDA) and TIMES.
Further information about the festival is available on the bakuid.com website and the official social media accounts of “Baku ID.”
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