Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Startup Garage, Uzbekistan’s premier venture studio, is expanding its presence to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region with a new office in Doha, Qatar. This marks the first Central Asian venture to establish in MENA, strengthening ties between the two regions and unlocking new opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Founded by Muhammad Khalil, Startup Garage has been the leading venture studio in the country, having established a presence across 14 regions in Uzbekistan in only eight months. The venture provides aspiring entrepreneurs with mentorship, funding, and strategic guidance backed by Aloqa Ventures. By expanding to the Middle East, Startup Garage aims to serve as a gateway for Uzbek startups to access MENA’s thriving markets, while also facilitating MENA-based startups looking to expand into Central Asia.

“This expansion represents a pivotal step in bridging Uzbekistan and the MENA region,” said Muhammad Khalil, Founder of Startup Garage. “Uzbekistan has a rapidly growing startup ecosystem, supported by strong government initiatives, a favourable policy environment, and increasing investor confidence. By entering MENA, we are creating a two-way channel for innovation, investment, and market expansion. Our mission is to provide startups with the resources they need to scale, whether in Tashkent, Doha, or beyond.”

As part of the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan, Startup Garage, also known as the "Youth Bank", supported by Aloqa Bank, is contributing to the development of Uzbekistan’s startup ecosystem through the Aloqaventures fund, which backs youth-led startups.The program has already supported more than 100 local startups, with 10 currently in the process of securing external investments, and 3 having reached agreements to attract nearly US$1 million in funding. Startup Garage resident startups can receive up to US$10,000 in investment to accelerate their growth, providing a significant boost to the ecosystem’s development.

Sukhrob Gaybulloev, Managing Partner at AloqaVentures  said, “We believe that Startup Garage’s expansion into MENA will open up unprecedented opportunities for startups from both regions, we see immense potential in fostering collaboration between Uzbekistan and MENA, and we are excited to support this initiative that will drive regional innovation and economic growth.”  

With this expansion, Startup Garage will focus on incubating more high-potential startups, launching regional accelerator programs, and forging partnerships with investors, government agencies, and corporate entities in the MENA region.