JAWA TENGAH — Ketiga startup itu lolos dari 22 finalis yang dipilih dari 726 aplikasi pendaftar di 39 negara. Jumlah pendaftar tahun ini melonjak hampir 50% dibanding debut Road to Battlefield pada 2025, yang saat itu hanya diikuti 485 startup dari 27 negara.
Program ini digelar Silkroad Innovation Hub bersama TechCrunch, Freedom Holding, Astana Hub, dan IT Park Uzbekistan. Babak nasional menyaring peserta hingga tersisa 22 finalis, yang pitching langsung di Regional Final di hadapan 47 juri dari delapan negara. AI-Dana, juri berbasis AI, kembali bergabung sebagai juri independen untuk tahun kedua.
Dominasi Produk Berbasis AI
Dari 726 startup yang mendaftar tahun ini, 84% membangun produk berbasis AI. Ketiga juara mencerminkan tren tersebut: agen AI pencari celah keamanan (Cerberus), platform AI untuk kesehatan mental dan bimbingan karier pelajar (WeGlobal AI), serta perangkat keras berbasis AI yang mengukur siapa benar-benar melihat papan reklame (LOOQ).
Isabelle Johannessen, head of Startup Battlefield program di TechCrunch, menyebut ajang ini sebagai jalur nyata bagi founder kawasan untuk bersaing di panggung dunia.
"Road to Battlefield 2026 had record applications and representation from more countries than ever. The companies pitching across health tech, education, productivity, enterprise, and cyber were cutting-edge and impressive. These founders are getting global visibility at TechCrunch Disrupt, and that sends a message to the next generation: You can build locally and scale globally. That visibility is a catalyst. Road to Battlefield proves this ecosystem is thriving and that there's a real pathway for founders here to compete on a world stage," ujarnya.
Asset Abdualiyev, founder dan CEO Silkroad Innovation Hub, mengakui seleksi tahun ini berjalan ketat karena kualitas pendaftar yang kuat.
"We had a very strong applicant pool this year, which made the final selection genuinely difficult. From the beginning, the idea behind Road to Battlefield has been to give talented founders a platform to be seen, heard, and connected to opportunities beyond the region. Throughout the competition, we invited experienced VCs and tech leaders from different countries, giving founders the opportunity to pitch their companies, receive feedback, and build relationships with the global startup community. The strongest teams made it through to the final, and we are proud to have TechCrunch as a partner in creating this global pathway for founders from Central Eurasia," katanya.
Cerberus Bawa Uzbekistan ke Puncak
Cerberus, juara pertama, adalah startup keamanan siber asal Uzbekistan yang memburu celah kerentanan di sistem TI korporat secara otomatis. Perusahaan menyoroti masalah pada generasi alat keamanan berbasis AI saat ini, yang banyak bergantung pada model bahasa serbaguna dan rentan berhalusinasi ketika diberi akses ke sistem korporat.
Cerberus sudah melewati program 500 Global Eurasia dan diterima di Alchemist Silkroad — Silicon Valley Residency program. Kemenangan ini menjadikan Uzbekistan sebagai negara pertama yang melahirkan juara Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield.
"We were simply glad to be part of Road to Battlefield. Competing against 726 applications from 39 countries is valuable in itself, whatever the outcome. What made our pitch unique is that we're solving a
