Across two batches UzCombinator received 5,036 applications and accepted 56 startups - roughly one in ninety. This guide is for founders about to apply: how the process works, what is looked at, and what the 45 days hold once you are in.
The selection process
- Online application. At uzcombinator.uz/apply, about ten minutes. No pitch deck is required: you write in your own words what you are building, for whom, and why you. The form saves, so you can come back to it.
- Shortlisting. The team reads the applications and invites teams to interview.
- Interview. Thirty minutes, face to face. The questions are mostly about the founders: what you have done, what you know, how you decide.
- Decision and terms. Accepted teams hear the equity terms openly at the interview stage - the size is agreed with each startup individually; there is no single percentage for the batch.
- The programme. 45 days, at the office in Tashkent.
Who gets in
UzCombinator selects the person who will build it rather than the idea. In practice that means:
- Team - at least two founders is an advantage; a team that covers both the technical and the business side is stronger still.
- Speed - what was done in the last months: a prototype, first users, customer conversations, sales.
- Knowledge of the problem - why this problem, and why you understand it better than others.
- Openness - readiness to learn from mentors and to change course quickly.
There is no sector restriction: the portfolio has fintech, edtech, marketplaces, SaaS, media, logistics and more - all on the portfolio page.
How the 45 days go
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introductions, goals, clarity on the problem and the customer |
| 2 | Product and first customers, sessions with mentors |
| 3 | Growth: marketing, sales, SEO, the first 50-100 customers |
| 4 | Finance: valuation, cap table, preparing for due diligence |
| 5 | Pitch and Demo Day preparation, investor meetings |
| 6 | Demo Day - the pitch in front of investors |
Every week has a measurable goal, and trackers follow whether it was met. In batch 2 the programme ran with five trackers, and guests connected with Y Combinator held sessions for the founders.
What the programme gives:
- a $1,000 stipend and an office in Tashkent
- a session every week with a mentor who built their own company
- office tours and meetings with partner companies
- Demo Day - in batch 1 the startups raised $975,000 from investors
- a community that stays after the programme
Frequently asked questions
Can a solo founder apply? Yes. A team is an advantage, but an application from a solo founder is accepted.
What if I am from a region? The programme is in Tashkent, in person; founders from every region are accepted. Between batches, Founders Camp events are held in the regions.
How much equity? There is no single percentage for the batch - the size is agreed with each startup individually at the interview stage.
What if the application is rejected? You can apply again for the next batch - what you did in between (customers, product, numbers) becomes the strongest part of the new application.
Every question is answered on the FAQ page; the address and contacts are on the contact page.