The “Green and Digital Silk Road” international acceleration program, implemented within the “Startup School 3” program operated by the “Enterprise Azerbaijan” portal of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication, is approaching its final stage. The jury for one of the program’s most important phases, the “Demo Day” has been confirmed.

On November 21, 2025, experts from venture funds representing the innovation ecosystems of Azerbaijan, Malta, the United States, and Türkiye will serve on the jury at the event to be held at the Azerbaijan Innovation Center. The participation of venture funds in the evaluation process is expected to positively influence the integration of the startups into global markets and their investment potential.

The members of the jury are as follows:

          1.       Jamal Aghayev – Innovation and Digital Development Agency (Azerbaijan)

          2.       Samir Hajibayli – “Caucasus Ventures” (Azerbaijan)

          3.       Murat Baday – “Synapses Ventures” (USA)

          4.       Gonca Kara – “A8 Acceleration Center” (Malta)

          5.       Turan Ozbahceci – “Ozbahceci Invest Club” (Türkiye)

          6.       Orkhan Abbasov – SABAH.HUB (Azerbaijan)

          7.       Telman Mustafayev – “Yeni Fikir” (Azerbaijan)

During the first part of the event, “the Startup Exhibition,” participating teams will present their products or solutions, while the jury will evaluate the projects based on established criteria, including innovativeness, market potential, team capabilities, and MVP readiness. Only the most promising startups will advance to the pitching stage.

The main part of the final — the Pitch Session — will feature selected startups presenting their projects to the jury, followed by discussions on each project’s development prospects, investment potential, and commercialization opportunities. Based on the final evaluations, the top three startups will be announced as winners and awarded accordingly.

The “Startup School 3” initiative and its “Green and Digital Silk Road” international acceleration program significantly contribute to the development of Azerbaijan’s innovation ecosystem, the expansion of startups’ access to global markets, and the strengthening of international partnerships. More than 100 startup teams have benefited from the program, advancing their projects through training and mentorship delivered by international experts.