Catalyst x Yandex Uzbekistan Pitch Day

On 12 September the Yandex Uzbekistan office hosted Catalyst Pitch Day, run by StartupFest together with Yandex Uzbekistan. This edition of Catalyst looked different. Not a factory but a technology company; not a production line but a direct conversation about integrating into an ecosystem. How the day went Founders presented their projects to Yandex experts, investors and industry specialists. After each pitch the team received feedback on its project — in particular, a detailed discussion of how their solution could integrate with the Yandex ecosystem. The day did not end there. Participants networked with representatives of venture funds, and the conversation moved on to how these projects could grow and how they could raise investment. Who took part Applications were open to startup teams, people working on a technology idea, developers and students. Once applications closed, a multi-stage selection process determined which teams would take the stage at Yandex Uzbekistan. For a young team, the value of a day like this is not only the pitch. It is the chance to test a solution in front of people equipped to judge it — and to find out who they might take the next step with.