From Geneva to Tashkent: Generation Impact Global recognised in Plug and Play Uzbekistan’s Batch 5 cohort

Why Uzbekistan — and why it matters

When people think about sustainable finance technology, Central Asia is not usually the first place that comes to mind. But that is precisely why this moment matters.

Generation Impact Global has been awarded a Certificate of Achievement for outstanding technology innovation as part of the Batch 5 cohort at the Plug and Play International Accelerator in Uzbekistan — a programme supported by the Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan and IT Park Uzbekistan.

For a company that builds ESG data management and regulatory compliance technology from Geneva, this may seem like an unexpected destination. But Uzbekistan is no longer an early-stage ecosystem. Total venture capital in the country reached $54 million by the end of 2024, with the number of active VC firms growing from four in 2021 to eleven. In 2025, Uzbekistan entered the global top 100 startup rankings for the first time, recording an annual ecosystem growth rate of nearly 90%.

This is a country building its financial infrastructure now — and that creates a rare and valuable opportunity to embed sustainability data practices and responsible reporting frameworks into systems before legacy complexity sets in.

What is Plug and Play Uzbekistan?

Plug and Play launched its Uzbekistan office in 2023 in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Technologies and IT Park Uzbekistan. Since its launch, the programme has run multiple acceleration cohorts, supporting startups from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and beyond — across fintech, enterprise, AI, and sustainability.

The Uzbekistan accelerator is not an isolated regional initiative. It is part of the same global network whose fintech vertical includes corporate partners such as Visa, BNP Paribas, US Bank, and Franklin Templeton. The programme provides startups with access to mentorship, corporate introductions, investor engagement, and pilot opportunities — with no equity requirement.

What the recognition means for Generation Impact Global

Being recognised within this ecosystem validates something we have been building for several years: enterprise technology that helps financial institutions collect, manage, and report sustainability data reliably.

The question of how to organise ESG data, ensure reporting accuracy, and maintain regulatory compliance is one that every financial market will face — including those in Central Asia that are now building their financial systems from scratch.

Uzbekistan’s relevance to ESG and sustainable finance

Uzbekistan’s startup ecosystem is dominated by fintech. Digital payment solutions, banking alternatives, and financial inclusion technologies are reshaping the country’s economy. At the same time, the government is actively investing in digital transformation through programmes backed by IT Park Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Digital Technologies.

The Plug and Play Uzbekistan programme’s 2025 agenda reflected this trajectory, with a strategic focus on fintech, enterprise AI, and corporate innovation — including industry-specific cohorts and the integration of corporate introductions alongside venture capital engagement.

For GIG, the value of this programme goes beyond a certificate. It means direct exposure to how an emerging market is approaching financial regulation, institutional infrastructure, and the early-stage decisions that will define its sustainability reporting frameworks for decades to come.

What we took away from the experience

The Plug and Play accelerator gave us something you cannot get from desk research: direct access to institutional stakeholders, regulators, and innovation leaders in a region where the conversation about ESG data infrastructure is just beginning — at exactly the right moment to shape it.

We are now exploring how our ESG data management and reporting technology can support financial institutions in Central Asia as they build the systems that will underpin their sustainability obligations.

What comes next

This recognition is a starting point, not an endpoint. Generation Impact Global is committed to supporting the adoption of rigorous ESG data practices beyond established European markets — in regions where the opportunity to build it right from the beginning still exists.

We are grateful to the Plug and Play team in Tashkent, IT Park Uzbekistan, and the Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan for creating a programme that connects global innovators with one of the world’s most dynamic emerging ecosystems.