The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in collaboration with Netijelilik (MCT Agency), hosted a hackathon in Ashgabat on December 7-8, 2024. The event brought together 67 talented web developers, designers, and IT specialists from across Turkmenistan, offering a unique platform for young professionals to collaborate and showcase their creativity in the sphere of information and communications technology (ICT).

During the event, participants were organized into 15 teams and challenged to develop practical solutions for automating business processes based on real-world cases.

Teams presented their final projects to a panel of judges consisting of ICT experts, investors, and business leaders. After careful consideration of such factors as creativity, technical feasibility, and presentation quality, the judges awarded first place to the Team “Mekanly Group” for the project “Miwe Monitoring”; second place to “DarkNet” for project “Hasyl”; and third place to ”Not Found” with the project “AgriGo”. The panel provided constructive feedback to all teams and encouraged participants to continue to pursue entrepreneurship.

Speaking at the event, USAID Representative to Turkmenistan Jeffrey Skarin praised the participants for their creativity and problem-solving skills: “Hackathons like this ignite innovation by bringing together bright minds to solve real-world challenges. The solutions you’ve developed during this event not only showcase your talent but also highlight the potential of ICT to transform business processes and drive Turkmenistan’s startup ecosystem forward. Together, we are building the foundation for a future driven by technology and entrepreneurship.”

The three winning teams have been invited to join StartUp Academy, a business incubator operated by MCT Agency. StartUp Academy offers tailored mentorship, networking opportunities, and resources to help startups grow and scale their solutions effectively. Eligible participants can also join its acceleration program, which prepares startups for regional and international markets. This hackathon is part of the MCT Agency's grants program, which strengthens Turkmenistan’s startup ecosystem with support from USAID.

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