What Startup Garage does

Startup Garage is a privately held venture studio and accelerator headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, founded circa 2016 by Muhammad Khalil (Muhammad Xalil). The firm runs a six-month intensive bootcamp that takes startups from idea validation through MVP development, mentorship, and investor introductions, augmented by a portfolio of 50+ companies across EdTech, FinTech, AI, E-commerce, and MedTech. Supporting programs include Founders School (entrepreneurship education), SG Women (female-founder support), and Imkon Founders (free startup education for people with disabilities or facing hardship). A 600 sq.m Tashkent office with a 16-person team room, 50-person conference hall, and shared amenities anchors operations, supplemented by 11 additional regional branches across Uzbekistan and regional headquarters in Doha, Qatar and Casablanca, Morocco.

The business model is multi-streamed: (i) residency/acceleration program fees (six-month bootcamp with scholarships and funding options), (ii) recurring virtual office subscription services at 600,000 UZS/month for startups and 1,200,000 UZS/month for other businesses across Uzbekistan, (iii) one-time sales of a five-book Uzbek-language startup guidebook series at 100,000 UZS, and (iv) capital allocation through affiliated vehicles — Imkon Ventures, a $5 million venture fund, and Imkon VC, a crowdfunding platform launched in February 2026. Strategic partnerships with IT Park Ventures, AloqaVentures, UzVc, Yoshlar Ventures, SG Angels, and MOST Ventures provide both deal flow and downstream funding for graduates. Marketing and distribution rely on a self-serve website (Uzbek/Russian/English/Arabic), active Telegram/Instagram/LinkedIn/YouTube channels, referral pipelines through alumni and regional managers, and the Central Eurasian Venture Forum (CEVF).

The firm reports $2.5M+ in outside investment attracted for portfolio companies, 1,000+ entrepreneurs trained, $1M+ personally deployed by the founder into startups, and a partial exit on BITO ERP via a December 2025 bridge round led by MOST Ventures at a $10M valuation.

Name

Startup Garage

Legal name

Startup Garage

Website

https://startupgarage.uz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Startup Garage is a Tashkent-based venture studio and six-month startup accelerator that supports Uzbek, Central Asian, and MENA founders from idea through MVP and investor introductions, with 12+ regional branches and affiliated capital vehicles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Acceleration Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Computer Training (611420)

akta.pro primary industry

Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM), Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures) (FSANAHAC), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Entrepreneurship, Business & Innovation Camps (EDAMALAL), Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

Keywords

• Startup accelerator programs
• Venture studio services
• Entrepreneurship education
• Startup mentorship
• Early-stage investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Tashkent

HQ country

Uzbekistan

HQ region

Asia

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Residency/Acceleration Program Fees: Six-month comprehensive bootcamp program for startups with fees charged to participants. Scholarships and funding options available for promising entrepreneurs.
2. Virtual Office Services: Virtual office address services providing business addresses in prestigious locations across Uzbekistan for company registration and correspondence.
3. Educational Materials and Books: Sale of startup guidebook series covering marketing, sales, business models, investors, and startup journey. Package price of 100,000 UZS for five books.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Startup Garage is a venture studio and startup accelerator that runs a 6-month residency bootcamp guiding entrepreneurs from idea validation through MVP development to investment attraction. It is supported by related programs including Founders School for entrepreneurship training, Imkon Founders for inclusive access, SG Women for female founders, and the Imkon VC crowdfunding platform, alongside a portfolio of 50+ startups across EdTech, FinTech, AI, MedTech, and e-commerce.

Product overview

Startup Garage operates as a venture studio and accelerator platform offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services. The core offering is the 6-month Startup Garage bootcamp that transforms ideas into investable businesses. Supporting programs include Founders School for entrepreneurship education, Imkon Founders for inclusive startup access, and Imkon VC for crowdfunding investment. Specialized initiatives cover SG Women for female founders and a portfolio of 50+ portfolio companies across EdTech, FinTech, AI, MedTech, and E-commerce sectors. The ecosystem is supported by startup guidebooks, virtual office services, and physical workspace across 14+ branches in Uzbekistan plus locations in Qatar and Morocco.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Founders School: Comprehensive training program for aspiring entrepreneurs and experienced business people wanting to dive into the startup world, providing essential knowledge and skills to create, manage, and scale startups.
• Imkon Founders
• SG Women
• Micro Studio
• Imkon VC

Products and services

• Startup Garage Residency Program A 6-month intensive startup bootcamp that guides individual entrepreneurs from idea validation through MVP development, product, marketing, investor relations, team building, and international market entry. Designed for aspiring and early-stage founders.
• Founders School Comprehensive entrepreneurship training program for aspiring entrepreneurs and experienced businesspeople who want to dive into the startup world, providing the essential knowledge and skills to create, manage, and scale startups.
• Imkon Founders

Quantifiable outcome

• $2,500,000+ investment attracted for clients
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FAO Partners (South Korea)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Korean partner that signed partnership agreement with MOST Ventures at CEVF 2026 for cross-border startup ecosystem collaboration.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Y Combinator: Premier global accelerator offering seed funding, mentorship, and demo days in exchange for equity. Comparable as a top-of-funnel startup accelerator with similar residency program structure.
• SOSV: Multi-stage venture fund and accelerator running vertical-specific programs (e.g., HAX for hardware). Comparable for its accelerator-plus-fund structure with global emerging-market exposure.
• Techstars: World-leading accelerator running 3-month bootcamps with mentorship and demo-day investment. Directly comparable to Startup Garage's residency program structure and investor-network-led model.
• Plug and Play: Global startup accelerator and venture studio with corporate partnerships. Comparable for its program-based acceleration, investor network, and multi-region presence.
• Antler: Global venture studio that recruits founders, helps build companies from idea stage, and provides initial capital. Most directly comparable to Startup Garage's venture-studio model with multi-country presence including emerging markets.
• Brinc: Global venture accelerator with strong emerging-markets focus across MENA, Asia, and Latin America. Comparable due to its emerging-market geographic focus and hardware/software accelerator programs.
• Founders Factory: Venture studio and accelerator that builds and scales startups alongside corporate partners. Comparable due to its venture-studio-plus-accelerator hybrid model and emerging-market presence (e.g., Africa).
• 500 Global (500 Startups): Global venture firm and accelerator with a strong emerging-markets footprint. Comparable for its accelerator programs, founder education curriculum, and emerging-market deal-flow focus.

Regional players

• Astana Hub: Kazakhstan's largest international technopark and startup accelerator. Directly comparable as a Central Asian peer accelerating startups from idea to investment stage, though government-backed and geographically adjacent rather than competing in the same territory.

Broad incumbents

• IT Park Uzbekistan: Government-affiliated tech park providing incubation, acceleration, and venture funding in Uzbekistan. Comparable as an Uzbekistan-focused ecosystem enabler, though it operates more as a state-backed broad incubator than a private venture studio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/startupgarageuz
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@startupgarage_uz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/startupgarageuz
• Instagraminstagram.com/startupgarage_uz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Startup Garage