Jury Panel announced for the “Startup School 3” finale
The “Green and Digital Silk Road” international acceleration program, implemented under the “Startup School 3” initiative by the Enterprise Azerbaijan portal, operated by the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), is approaching its final stage. The jury panel for one of the program’s most important milestones, “Demo Day,” has now been confirmed.
The event, scheduled for 21 November 2025 at the Azerbaijan Innovation Center, will feature experts representing the innovation ecosystems of Azerbaijan, Malta, the United States, and Turkey as members of the jury. Participation of venture fund representatives in the evaluation process will provide startups with enhanced opportunities to integrate into global markets and attract investment.
The jury members are as follows:
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Jamal Aghayev – Innovation and Digital Development Agency (Azerbaijan)
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Samir Hajibayli – Caucasus Ventures (Azerbaijan)
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Murat Baday – Synapses Ventures (USA)
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Gonca Kara – A8 Acceleration Center (Malta)
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Turan Ozbahceci – Ozbahceci Invest Club (Turkey)
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Orkhan Abbasov – SABAH.HUB (Azerbaijan)
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Telman Mustafayev – Yeni Fikir (Azerbaijan)
The first part of the event, the Startup Exhibition, will allow participating teams to showcase their products and solutions. The jury will evaluate these projects based on pre-defined criteria, including innovation, market potential, team capabilities, and MVP readiness. Only the most promising projects will advance to the Pitch stage.
During the Pitch, selected startups will present their projects to the jury, highlighting development prospects, investment potential, and commercialization opportunities. Based on the final evaluation, the top three projects will be announced as winners and awarded accordingly.
The “Startup School 3” initiative, together with the “Green and Digital Silk Road” acceleration program, plays a pivotal role in advancing Azerbaijan’s innovation ecosystem, facilitating startups’ access to international markets, and expanding global partnerships. Over 100 startup teams have participated in preparatory phases under the guidance of international trainers and mentors, refining and developing their projects for this finale.
