The Top Voices today announced the third edition of the Tech Impact Awards — a fully remote, free-to-enter initiative recognizing individuals making real contributions to the tech ecosystem. This year, the Awards expand their focus to the fast-growing region of Central Asia and Turkey.
Central Asia and Turkey are entering a new phase of growth in technology and entrepreneurship. With a young population and a thriving culture of innovation, more founders, educators, and community leaders are stepping forward to build, teach, and share. The Top Voices sees enormous potential in this region, where visibility can act as a catalyst for progress and inspire more people to contribute openly — shaping the future of tech in practical, community-driven ways.
Applications are open until 30 September 2025 for individuals in three categories:
- Community Builders & Educators – for those strengthening the ecosystem and enabling others to grow
- Startups & Product Development – for those solving real-world problems through innovation and news products
- Thought Leadership & Public Knowledge – for those sharing ideas that matter
Submissions must be public, verifiable, and connected to one or more countries in the region — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, or Turkey — either through residence or direct impact.
Selected nominees will be publicly recognized on The Top Voices, a global community-driven media platform for early-stage startups supported by 6,000+ founders, builders, and investors across 20+ countries. Each nomination serves as a verifiable record of impact, suitable for inclusion in CVs, pitch decks, or portfolios, while connecting nominees with an international community of peers.
Judging Panel
The judging panel features regional leaders across product, community, strategy, and investment, including Erdem Tolon (Board Member, Turkish Researchers Association), Ainura Sagyn (Co-founder, Tazar), Tugrul Agirbas (Co-founder, GenWise), Aselle Tasmagambetova (Founder, Saby Foundation), Askar Aituov (Technical PM, Devs.bot), Asli Kilinc (Co-founder, agile8), Azizbek Kurbonov (CEO, AK Capital Consulting), Anastasia Sysoeva (Product & Strategy Lead, Brain Bit), Askar Bilisbekov (CEO, Qazaqstan Venture Group), Cantekin Ertekin (Managing Partner, ITGT & BeTop), Yuliia Krupenko (Fractional CMO), and Daniel Abdyldaev (CEO, Accelerate Prosperity), and other ecosystem experts.
“We’re seeing a new wave of innovation take root across Central Asia and Turkey,” said Anna Lebedeva, co-founder of The Top Voices. “From growing VC activity in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan to an increasingly global mindset among Turkish founders, momentum is building. Our goal is to give visibility to people whose work drives the industry forward — through products, education, or public knowledge. When you highlight impact, you multiply it.”
The Awards are supported by key partners across the region, including The Tech (Kazakhstan), IT Community (Uzbekistan), INNOLAND Incubation & Acceleration Center (Azerbaijan), CALI - Central Asian Ladies Initiative, Qazaq IT Community, and others.
“We’re proud to support the Tech Impact Awards 2025,” said Shavkat Karimov, Head of IT Community of Uzbekistan and regional ambassador for the Awards. “Our mission is to unite IT professionals in Uzbekistan and abroad, build a stronger industry, exchange knowledge, and create world-class technologies that improve people’s lives. Recognizing the individuals behind this progress is a step toward a more connected and impactful tech ecosystem.”
Application Details
The application process is free and takes just 5–10 minutes. Candidates may apply themselves or be nominated by others.