5 May 2025
Oomat Toromamatov, founder of the startup “EcoZelen”, based in Jalal-Abad, Kyrgyzstan
On 21 April, the final of the BATKEN 4.0 hackathon was held in the city of Batken, focused on startup-driven solutions for regional development in Kyrgyzstan.
The hackathon ran from 18 March to 21 April 2025, bringing together around 90 participants — young people aged 18 to 35 from the Batken and Osh regions. Out of the 90 participants, 50 advanced to the final stage. These finalists formed 15 teams, each presenting their ideas, business models, and minimum viable products (MVPs).
The winners of the BATKEN 4.0 hackathon were:
1st Place – “EcoZelen”. Oomat Toromamatov from Jalal-Abad (Jalal-Abad State University named after B.Osmonov) presented an automated system for restoring degraded pastures using seedballs – small balls made from local seeds, clay, soil, and water. The innovative machine, fully powered by an Arduino-based control unit, forms seedballs using a screw-feed mechanism, water injection, and centrifugal force. These seedballs are then deployed for ecosystem restoration and greening. The project aims to combat desertification, enhance biodiversity, and regenerate the soil cover of pastures.
2nd Place – AgroTech. Team members Takhmina Kadyrova, Yusuf Nurmatov, Samira Matazimova, and Guzel Asyrasynova from Osh (Osh State University) developed a prototype of a digital platform that enables farmers to transparently manage water distribution queues and the rental of irrigation sluices.
3rd Place – Usta Kural. Karina Nazirova and Aynagul Narkozieva from Sulyukta (Batken State University) introduced a community tool library in the Batken region. The service provides local residents with affordable access to agricultural, construction, and repair tools through a rental system, fostering community cooperation and rural development.
Founders of the Usta Kural startup, Karina Nazirova and Aynagul Narkozieva, from Sulyukta The goal of the BATKEN 4.0 hackathon was to support student and youth entrepreneurship and to generate new ideas for digital projects aimed at the development of Kyrgyzstan’s regions.
The hackathon was organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) – the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – in collaboration with Batken State University, Kyrgyz State Technical University named after I.Razzakov, and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ).
Partners of the hackathon included the State Agency of Intellectual Property and Innovation under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzpatent), the Digital CASA – Kyrgyz Republic Project, the Geeks International IT Academy, and the Devcit Acceleration.
The hackathon program included online lectures, training sessions, and a meetup covering key topics such as: idea generation; how a startup differs from a traditional business; how to build a business model; how to conduct customer development; and how to create an MVP – a minimum viable product.
At the meetup, Zhanyl Kozhokulova, project coordinator at the DevCIT acceleration, shared practical guidance on how to build a compelling pitch deck and how to assess the size of the potential market for a startup.
One of the winning teams, the startup AgroTech, addresses the critical issue of fair water distribution among farming households.
In southern Kyrgyzstan, water from mountain streams and rivers is directed to household plots, but the process is often regulated manually, which leads to conflicts between farmers – in some cases, water never reaches the end users. The AgroTech team proposed a digital platform with an online water reservation system, integrated with smart sluice gates to ensure transparency and equitable access.
“For us, the most valuable part of the hackathon was learning about customer development and how to pitch. When I began the customer development (CustDev) process, I first discussed the idea with my parents back in our village, and then we ran a small survey in a WhatsApp group. I spoke with around 50 people in total. The jury advised us to continue engaging with regional authorities to streamline implementation. Will we have the courage and strength to continue? I believe so. We plan to take part in university-level startup competitions across Kyrgyzstan — and then move on to the market,”shared Samira Matazimova, co-founder of AgroTech. 
Founders of the AgroTech startup – Samira Matazimova, Guzel Asyrasynova, and Takhmina Kadyrova, from Osh
After the training block, individual consultations were held. The teams booked time slots in a calendar, and ITU mentors allocated time for each team and discussed exclusively their project.
In addition, mentors from the Geeks IT Academy worked with the teams, helping to strengthen the project from technical, product, and visual perspectives. After receiving recommendations on how to improve their pitches, 15 teams advanced to the final.
With welcoming remarks at the hackathon final spoke: Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Innovative Technologies of the Kyrgyz Republic Zamirbek Kozhomuratov, Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic in Batken Region Zhanibek Mamatovich Isakov, ITU Regional Director for the CIS Region Natalia Mochu, Rector of I. Razzakov Kyrgyz State Technical University Mirlan Koichubekovich Chynybaev, Rector of Batken State University, Doctor of Economics, Professor Aidarbek Toktorovich Gyiazov, and Acting Head of the Digital Transformation Department of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic Guliza Nurbekovna Kochorbaeva.
The jury of the hackathon final included experts from ITU and partner organizations: ITU Consultant Nastassia Lahutsik, Project Coordinator of the DevCIT acceleration Zhanyl Kozhokulova, Vice-Rector of Batken State University Zhumabek Abdipatta uulu, Co-founder and CEO of the Geeks International IT Academy Aidar Bakirov, Head of the EPAM-Kyrgyzstan office Almaz Chanachev, Director of the Institute of Information Technologies of KSTU named after I. Razzakov, Professor Gulnara Jamalbekovna Kabaeva, and Deputy Executive Director of Kyrgyzpatent Tologon Mukhtarov.
The hackathon marked the eighth ITU event for students focused on startup creation. Between 2023 and 2025, the ITU team conducted trainings and hackathons at educational institutions in Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Belarus — engaging around 360 students in total.
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