AI startups Cerberus, WeGlobal AI and LOOQ to represent Central Eurasia at Startup Battlefield 200

Cerberus, WeGlobal AI and LOOQ have taken the top three spots at the Central Eurasia regional final of Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2026, earning their places in Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco, October 13-15.

The three AI startups emerged from 22 finalists, selected from a record 726 applications across 39 countries. The competition was organized by Silkroad Innovation Hub in partnership with TechCrunch, Freedom Holding, Astana Hub and IT Park Uzbekistan.

Cerberus, based in Uzbekistan, is building an AI-powered cybersecurity platform that automatically hunts for vulnerabilities in corporate IT systems. WeGlobal AI, from Kazakhstan, offers AI tools for schools to track student mental health and provide career guidance. LOOQ, founded by Ayan Sakenov and Yudai Ishida, develops camera-based hardware and an “attention API” to measure real-world views of billboards and out-of-home ads.

The winners will share a $100,000 investment pool funded by Astana Hub Ventures, IT Park Ventures and Silkroad Innovation Hub, with Cerberus receiving $50,000, WeGlobal AI $30,000 and LOOQ $20,000. OpenAI also awarded $280,000 in API credits across the 22 finalists.