PASHA Holding Wraps Up INMerge Innovation Summit 2025 in Baku
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The INMerge Innovation Summit 2025, organized by PASHA Holding, has concluded in Baku, bringing together more than 5,000 participants, 150 speakers, 100 startups, and over 80 venture funds from across Central Eurasia. Over two days, the region's largest innovation forum showcased how global ideas and local talent are shaping the future of technology, business, and investment.
The Summit's agenda covered eight key sectors — from Fintech and Responsible Banking to Data & AI, Industry 4.0, Telecom, Marketing, E-Commerce, and Investment. International thought leaders including Ed Catmull (Pixar), Marc Randolph (Netflix), Zack Kass (formerly OpenAI), Hal Gregersen (MIT), and Tarun Khanna (Harvard) joined regional policymakers, entrepreneurs, and investors to discuss the trends reshaping economies.
At the opening ceremony, Mikayil Jabbarov, Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan, underlined that over the past two decades the country has attracted $344 billion in investment, with more than $210 billion directed into the non-oil sector. Jalal Gasimov, CEO of PASHA Holding, described INMerge as "the leading innovation forum of Central Eurasia" emphasizing its growth from a local corporate event into a truly regional platform.
Day One focused on the power of education and innovation to drive national growth. Emin Amrullayev, Minister of Science and Education of Azerbaijan, joined industry leaders to stress the importance of lifelong learning, entrepreneurship, and curiosity in a fast-changing world.
Day Two featured a masterclass from Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph, who spoke about transforming a simple idea into a global success. Panels explored the future of venture capital, the rise of AI, the role of marketing and social media in local markets, and the impact of data on the energy sector.
The Summit concluded with the InBattle Startup Awards, where 40 startups from across the region competed. Mulk Protocol, an investment platform developed in Uzbekistan that enables property and business owners to tokenize their assets in a Sharia-compliant way, took the top prize of USD 30.000 dollars reflecting the spirit of a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Before the main event in Baku, INMerge 2025 expanded its footprint with side events in Türkiye, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, strengthening cross-border collaboration.
About PASHA Holding
Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Baku, PASHA Holding invests in non-oil sectors including banking, insurance, real estate, IT, hospitality, renewable energy, and other sectors With operations in Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Georgia, Uzbekistan, and Montenegro, and a workforce of over 20,000, the Holding continues to champion innovation and position Azerbaijan as a regional hub for entrepreneurship and investment.
About Mulk Protocol
Mulk Protocol is an investment platform developed in Uzbekistan that enables property and business owners to tokenize their assets in a Sharia-compliant way to improve liquidity.
This simplifies fundraising and share selling while maintaining control over the asset and adhering to Islamic principles.