Jeddah/Bangkok, – The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) announce the launch of the Central Asia Accelerator, a strategic capacity-building initiative supporting innovative digital startups and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Central Asia.
The Accelerator is part of the broader “Boosting Exports through Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in Central Asia” project supported by ITFC’s flagship Trade Connect Central Asia+ (TCCA+) Program. The initiative underscores ITFC and ESCAP’s shared commitment to unlocking economic opportunity and fostering regional integration across Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Delivered by GUIDE, an independent affiliated entity of Gobi Partners, the Central Asia Accelerator is a hybrid three-month program designed to enhance investment readiness, support export growth, and facilitate international market access for digital ventures. The program combines intensive mentorship, market navigation workshops, and capital engagement strategies tailored to regional and global investor expectations.
Key program features include a two-day in-person Investment Readiness Bootcamp in Baku, monthly online mentorship and progress check-ins, regional market expansion workshops, and a sponsored business delegation to JUMPSTARTER 2026 in Hong Kong for top-performing participants. These activities will be delivered in partnership with experienced startup mentors, investment professionals, and regional experts to ensure actionable outcomes for scaling businesses.
Applications for the Central Asia Accelerator are now open. The application deadline is June 25, 2025. Entrepreneurs operating digital businesses in eligible countries are encouraged to apply or nominate candidates via the official website: http://www.guide.works/central-asia-accelerator.
The Central Asia Accelerator exemplifies the development impact of the TCCA+ Program, which was launched by ITFC to foster economic cooperation and private sector advancement across six priority Central Asian countries. It continues to serve as a dynamic platform for delivering trade-related technical assistance, cross-border initiatives, and innovation-led growth strategies.
About the International Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC)
The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) is the trade finance arm of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group. It was established with the primary objective of advancing trade among OIC member countries, which would ultimately contribute to the overarching goal of improving the socio-economic conditions of the people across the world. Commencing operations in January 2008, ITFC has provided more than US$83 billion of financing to OIC member countries, making it the leading provider of trade solutions for these member countries’ needs. With a mission to become a catalyst for trade development for OIC member countries and beyond, the Corporation helps entities in member countries gain better access to trade finance and provides them with the necessary trade-related capacity-building tools, which would enable them to successfully compete in the global market.
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About ESCAP:
The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the most inclusive intergovernmental platform in the Asia-Pacific region. The Commission promotes cooperation among its 53 member states and 9 associate members in pursuit of solutions to sustainable development challenges. ESCAP is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations. The ESCAP secretariat supports inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development in the region by generating action-oriented knowledge, and by providing technical assistance and capacity-building services in support of national development objectives, regional agreements and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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Website: https://unescap.org/