"We Facilitate the Formation of Georgian Startup Ecosystem as a Regional Hub"
''The innovative Georgian startup ecosystem, the development of which is one of the main priorities of the Government of Georgia, is being established as a regional hub and there are a number of programs.
Among them is the acceleration program, which was implemented last year together with one of the leading accelerator companies in Silicon Valley, was a regional project with about 30 percent participation of startups from the regions, which once again emphasizes the importance and role of the Georgian startup ecosystem in our region,'' the Deputy Minister of Sustainable Development, Irakli Nadareishvili, said at the Meet THE Change conference, which was held within the THE Crossroads startup platform to promote the development of the startup industry at the Radisson Hotel in Tbilisi.
Mariam Kvrivishvili and Irakli Nadareishvili, Deputy Ministers of Economy, Nikoloz Kobakhidze, Founder of THE Crossroads, Linda Pereira, Head of the Organizing Committee, Avtandil Kasradus, Head of the Innovation and Technology Agency, The role of the state in development, the need for private sector involvement and the need to develop business tourism as a strategic economic accelerator were discussed.
According to Irakli Nadareishvili, the Ministry of Economy operates a number of programs on the basis of the Innovation and Technology Agency, which actively promotes the establishment of the Georgian startup ecosystem. According to him, in the portfolio of the grant program alone, about two hundred startup projects have been financed, and the total amount of foreign investments attracted by them currently exceeds 300 million GEL.
THE Crossroads project was launched to support the startup ecosystem in Georgia and its goal is to create an appropriate environment for both startups and investors. The global platform brings together successful startups, speakers, investors, technology companies, and experts in the world to promote innovation and technology in the country and attract investment.