INMerge Innovation Summit 2025 Returns for its Fifth Edition in Baku, Bridging Ecosystems from Central Eurasia to North America

The INMerge Innovation Summit, organized by PASHA Holding, officially opened today in Baku for its fifth edition. Bringing together global leaders, investors, corporates, and startups, the two-day summit aims to strengthen the regional innovation ecosystem, foster startup–corporate partnerships, and provide a platform for the exchange of ideas and experiences. Its mission is to accelerate regional innovation by connecting ecosystems, scaling solutions, and unlocking opportunities across borders.

This year’s program is structured around 8 verticals: fintech, telecom, responsible banking, marketing, investment, industry 4.0, data and AI, and e-commerce. Each vertical features expert panels, workshops, keynote speeches, and sector-specific networking.

The summit’s opening ceremony featured speeches from senior officials, including Mikayil Jabbarov, Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Rashad Nabiyev, Minister of Digital Development and Transport, and Jalal Gasimov, CEO of PASHA Holding. Their remarks highlighted the summit’s role in advancing Azerbaijan’s position as a regional hub for technology and innovation.

Following the ceremony, the program will continue with a fireside chat led by Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios, titled “What Makes Creative People Tick? Structuring and Operating Creative Organizations”. Later in the day, Zack Kass, former Head of Go-to-Market at OpenAI, will deliver a keynote address on “AI: The Next Renaissance”, offering a deep dive into the transformative potential of artificial intelligence.

The agenda will then move into 8 sector-specific verticals, where experts and industry leaders will engage in panels, workshops, and networking sessions. As the day draws to a close, Tarun Khanna, Professor at Harvard Business School, will deliver a keynote on global perspectives in entrepreneurship and the opportunities within emerging markets. The first day will conclude with a high-level panel discussion on the education–entrepreneurship pipeline, exploring how knowledge can be transformed into national growth through innovation and enterprise.

In addition to thought-provoking keynotes and discussions, the summit will host the INBattle Pitch Competition, where startups will compete for a $30,000 prize and international visibility. Exclusive investor matchmaking sessions will provide curated one-to-one meetings between high-potential startups and leading venture capitalists, angel investors, and corporate funds. Another significant opportunity of the summit is the Global Startup Network, which in 2024 successfully brought together founders from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Israel, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Estonia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada.