Summer 2026 · Silicon Valley · 12 Fellows
AsummerinSiliconValleyforthenextgenerationofSilk Road builders.
Silkroad Fellows is a free, 6-week fellowship for 12 Central Asian students based in the US. Live in the Valley. Build something real. Join a network that lasts.
- 6
- weeks
- 12
- fellows
- 8
- tracks
- 9
- countries
The Program
Six weeks that change the trajectory of a career.
12 fellows spend the summer working on a real project inside Silkroad Innovation Hub — a Silicon Valley organization based minutes from Stanford and Sand Hill Road.
The program is free — housing and weekday lunches are covered. Transportation, breakfasts and weekend meals are on you. You bring the ambition; we provide the runway.
What fellows get
A launchpad — not just a summer program.
Housing, covered
A place to live in Silicon Valley for the full six weeks — at no cost to you.
Weekday lunches
Lunch Monday through Friday is on us so you can focus on the work.
Real projects
Build inside Silkroad Innovation Hub on programs shipping to real founders and investors.
Mentorship
Direct access to operators, founders and investors across the Valley.
The Valley, up close
Minutes from Stanford and Sand Hill Road — the rooms where things happen.
A lifelong network
Join a community of Central Eurasian peers and leaders building the future.
Inside the Hub
You'll work alongside programs that actually ship.
Silkroad Innovation Hub runs flagship programs that bring Central Eurasian founders into the heart of the Valley. As a fellow, you're embedded in this work.
AlchemistX & Silicon Valley Residency
With Alchemist Accelerator — the world's top B2B accelerator — two cohorts of Central Eurasian founders running a 4-month on-the-ground program.
Go Abroad
With Nazarbayev University Impact Foundation — 62 startups through a Silicon Valley program, 9 pitching at TechCrunch Disrupt.
Road to Battlefield
485 applications and 380 startups pitching in 2025 to win a spot on TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield.
TechCrunch Disrupt
The largest pavilion on TechCrunch Disrupt two years in a row — putting Central Eurasia on the global startup map.
Plus: AI Leaders 2026 — and four teams of three fellows each building one of the startup tracks below.
Startup Tracks
Four teams. Six weeks. Real ideas the region needs built.
We split you into 4 startup founding teams of 3 fellows. You get to pick one track. Ship a prototype.
Middle Corridor Trade OS
Freight visibility and customs automation for the China → Kazakhstan → Caspian → EU route. Massive government tailwinds.
AI-Native Fintech for Frontier Markets
AI credit scoring, alternative lending, and B2B payment rails for businesses without Western financial history.
Digital Sovereignty Infrastructure
Cloud orchestration, data localization and cybersecurity SaaS for governments and enterprises operating independently.
Water-Energy-Food Tech
AI-driven water management, precision irrigation, and energy-water tradeoff modeling. Climate-tech with EU/US resonance.
EdTech & Human Capital
AI-powered vocational training, coding bootcamps, and credentialing for Uzbek and Kazakh speakers. TAM in the tens of millions.
AgriTech for the Silk Road Belt
Sensor and AI systems for irrigation, yield prediction, and traceability — the wedge into EU market access.
Critical Minerals & Mining Tech
The data, compliance and ESG reporting layer for lithium, tungsten, uranium and rare earths in Kazakhstan and beyond.
AI for Government Services
AI-native civic tools, multilingual chatbots and document processing — the customers are governments, and they're ready to buy.
Who can apply
For Central Asian students based in the US.
You're from one of the countries here and based in the US. That's it — the rest is your story.
- Azerbaijan
- Georgia
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Mongolia
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Türkiye
- Uzbekistan
Applications are reviewed holistically. Show us what you've built, what you care about, and what you'd do with six weeks in the Valley.
Key dates
Summer 2026 timeline
- Step 01Application DeadlineJune 15
- Step 02Rolling Decision ReleaseJuly 1 (latest)
- Step 03Program DatesJuly 16 – August 30
FAQ
Questions? We've got answers.
Apply
Spend your summer where the future is built.
Only 12 fellows will be selected for Summer 2026. Reach out to start your application or ask a question.