By Pasha Holding
Copyright trend
The INMerge Innovation Summit, one of Azerbaijan’s largest
technology events, concluded successfully on September 29-30, 2025.
Organized by PASHA Holding and sponsored by Bir ecosystem, the
summit brought together policymakers, corporations, investors,
startups, and ecosystem players from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Georgia,
Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, serving as a crucial platform for the
regional innovation environment.
The opening ceremony featured speeches by Azerbaijan’s Minister
of Economy, Mikayil Jabbarov, and Minister of Digital Development
and Transport, Rashad Nabiyev. Minister Jabbarov highlighted how
technology and creativity are opening new development pathways,
noting that over $344 billion in investments have been attracted to
Azerbaijan over the last 20 years, with more than $210 billion
directed to the non-oil sector. Jalal Gasimov, CEO of PASHA
Holding, described the event as Central Eurasia’s leading
innovation forum, emphasizing its regional significance.
With over 5,000 participants, 150 speakers, 100 startups, and
more than 80 venture funds, the summit offered extensive
opportunities for collaboration and growth. Global thought leaders
such as Edwin Catmull from Pixar, Zack Kass, former Head of
Go-To-Market at OpenAI, and Harvard professor Tarun Khanna shared
their insights on shaping the future of business and
technology.
Bir ecosystem was a prominent participant at the summit,
showcasing its brands Birbank, Birmarket, m10, and Trendyol
Azerbaijan at its stand. As part of the event, Farid Mammadov, CEO
of Bir ecosystem, spoke on a panel titled “From Transition to
Transformation: Developing Leaders Who Build Institutions for
Innovation and Growth.” He emphasized the constant challenges
leaders face and the necessity of continuous learning. He also
addressed the question of whether companies create leaders or if
leaders shape companies, stating that the relationship is a dynamic
and two-way street.
Additionally, Farid Huseynov, CEO of Birbank, participated in
the panel “Beyond the Bank: Growing a Thriving Fintech Ecosystem”
on the first day of the event. Mr. Huseynov shared his valuable
perspectives on the future of banking, the development of the
fintech ecosystem, and the importance of digital
transformation.
The event was memorable for participants due to the knowledge
gained, exchange of ideas, and new acquaintances.
Bir ecosystem unites the country’s leading brands, Birbank,
Birmarket, m10 and MilliÖn, under one umbrella. At the same time,
the ecosystem strengthens its impact and enriches customer
experience by collaborating with strategic allies such as Trendyol
Azerbaijan and BakıKart. Thanks to this integration, customers
benefit from QR payments in partner networks and public transport,
credit shopping on Birmarket via Birbank, installment payments on
Trendyol Azerbaijan using Birbank cards, a unified bonus program
and many other solutions. All these services are built on four core
pillars of the ecosystem: Unified login, Unified bonus, Unified
payment and Unified credit platform, which deliver fast,
convenient, cost-effective and secure services to customers.
