The tension of innovation is most noticeable in ecosystems that are undergoing change and have yet to reach the stage of consolidation. The tension of innovation is felt very strongly in Georgia, particularly in its capital Tbilisi, and took shape with the 2025 edition of the Touch Summit, the event organised, promoted and sponsored by Touch Platform, which is the main opportunity for the local ecosystem to meet and interact with the many speakers that the organisation invites from all over the world. This year, we at Startupbusiness were also present, both as speakers and partners.
Last year, the event was cancelled at the last minute due to sudden socio-political turmoil, but this year it went ahead as planned, serving as a bastion of opportunity that the Caucasian country cannot afford to miss. We had already begun to explore the area with Armenia (see report here), and Georgia has now reinforced that emerging ecosystem, which is based on a solid culture and awareness of innovation, of course, but also of the importance of education and international relations.
The event is organised by Touch Platform, a solid and substantial initiative led by Natia Gogia, Beka Kvartskhava and Nino Kiknadze, professionals in the fields of design, marketing and events, who have decided to make a substantial contribution to their country by creating Touch Summit with the support of important partners. this year, for example, the main names are Bank of Georgia and the Swedish diplomatic representation (Sweden is showing considerable interest in the Caucasus countries and also played an important role in the mission to Armenia), together with many other Georgian and international partners.
Touch Platform 2025 was held on 5 and 6 December at the Rustaveli Theatre and Stamba, a multifunctional facility with co-working spaces, hotels, restaurants, wine bars, which has tastefully renovated the structure of an old Soviet-era printing house with architectural and artistic flair. This architectural approach combines the design of ultra-modern spaces with the availability of structures that lend themselves to complete renovation, a model that has another example in the city, less luxurious than Stamba, called Fabrika, a structure located in the Marjanischvili area that was once an industrial tailor’s shop.
Beautiful and functional spaces, therefore, but above all high-profile content. The care with which the organisers chose speakers from Europe and the Middle East in particular, in addition to Georgian and Armenian speakers, of course, demonstrates that the primary purpose of Touch Summit is to develop a culture of innovation and international connections, a real cross-fertilisation that is extremely useful for a country that wants to be increasingly present and known for the things it has and does, which are of the highest value, a desire that is also evident in the widespread presence of European Union flags, often displayed alongside national flags, representing a vivid and present sign of the ambitions of a country that has achieved the status of official candidate for EU membership in 2023.
In this context, innovation took centre stage with artificial intelligence becoming the central theme in every possible form, but also with presentations related to communication, marketing, the presence of extraterrestrial life, the power of human intelligence, and the role that innovation plays in overcoming the economic, social and environmental challenges we face. Not only speeches and round tables, but also workshops, a formula that has been very successful, demonstrating the desire to learn things in depth, to get our hands dirty, thus returning to the importance of education in its broadest and deepest sense.
And then there are the entrepreneurs, start-ups and scale-ups that presented themselves and actively participated in the Touch Summit, including lifescience with, for example, BioChimPharm develops products based on bacteriophages for the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections, an approach that is currently the best possible alternative to traditional antibiotics: “We are not a start-up in the true sense of the word, as the company has been around for many years – explains Rati Golijashvili, managing director. – but we are very focused on innovation and research and development”, there is edutech with BrightLab organises training courses as well as events and meetings designed especially for young people: “We were founded very recently – explains Ani Gavashelashvili, founder and director of the start-up. – but we are already seeing how strong the demand is. Initiatives like ours are needed for the community, especially for young people who want to learn languages well and access international opportunities”. Collabra is a start-up operating in the field of influencer marketing, as explained by Ilona Jikia, co-founder and CEO: “We have created a platform where anyone who wants to communicate a message can log in, describe their needs, and creators then make proposals so that the customer can choose the one they prefer, which is then used online.” Lasha Telia is the CMO of Tvitkitxva.ge, a platform that allows documents to be translated into audio, which works with the Georgian language but can also be extended to other languages. “I am always very attentive to the dynamics and the way in which start-ups develop – says David Chikhladze, founder and CEO of Investo.ge, which provides services to start-ups such as evaluation models and relationships with potential investors – Here in Georgia, although it is still not very easy to develop businesses and innovation, there are many entrepreneurs who are working well because it is important to create value.”
Giga Anchabadze is the founder and CEO of Itforsec, an independent technology start-up that develops privacy-conscious products for informed internet use. It focuses on simplicity, speed and user control in a world overloaded with advertising, tracking and bloated software. Its flagship product is BrowseBrave, a minimalist, single-session mobile browser designed for fast, distraction-free and private browsing. The company also develops educational apps such as M-Quotes and PhraseX, an offline app for learning American idioms and everyday phrases: “Our apps are available for both Android and iOS and embody our startup’s mission, which is to provide targeted tools that respect users and solve real problems,” Anchabadze points out. Meanwhile, Melano Beridze, an IT student who looks to the future with enthusiasm, studies between Georgia and the Netherlands, is attentive to the problems of the academic world and plans to use technology to make life easier for students and teachers, says: “I believe there is a lot of room for improvement, there is no shortage of ideas, the most complex part for me right now is putting together the right team because we are aware that this is the key element, especially in the initial phase of the project.”
Touch Summit is certainly a major undertaking, a complex challenge, and like all tech events around the world, it is an initiative that is renewed year after year to build its reputation and role in the country, but also in the area that is in great need of this type of opportunity. It is essential that it continues to develop with this approach, which is almost more oriented towards creating a culture of innovation, technology and its relationship with economic and social issues, rather than simply promoting those who make technology.
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