Two Days in Baku

Fikr Ventures spent two days in Azerbaijan for Baku ID 2026 at SABAH.city.

We sat on the judging panel for the Nexus Awards. Reading pitches, scoring them, and arguing over who deserved to take a trophy home. It is a good problem to have when the shortlist is strong.

The best part came after the scoring. We got to meet the winners, hear what they are building in their own words, and see the work up close rather than on a slide. And we caught up with friends we are always glad to see and reconnect with.

Thank you to the SABAH Fund and the Baku ID team, Abbas Kazmi and Sultan Abdullayev. The organisation was excellent from the first morning to the last night. More than that, the doors were genuinely open. Founders and investors came from all over, showing tremendous momentum, and were all given the same access to the same rooms. That is rarer than it sounds, and it is why a week like this produces real conversations instead of polite ones.

Building something? Let’s talk.

See you at the next one.