TEHRAN – The 15th International Innovation and Technology Exhibition (INOTEX 2026) is being held in Tehran, with representatives and delegations from Russia, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, Thailand, Bangladesh, Oman, Iraq, and Turkey in attendance.

Held annually by Pardis Technology Park, INOTEX, the largest innovation hub in West Asia, offers international companies a realistic, practical gateway to explore opportunities in Iran and the region.

The event opened on September 2 and will wrap up on September 5. It serves as a great platform for domestic companies to showcase the country’s technology and innovation capabilities to the foreign participants, hold technological and B2B meetings, explore potential for collaborations, and identify market opportunities, Mehr news agency reported.

This year’s exhibition is also playing host to international news media organizations including Tehran Times, BRICS TV, BRCISLat, and DepiMedia, alongside other media and institutional groups which enhance the potential for global coverage of the event and feature Iran’s innovation and technology ecosystem.

Themed ‘Innovation Ecosystem, Under One Roof’, the event’s main objectives include strengthening ties among key players in the innovation ecosystem, attracting investment, showcasing new investment opportunities for start-ups and knowledge-based companies, creating extensive networking opportunities, and presenting specialized educational content. Participants from all over the country can attend the event online as well, ISNA reported.

INOTEX 2026 features a variety of programs—such as B2B meetings, the Investment Café, demand-driven events, specialized sessions, startup competitions, networking activities, and Job Station. These programs aim to convert the connections between ideas, technology, capital, and the market into more operational relationships.

Focusing on science, technology, and innovation ecosystems, the exhibition convenes businesspeople, technologists, industrialists, and researchers. The event aims to facilitate partnerships and provide various insights on the latest global competitive prices, quality standards, developments, scientific findings, and economic-technological ideas.

To this end, INOTEX has been organized since 2012 to serve the following objectives:
1. Investment: Connecting investors to the participants.
2. Partnership: Facilitating collaboration between technology companies and startups.
3. Networking: Facilitating communication and interaction between different components of the start-up ecosystem.

Tehran moves up in Global Startup Ecosystem Index

In a recent global ranking by StartupBlink 2026, Tehran’s position has advanced by 20 spots, ranking 348th among the world’s most innovative cities.

Tehran is home to 96 startups, making up 81 percent of all startups in the country. Tehran has approximately 1 startup per 100,000 people. In 2025, the ecosystem recorded an annual growth rate of over 36 percent. The city is currently ranked as the 1st strongest startup ecosystem in Iran, having remained stable since 2025. At the regional level, Tehran ranks 11th in West Asia, having moved up 2 spots since 2025.

According to Iran Innovation Zone, the achievement is the result of strengthening innovation infrastructure and developing interactions among different sectors operating in the knowledge-based economy, Mehr news agency reported.

The report by StartupBlink has highlighted the role of Pardis Technology Park, the country’s largest technology and innovation hub, as one of the driving forces of Iran’s knowledge-based economy. The park hosts hundreds of knowledge-based and technology companies, creating business development infrastructure and providing a platform for enhancing cooperation among startups, investors, large industries, and institutions.

Moreover, hosting the International Innovation and Technology Exhibition (INOTEX) every year, Pardis Technology Park plays a key role in networking and connecting experts in the innovation ecosystem. According to the report, thanks to the capacities of Pardis Technology Parks, Iran’s startup ecosystem ranks 95 globally.

The Innovation and Prosperity Fund and MCI (Hamrah Aval – Iran’s first mobile operator) Ventures are the two other key agents that have developed Iran’s innovation ecosystem by facilitating the growth of technology and knowledge-based companies.

Iran ranks 58th globally in ‘Corporate Engagement’, an indicator that reflects the effective interactions between large industries and innovative and technological companies.

Fintech, the leading industry in Iran, ranks 72nd globally, 5th in the Middle East, indicating the country’s high capacity in the development of financial technologies. Iran Fintech Industry has 23 startups, representing 19 percent of all startups in Iran.

In the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026, Iran’s startup ecosystem is ranked 103rd worldwide, holding steady compared to the previous year. The Iranian startup ecosystem ranks 10th in West Asia, having remained stable since 2025. It ranks right after Oman and is followed by Iraq.

The country has 118 startups, representing one percent of all startups in the Middle East. This equals approximately one startup per 100,000 people. The ecosystem grew by +54.4 percent over the past year.

MT/MG