Baku: Ulvi Rashid, the Founder and Financial and Investment Director of the US-based investment firm Traction Fund, has been honored with the 2025 Baku ID Nexus Award for ‘Building the U.S.-Azerbaijan Innovation Bridge’. The award was granted during Baku Investment Day, a major regional summit for investments with over 10,000 participants to date in June 2025.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the award was presented to Rashid during his in-person visit and participation in the Angel Investment Network’s annual gathering in Baku, Azerbaijan on November 5th, 2025. The distinction, supported by Scale AI-the US-based artificial intelligence leader currently valued at $29 billion-recognizes Rashid’s contributions to the global venture ecosystem. The selection committee highlighted his success in establishing technological corridors between the United States and the Caspian region.
As an advisor and investor, Rashid has played a role in the growth of enterprise software companies such as Intento, Iomete, Armeta AI, and Cybernet. The award citation noted his efforts in introducing U.S.-based companies to markets like Azerbaijan and the Gulf, while supporting regional companies in expanding to the United States. Rashid serves as a Board Member of Intento, a Berkeley-based company powering content localization for multinational corporations, where he guided their expansion into the MENA and Central Asia regions.
Additionally, the committee recognized his support for Kazakh founders in the US market. Companies like Armeta AI and Cybernet AI utilized Rashid’s support for US fundraising and Go-to-Market strategy. Similarly, Iomete, an emerging US data lakehouse vendor with an Azerbaijani co-founder, is rapidly expanding with large enterprises in the Caucasus and the US under his guidance.
Rahim Bayramli, CEO of Sabah.HUB and organizer of Baku ID, emphasized Rashid’s unique role, stating, “Ulvi represents the new generation of global venture visionaries… The bridge between the US and the region is very important in light of recent AI Memorandums signed with the US.”
The significance of the award was further validated by TEVCA (Turkic and Eurasian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association). Abbas Kazmi, Co-Founder of TEVCA and a Forbes-listed investor, noted the importance of Rashid’s work in connecting the dots in a fragmented landscape.
Industry representatives noted that the award acknowledges the practical impact of the Traction Fund ecosystem. Rashad Khalafov, Executive Director of IT at Bank Respublika, highlighted the value for the Azerbaijani banking sector, while Konstantin Savenkov, CEO of Intento, appreciated Rashid’s efforts in introducing U.S. technology startups to new markets.
The 2025 Baku ID Nexus Award, powered by the expertise of global tech giants like Scale AI, is considered one of the region’s significant accolades in the field of investment and innovation.