All Eyes on Georgia: Tech, Resilience, and the Fight for a Democratic Future

For three years, the Alliance of Democracies Foundation has invited freedom- and democracy-driven entrepreneurs in Tbilisi to develop innovative tech solutions for Georgia’s democratic challenges. Each year’s winning team from our Democracy Tech Hackathons at DataFest Tbilisi reflects the shifting political landscape in the country. This is the story of our past three visits, told through the achievements of Giorgi Kvinikadze , Ana Toklikishvili , and Mariam kaulashvili -Southwell on their quest to defend freedom and democracy with technology—beginning with Giorgi in 2022.

In 2022, I met Giorgi at DataFest Tbilisi. He and his team had misunderstood the rules, working remotely and arriving just for the semi-final pitch. Giorgi pleaded for a chance to present. His persistence and determination earned him a spot as a finalist, and he pitched his War Fake News Detector on the main stage. Giorgi's AI-powered chatbot, integrated into Telegram, aimed to counter mis-and-disinformation in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Giorgi won the hackathon and later received the Ukraine Award at the 2023 Copenhagen Democracy Summit.

Giorgi's victory embodied the spirit of many Georgians standing with Ukraine, even as their own government showed little support. The solidarity with Ukraine's fight for freedom I witnessed on Tbilisi’s streets in 2022 was unforgettable.

In March 2023, the government proposed the controversial "foreign agent" bill, requiring organizations receiving over 20% of their funding from overseas to register as "foreign agents" or face penalties. This sparked widespread protests led by Georgian youth and women. The image of Nana Malashkhia, a Georgian woman waving an EU flag while being hit by a water cannon, became an icon of resistance. Intense protests temporarily halted the bill, but frustration continued to grow.

By our return to Tbilisi last year, disillusionment with the Georgian Dream government was evident. Yet, at DataFest Tbilisi, hope for a democratic future still shone through. Our hackathon participants knew that the upcoming election was crucial for Georgia, but the fragmented information landscape made it hard for voters—especially Gen Z and first-time voters—to trust the political class.

In this climate, last year’s hackathon winner, Ana Toklikishvili, developed VINICI , a platform to help Georgian voters make informed choices. Loosely translated as “Who Do You Know,” VINICI aimed to profile politicians and parties, equipping citizens with the knowledge to make thoughtful decisions at the polls. Last May, Ana won the Super Election Year Award at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit. Reflecting on this milestone, Ana said:

We promise to create a platform that profiles politicians and parties, empowering citizens to understand them better and make informed decisions during elections. This award carries a significant responsibility to ensure the platform's launch before the upcoming elections.

In our most recent return to Tbilisi last month, the atmosphere had grown tenser. The "foreign agent" law had passed, and many Georgians I spoke with expressed fears about the country's trajectory. Some were even contemplating leaving if the ruling party retained power. The election was viewed as the last stand for Georgia’s freedom, democracy, and European integration—principles enshrined in its constitution.

The 2024 hackathon winner, Diatove, led by Mariam Kaulashvili-Southwell, embodies that spirit of resistance. Diatove started as a Facebook group in April, coordinating protests against the foreign agent law and has since grown to over 200,000 members. In anticipation of the election, Mariam and her team launched the Observers Academy, a digital platform mobilizing thousands of election observers through online training sessions. The academy, officially launched on October 12, offered courses to Georgians interested in monitoring the election.

Despite the tech community's innovative fight for democracy at home, the recent elections in Georgia were marred by widespread intimidation and harassment of voters, both within and outside polling stations, fostering an environment of fear and division.

Election observation missions reported concerns over vote-buying, systematic pressure, and Georgian Dream party-organized intimidation leading up to and during the elections. These tactics have severely undermined trust in the election’s legitimacy, driving thousands of Georgians back to Rustaveli Avenue, determined to reclaim their nation’s freedom and democratic future.

Let me end on the words of Alliance of Democracies Foundation Founder & Chairman, Anders Fogh Rasmussen ;

Georgian Dream appears set on the path of authoritarianism laid out by Vladimir Putin, using whatever means possible to remain in power.