In Memory of Giorgi Tukhashvili

This website is dedicated to commemorate Giorgi Tukhashvili’s life, honour his legacy, and raise awareness for the GT Startup Awards, an annual awards of Georgia’s startup ecosystem held in Giorgi’s name.

About Giorgi Tukhashvili

Giorgi Tukhashvili, born on May 30, 1988, in Tbilisi, Georgia, tragically passed away on January 19, 2024, in Bakuriani, Borjomi district of Georgia, due to a skiing accident. The investigation into the blatant violations of the safety measures at the ski resort that caused the fatal accident is ongoing. The family and friends are deeply saddened and shocked by his sudden death.Giorgi is survived by his wife, Tamuna Nishniadze; four adolescent children - Anano, Elene, Mariam, and Andria; parents, Givi and Nana Tukhashvili; sister, Tamar Tukhashvili; sister-in-law, Natia Nishnianidze; and grandparents, NAME and Name. He also leaves behind aunts, uncles, and cousins. Among them are Name, Name. Giorgi was predeceased by his grandfather, Name.“A light of the world has gone dark,” Colin Donuhue, Giorgi’s friend and a business partner, reacted upon learning the tragic news. Indeed, Giorgi was a shining light in the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing him. His life was marked by love, compassion, passion for all his endeavors, and unwavering faith in God. Giorgi’s passing is an insurmountable loss for his family, friends, colleagues, and the entire country of Georgia.Despite relentless enthusiasm for his professional ventures, Giorgi was a devoted family man. As the loving husband and caring father of four, he fully dedicated himself to family activities and responsibilities. Giorgi instilled in his children the very values he embodied himself—respect, empathy, kindness, gratitude, self-discipline, perseverance, integrity, lifelong learning, and physical and mental well-being. His commitment to his family deeply resonated with everyone who knew him.As a co-founder of Kernel, a fintech startup, Giorgi led its mission to automate invoicing and unlock credit for millions of SMEs in developing countries. Having made frequent trips to India – Kernel’s primary market – he fell in love with its people, culture, and the country’s dynamic trajectory. Being a selfless leader, Giorgi inspired the Kernel team through unwavering dedication and spiritual integrity.Among the technology projects and companies where Giorgi made significant contributions, his time at TBC Bank stands out. After earning his BSc and MSc in Computer Science from Tbilisi State University, Giorgi joined TBC Bank as a software developer. There, he progressed to become the bank’s first business agile product manager and launched its fast loans platform. Giorgi’s former colleagues fondly remember his thoughtful guidance, quick wit, generous spirit, and the positive energy he brought to every project.In addition to being a startup founder, Giorgi was a startup ecosystem builder and an ardent supporter of other entrepreneurs. As a co-director of Startup Grind Georgia, his role was pivotal in forming and bringing Georgia’s startup community together. The 2019 Startup Grind Eurasia Connect conference in Tbilisi, which he co-organised, brought over 1,500 delegates and 30 speakers from all over the world. Giorgi’s contribution to the development of Georgia’s startup ecosystem is invaluable.A lifelong learner, Giorgi constantly sought self-improvement and generously channeled his hard-won insights back to others around him – a quality that made him an exceptional mentor. Through his work with Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA) and the Youth Entrepreneurship School of Georgia, he empowered countless entrepreneurs, taking immense pride in their growth and development. Giorgi also co-led several impactful startup and entrepreneurship programs.Sport was an integral part of Giorgi’s life. It taught him how to embrace discomfort and instilled a sense of competitiveness and perseverance. He took up swimming and water polo at an early age, rising to represent the national youth team in the latter. Having also practiced basketball and gymnastics, he showed immense aptitude for every sport that he took on. Giorgi firmly believed that a well-conditioned body was essential to withstanding life’s emotional pressures and achieving unbreakable perseverance.Life is not meant to be easy, but to be lived. And Giorgi lived his life to the fullest. In his 35 years, he experienced more of life’s breadth and depth than most. Though he faced his struggles, he chose to rise above them, embodying the qualities that made him a beacon of inspiration. Giorgi’s journey exemplifies the power of choice, growth, and unwavering dedication to bettering the world around him – his memory will forever remain in hearts, and his legacy will continue to make a positive impact.

Giorgi's Qualities: Glimpses of His Inner Light

SELFLESS LEADER

Giorgi was not just a skillful, visionary, and capable leader – he used his qualities to serve others with unwavering dedication. His spirituality translated into action, making service a natural extension of his being, not an obligation. Giorgi lived by the mantra, "Give first, make friends, help first," and his values remained constant throughout his life.

STARTUP CHAMPION

Giorgi believed in the transformative power of startups. He wasn't just a founder but a passionate supporter of other entrepreneurs, pushing them to grow and challenge themselves. He was a role model who embodied the spirit of innovation and collaboration.

DEVOTED FAMILY MAN

Despite constant work-related commitments, Giorgi always prioritised his family. He was a loving husband and father of four, making time for bedtime stories and sharing his day with his wife. Everyone who knew Giorgi felt the depth of his dedication to his loved ones.

LIFELONG LEARNER & KNOWLEDGE SHARER

Giorgi possessed voracious curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. He constantly sought self-improvement, and the wisdom he gained always found its way back to others. Even during busy periods, he maximised his time and assiduously devoured audiobooks and podcasts at double speed.

MIND-BODY ADVOCATE

Giorgi understood the connection between physical well-being and mental clarity. He pushed himself physically, becoming an example of dedication and resilience. He was renowned for his ability to test the limits of work-related commitments and overdeliver. And it all served a greater purpose – to maximise his impact on the world.

gt (giorgi tukhashvili) startup awards 2025

GT (Giorgi Tukhashvili) Startup Awards is a startup award to commemorate Giorgi Tkhashvili’s life and the impact he has made to make the world a better place!The startup award aims to popularise shared values, incentivise high-tech entrepreneurship, bring together the startup community in Georgia, and fill the critical gap of the recognition component in the startup ecosystem:

1. Perpetuate Giorgi's legacy: By recognising and rewarding outstanding achievements in the startup community, his values and principles will continue to inspire future generations.
2. Fill a critical gap: Georgia lacks independent awards that celebrate founders and stakeholders, hindering recognition and support.
3. Promote shared values: The awards will celebrate individuals and startups embodying the values Giorgi championed, such as leadership, innovation, and social responsibility.
4. Fuel tech entrepreneurship: The awards will celebrate individuals and startups embodying the values Giorgi championed, such as leadership, innovation, and social responsibility.
5. Unite the community: Just as Giorgi believed, the awards aim to foster connections and collaboration within the vibrant Georgian entrepreneurial community.

The 2025 GT Startup Awards will be held symbolically on Giorgi’s birthday, May 30, 2025.

The theme of this year’s award is entrepreneurship, one of Giorgi’s distinguished qualities. Giorgi’s friends and colleagues will discuss and showcase the inner force that drove Giorgi’s entrepreneurial spirit and zest.

This year’s award has 4 nominations - the applications are open for both self-nominations and for nominating others.

🏆 Ecosystem Hero: An individual who embodies humble, values-driven leadership – someone who works selflessly to support others, without seeking personal gain or self-promotion. As a servant leader, they lead first and foremost by example, through their actions and contributions, inspiring both themselves and the broader startup ecosystem.🏆 Boldest Startup: This award is designated for a startup with the goal of empowering technology-driven ventures. In this category, we seek to recognize the startup that has made the most significant and systemic progress toward its ambitious objectives over the past year.🏆 Supper Connector: This individual award is designed to recognize someone who has made an exceptional contribution to connecting people in pursuit of their ambitious startup goals.🏆 Growth Catalyst: A startup investor or a mentor who provides startups a value-add besides capital - someone who creates opportunities by opening channels to new stakeholders, opening access to new markets, providing mentorship with their expertise, or in other meaningful ways.

As last year’s inaugural award, this year’s main sponsor is TBC for Business.The prizes will include GEL 5,000 travel grants to international startup conferences, long-term mentorship, etc.

The deadline for submitting nominations is May 16, 2025.

Let's celebrate Giorgi by continuing to embody his spirit. Let's find joy in the memories he left behind and strengthen his legacy by carrying his values forward. His life serves as a powerful reminder that we all have the power to cultivate our own light and use it to impact the world around us positively.

gt (giorgi tukhashvili) startup awards 2024

On June 30, 2024, the inaugural GT (Giorgi Tukhashvili) Startup Award was held in Stamba Hotel, Tbilisi, Georgia.The GT Startup Awards event commenced with the premiere of the short documentary on Giorgi Tukhashvili, through which his friends portrayed the values he stood for and his immense contribution to Georgia’s startup ecosystem. The emotional short documentary was followed by the panel session with the participation of Giorgi’s friends, further elaborating on why it is important to incentivise value-based entrepreneurship in future generations.The culmination of the event was the startup awards ceremony. This year, it showcased 8 categories designated for individuals and organisations.

The jury identified the winners in the following categories:
🏆 Ecosystem Hero - winner: David Chechelashvili
🏆 Startup Gemini - winner: Nikoloz Gogochuri
🏆 Mindful Founder - winner: Giorgi Vadachkoria
🏆 Boldest Startup - this category had two winners, a male-founded startup - Elven Technologies, and a female-founded startup - Lawformer
🏆 Teen Founder - winner: Giorgi Sheshaberidze
🏆 Impact Startup - winner: Phubber
🏆 Super Connector - winner: Nana Dikhaminjia
🏆 Super Angel - winner: Dachi Choladze

In addition, Colin Donohue (Startup Grind) received a special mention for the contribution made towards the development of Georgia’s startup ecosystem, and so did Axel, Georgian Angel Investor Network, for its contribution towards angel investing in Georgia. Detailed information about nominees and winners of each category will be published on the social media channels of the event.

Startuperi, a TBC Bank programme, is the main sponsor of the GT Startup Awards.

Partners: Stamba / D Block, The Crossroads, Nexia TA, Start Business Solution, Polaris Finance, GB & Partners, Step Academy, Wowchy, Startup Grind Tbilisi, Globalize, Windfors, and Teliani Valley.

Moving forward, the GT Startup Awards will be conducted annually, symbolically on Giorgi’s birthday, May 30.

The short documentary on Giorgi Tukhashvili's life, produced and directed, by his friend Beka Erelashvili, premiered at the inaugural GT Startup Awards, June 30, 2024. It showcases the values that Giorgi stood for and his immense contribution to Georgia's startup ecosystem.

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