Kazakhstan has developed a rapidly growing startup ecosystem in the field of artificial intelligence. The country is home to more than 100 AI startups, and the volume of venture investments in AI projects increased more than fivefold between 2023 and 2025 – from approximately $14 million to $73 million. As a result, AI now accounts for more than half of all venture investments in Kazakhstan.

These figures are presented in the Kazakhstan AI Country Report, the country’s first comprehensive overview of the AI market, covering government strategy, digital and computing infrastructure, human capital, startups, venture investments, and industry use cases of AI implementation. The official presentation of the report took place today at the Astana Hub Event Hall in the capital of Kazakhstan.

The study was prepared by the analytical agency RISE Research in partnership with Mastercard and Freedom Bank, with the support of the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan and GITEX AI Central Asia & Caucasus. The report is based on more than 30 in-depth interviews with practitioners, an analysis of international benchmarks and business models of over 100 Kazakhstani AI startups, as well as 10 practical AI implementation case studies.

According to the report, Kazakhstan is entering a new stage of development, moving from digitalization to the large-scale adoption of artificial intelligence. AI is viewed as a key driver of economic growth and a tool for strengthening the country’s international competitiveness. According to the authors’ estimates, the adoption of AI could generate an additional 0.5-2% annual increase in Kazakhstan’s GDP in the medium term by boosting productivity across more than half of all jobs.

 Dmitry Mun, Vice-Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan:

“Kazakhstan is implementing a comprehensive, institutionally embedded AI strategy. It includes the adoption of a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Law, the creation of a National AI Platform, the development of sovereign computing infrastructure, support for Kazakh-language large language models (LLMs), the launch of the international AI center Alem.ai, and large-scale human capital development programs. As a result, by 2025 around 1 million specialists had already been trained in AI-related skills, and by 2030, it is planned to equip 5 million citizens with basic and advanced AI skills”.

According to the report’s authors, most Kazakhstani AI startups are focused on applied B2B solutions and operate in both domestic and international markets. The highest concentration of projects is observed in the segments of Enterprise AI and business automation, Industry 4.0, MarTech, EdTech, and MedTech.

The year 2025 became a turning point for the ecosystem: the market saw the emergence of its first unicorn, Higgsfield AI, and the largest Bridge and Series A funding rounds in Kazakhstan’s history were recorded. These deals confirmed the ability of AI companies founded by Kazakhstani entrepreneurs to attract significant international capital.

Sanzhar Zhamalov, Country Manager in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, Mastercard:

“Mastercard sees AI as one of the core drivers of economic transformation, unlocking new opportunities for growth. The Report captures our perspective on AI as a practical engine for productivity gains and stronger business competitiveness in Kazakhstan. We are seeing an ambitious AI ecosystem emerge in the country with the potential to deliver world-class solutions and we are committed to being an active contributor and trusted technology partner in its development”.

The study provides a dedicated analysis of the key foundations for the development of the artificial intelligence ecosystem – computing infrastructure and human capital. The report notes that computing capacity is no longer a critical constraint for AI development, thanks to the launch of two new AI clusters (Alem.Cloud and AI-Farabium by Kazakhtelecom JSC) with a combined capacity of approximately 3.6 exaflops. According to the authors’ estimates, around 2,000 H100/H200-class GPUs are already in operation across the country.

Industries with high digital maturity and large volumes of data are leading the pace of AI adoption – namely the financial sector, telecommunications, electronic government services (eGov), retail, and IT, where AI is widely used in customer service, marketing, and analytics.

Aidos Zhumagulov, Member of the Board of Directors of Freedom Bank:

“Growth in venture investment and the emergence of the first unicorn confirm the maturity of Kazakhstan’s technology market. For the financial sector, this marks a transition toward more sophisticated, intelligent products. Today, banks use AI in risk management, fraud prevention, data analytics, and customer service. Large volumes of data and high reliability requirements make financial institutions a natural environment for the practical application of such technologies. When this experience is supported by infrastructure, regulation, and talent development, it begins to work at the level of the entire economy. This approach lays the foundation for Kazakhstan’s long-term digital growth”.

At the same time, the government is placing a strategic emphasis on the adoption of AI in the real sector, as well as in socially significant industries with high economic and public impact – industry, agriculture, transport and logistics, energy, education, and healthcare.

The report also highlights both the strengths and structural constraints of the market. Key advantages include systematic government support, investments in sovereign computing infrastructure and skills development, a high level of digital maturity of the economy, and a growing startup ecosystem. An additional factor is the country’s young and educated population: in 2025, 21% of graduates chose engineering and ICT-related fields. At the same time, further scaling of AI is constrained by a shortage of high-quality industry-specific data, uneven access to infrastructure and competencies across regions, low levels of R&D funding, a lack of experienced specialists, and limited access to late-stage venture capital.

Assel Abdrakhmanova, Managing Partner at RISE Research:

“Artificial intelligence in Kazakhstan is moving beyond isolated experiments to become part of the country’s economic architecture – from startups and AI-based enterprise adoption to the realisation of the national-level policy in this domain. The synchronized progress of startups, business, and government is a key indicator of a maturing AI market”.

The Kazakhstan AI Country Report is intended to serve as a key reference point for investors, businesses, and government stakeholders in shaping a long-term AI development strategy and integrating the country into the global economy under the strategic course of Generative Nation.

The full version of the Kazakhstan AI Country Report in Kazakh, English, and Russian is available on the website www.rise.com.kz or via the link. 

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/maidd/press/news/details/1149605?lang=kk