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Astana Hub

Oct. 29, 2025 18:13

US Delegation Visits alem.ai and Explores Kazakhstan’s AI Ecosystem

As part of an official visit to Kazakhstan, a United States delegation led by Special Envoy of the President of the United States Sergio Gor visited the alem.ai Artificial Intelligence Center, where they learned about the country’s startup ecosystem and technological projects.
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Astana Hub

Oct. 28, 2025 18:10

“We invested $200,000 of our own money.” How a startup from Uzbekistan secured $12 million from a major bank

Rustam Khamdamov, Vadim Zakharyan and Dzhahongir Narzullaev from Tashkent were building careers in a telecom company when they saw the potential in developing an IT platform for retail stores. That’s when the colleagues launched the startup BILLZ. Today it has 5,000 clients across Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. And this year, BILLZ closed a deal with the Georgian bank TBC: for $12 million, the startup sold a controlling stake and transitioned from a local player into part of a major banking ecosystem. As part of the joint Digital Business and Astana Hub project “100 Startup Stories of Central Asia,” Digital Business spoke with Rustam Khamdamov about launching the product and the early mistakes that cost the company time and money. He also shared why the team spent nights in retail stores, what features customers appreciate most, how a chance breakfast meeting led to a multimillion-dollar deal, and why the founders had no doubts about becoming part of a bank.
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Astana Hub

Oct. 28, 2025 00:00

He Launched a Startup in the U.S. and Has Already Raised $2.7 Million: The Story of an IT Entrepreneur from Tashkent

Akmal Payziev from Tashkent has been in business for more than 20 years. Over that time, he has founded five companies, two of which resulted in successful exits—the startups were acquired by major market players. Today, Akmal is developing a new venture called Numeo AI, which builds specialized AI agents for logistics and freight transportation.
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Astana Hub

Oct. 24, 2025 10:15

How Tomorrow School Is Shaping a New Generation of IT Specialists

Last year, the international innovation cluster Astana Hub launched Tomorrow School, a unique educational initiative and the first AI-focused peer-to-peer school in Kazakhstan. Exactly one year later, it has grown beyond an educational platform into a strong international community of 303 students from Kazakhstan, the United States, Russia, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.
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Astana Hub

Oct. 24, 2025 00:00

She Worked in Afghanistan — Then Built a Startup Valued at $6 Million: The Story of a Young Woman from Bishkek

Dina Ruslan never planned to build a career in technology, yet IT ultimately became her calling. She graduated from the International University of Kyrgyzstan with a degree in Programming and Analytics, then spent a year working in Afghanistan to save money for studies abroad. She later enrolled in a master’s program at Lincoln University in California and began building a career in the United States. However, after several years, she decided to leave everything behind and return to her hometown.
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Astana Hub

Oct. 21, 2025 17:23

Presidents of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan Visit the alem.ai International Center for Artificial Intelligence

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Ilham Aliyev visited the alem.ai International Center for Artificial Intelligence, where they reviewed the development of digital technologies and the application of artificial intelligence.
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Astana Hub

Oct. 20, 2025 16:45

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport Visits Astana Hub

As part of the state visit of the President of Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan, an Azerbaijani delegation led by the Minister of Digital Development and Transport, Rashad Nabi oglu Nabiyev, visited the international innovation cluster Astana Hub and met with members of the startup ecosystem.
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Astana Hub

Oct. 20, 2025 15:40

A Scientist from Kazakhstan Receives $90,000 for “Smart” Insoles: Here’s What They Are Used For

Professor Nazarbayev University Gulnur Kalimuldina is one of the first scientists in Kazakhstan to turn a laboratory study into a DeepTech startup. It all began with experiments on materials capable of generating electricity from movement. This idea eventually evolved into Mirai Tech, a project developing “smart” nano-insoles that analyze athletes’ movements and help prevent injuries before doctors can even detect them.
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Astana Hub

Oct. 16, 2025 16:00

Central Asian Startups Raise $550,000 in Investments Within the Sixth Batch of Silkway Accelerator

The sixth batch of the international acceleration program Silkway Accelerator, implemented by Astana Hub in partnership with Google for Startups, has come to an end. The new batch became a compelling testament to the strength of the regional startup ecosystem: program graduates raised $550,000 in investments and secured $1.4 million in soft commitments.
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Astana Hub

Oct. 15, 2025 16:02

All for Startups: A New Innovation Hub from Central Asia Opens in Dubai

An innovation hub originating from Kazakhstan has officially launched in Dubai. On 14 October, on the main stage of Expand North Star at GITEX Global 2025, the Tumar Innovation Hub was inaugurated — an international platform designed to support and scale Central Asian startups, helping them enter global markets.
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