"The cooperation between Astana Hub and TikTok will allow Kazakhstani startups to promote their services and products to a global audience effectively. I am confident that the partnership with the popular platform will also boost the recognition of Kazakhstan and its IT ecosystem, which will draw investments and new IT companies to the country," said Magzhan Madiev, CEO of Astana Hub.

As a part of the educational program, 300 startups will have access to webinars with experts from TikTok for Business. The first twenty participants who pass the exam will attend offline workshops in Astana. At the end of the training, the best projects will receive grants for startup advancement. Applications for participation will be accepted until October 11, and the official opening of the program is October 14.

"Kazakhstani businesses have become more interested in TikTok, and we want companies of any scale to be able to join our community and develop their business with us. In particular, as an innovative company, we want to support young tech businesses. Therefore, it makes sense that we have partnered with Astana Hub - the largest technopark for IT startups in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The TikTok StartUp Academy will give entrepreneurs a unique experience, allowing them to gain new knowledge and reach new heights under the mentorship of the best experts, and grants for the best participants will allow them to implement their bold ideas," noted Anastassiya Panina, General Manager of Global Business Solutions in Eastern Europe at TikTok

Additionally, Astana Hub announced the beginning of the "TikTok Startup Astana Valley" competition, where aspiring entrepreneurs will get the chance to pitch their ideas to the platform's multimillion-dollar community. The authors' video must creatively present their company concept and persuade the competition's judges and the platform community of the project's viability.

Startups who wish to compete must record and post at least 36 videos on TikTok between September 28 and December 28. The contest winner will be the creator of the most original and bright project chosen by Astana Hub experts. They will have a unique opportunity to work under the mentorship of leaders of technological entrepreneurship, who will share their knowledge and experience in developing startups. The second and third-place winners will receive valuable prizes.

The Digital Bridge International Forum has been held annually in Astana since 2018. This year the business program of the forum includes 45-panel sessions. An exhibition of technoparks, IT Startup alley, an IT school's exhibition, an IT jobs fair, and the Astana Hub Battle competition are presented.

The organizers are the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and the Aerospace industry of Kazakhstan, Astana Akimat, and the international technopark of IT startups Astana Hub.

General sponsor of the forum – Kaspi.kz. Sponsors and partners - Kazakhtelecom, Freedom bank, Tengizchevroil, My Car, Tech culture, Huawei, G42, Halyk Bank, Bi group, Prime source, Glovo, SF, Leica, BI Group, OneWeb, Citix, Global nomads.