The Startup Alley serves as a central hub for innovation at the forum, where young tech companies can showcase their ideas to thousands of attendees, including investors, industry experts, and business leaders. Among the participants are Astana Hub residents who have become leading startups in Central Asia. These include Higgsfield AI, which secured $16 million in funding from U.S. investors, ranked among Google’s Top 25 global startups, and boasts a user base of over 2 million; Grand Mobile, a game development studio launched in 2022, which has already amassed 60 million players and generated $20 million in revenue in 2024, with 60% of earnings coming from international markets; and CodiPlay, an EdTech company that has reached over 600 schools worldwide, including institutions in South Korea and the UK, and recently raised $9 million at a $100 million valuation.

“Participating in forums like Digital Almaty presents a unique opportunity for startups to scale and thrive. It’s not just about showcasing our developments—it’s about forging strategic partnerships, securing investments, and exchanging expertise with industry leaders. We regularly take part in startup exhibitions at major events, including Digital Bridge, the largest IT forum in Central Asia, and we’ve witnessed firsthand how these platforms drive innovation and tech entrepreneurship. Such initiatives play a crucial role in developing Kazakhstan’s IT ecosystem, fostering innovation, and enabling global collaborations,” said Bolat Sultankulov, CEO of Arlan Biotech.

Arlan Biotech is revolutionizing drug development with generative AI, allowing pharmaceutical companies to design precise antibody sequences in minutes rather than months, significantly reducing costs in a $150–200 billion market. Founded by experts in biomedicine, machine learning, and biotechnology, the startup has already caught the attention of renowned venture capitalist Tim Draper, positioning itself as one of Kazakhstan’s most promising tech ventures. Arlan Biotech is currently competing for a $1 million prize in the prestigious Meet the Drapers reality show.

Other standout participants include BEKSAR, a universal business automation platform; ITMLab, a developer of cutting-edge rehabilitation technologies for people with disabilities; Qala AI, which implements AI-driven solutions for sustainable urban development; and Aurma.kz, a startup streamlining access to medical supplies across Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, Qazaq Dinosaur War, a gaming startup, is leveraging modern technology to showcase Kazakhstan’s cultural heritage through interactive entertainment.

The Digital Almaty 2025 international forum takes place on January 31 – February 1 at the Atakent Exhibition Complex in Almaty. The event is themed “Industrial AI: Technologies for a New Era” and is organized by the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Akimat of Almaty, and Autonomous Cluster Fund “Park of Innovative Technologies.”