The international forum will traditionally feature the participation of Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, global company leaders, top international and domestic experts in IT innovation, venture investors from the region, and more. It is expected that Digital Bridge 2023 will bring together over 20,000 participants, 300+ IT companies, 100+ investors and business angels, 250+ speakers, and 100+ startups from over 15 countries worldwide.

"Artificial intelligence plays a vital role in modern society, and Digital Bridge 2023 will serve as an excellent platform for discussing how to strike the right balance between technology and human resources. This forum will provide a unique opportunity for industry professionals and experts to come together and share their knowledge, collaboratively shaping a future where artificial intelligence serves humanity. Kazakhstan holds significant potential for innovative growth in this direction. The country is fostering an environment to attract researchers and young talents, and there are numerous AI products created by our citizens across various fields that have already captured global attention, of which we can be proud. Artificial intelligence holds tremendous potential for the development of the economy, industry, science, and technology," noted Bagdat Mussin, Minister of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The two-day forum's program includes significant events such as a plenary session involving the Head of State and personal meetings with him, 30+ panel sessions with international speakers, agreement signings, and events by Google for Startups. Additionally, the forum will host the presentation of the Digital Bridge Awards, an international prize that recognizes the best startups, innovative projects, and entrepreneurs. A Startup Alley will also be showcased at the forum, featuring 100 Kazakhstani and international technological startups displaying their innovative solutions.

One of the exciting events of the forum, which has garnered special attention from the IT community and a broad audience for five consecutive years, is the Astana Hub Battle – the most extensive battle of the best IT startups. This year, the battle's prize fund has been quadrupled.

"This year, we've slightly altered the concept of the Astana Hub Battle. Winners will be awarded in eight categories: AI Startup of the Year, Export Excellence, Employer of Choice, VC of the Year, Tech Educational Leader, Tech Media of the Year, Tech for Good, and Customer Champion. The prize fund will be increased to $75,000, with $25,000 allocated for each category. We have invited the largest investors of Kazakhstan to be on the battle's jury, so it's possible that interesting projects might receive additional offers from the jury, apart from the official prizes," shared Magzhan Madiyev, CEO of Astana Hub.

It's worth noting that the Astana Hub Battle aims to discover new participants in the ecosystem, promote domestic startup culture, and foster technological entrepreneurship. To participate in the battle, startups must have a scalable project at the MVP or PMF stage. Previous winners of the competition include startups such as Kwaaka, NBfit, UvU, Parqour, EasyTap, and Kid Security.

Applications for participation in the Astana Hub Battle as part of Digital Bridge 2023 will be accepted until September 20 on the website digitalbridge.kz. After preliminary screening, 100 of the most competitive projects that have passed the selection process will have the opportunity to present a one-minute pitch in the semi-finals on the first day of the forum. The jury will then select 10 startups to compete for the title of the best in the finals, which will take place on the second day of the forum.

Forum headliners – globally renowned figures from the IT world – will be announced closer to the start of the forum. Organizers promise an especially surprising lineup this year. Additionally, a series of exhibitions will be held, featuring corporations, robotics, IT schools, venture capital firms, regional IT hubs, and a job fair by major IT companies.

Additionally, on October 12th and 13th, an episode for the seventh season of the startup reality show 'Meet the Drapers' will be filmed at Digital Bridge 2023! Only 4 startups will have the opportunity to pitch in front of Tim Draper, the venture capitalist behind Tesla, SpaceX, Skype, AngelList, SolarCity, Hotmail, Ring, Twitter, Coinbase, Robinhood, and Ancestry.com. Only one startup will be selected to advance to the semifinals in Silicon Valley. In the season finale, startups will have a chance to win 1 million dollars in investments.

To recall, the international technological forum Digital Bridge has been held annually in Astana since 2018. The organizers of Digital Bridge are the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the international technopark Astana Hub.