Astana Hub hosted the Pizza Pitch event at the alem.ai International Artificial Intelligence Center, bringing together tech startups, investors, and key players from Kazakhstan’s venture capital ecosystem.
A total of 160 applications were submitted for Pizza Pitch, but after several selection rounds, only the 10 most promising teams reached the finals. The event provided a platform where tech startups could pitch their solutions to potential investors, receive expert evaluation, and establish valuable connections within the venture ecosystem. During the finals, teams presented three-minute pitches, followed by a Q&A session and detailed feedback from leading investors and venture experts in Kazakhstan.
"It is crucial for us to create events that help young tech teams find investors, gain expert feedback, and become part of a strong community. We are delighted that the alem.ai venue brought together projects capable of solving real-world challenges across various sectors—from healthcare and education to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. I am confident that today’s pitch will serve as a launchpad for many participants to grow and scale further," — noted Almira Marden, Director of the Event Office at Astana Hub.
Based on the pitch results and jury evaluation, the winners of Pizza Pitch are:
- 1st Place (1,500,000 KZT) — BugBase (represented by Karina Liang) — an AI-powered platform for automated software quality and security testing.
- 2nd Place (1,000,000 KZT) — FoodSave (represented by Tomiris Zhussupova) — a food waste reduction service enabling venues to sell unsold food at a discount.
- 3rd Place (500,000 KZT) — Connectus (represented by Aruzhan Manarbai) — a marketplace of verified mentors from top global universities guiding applicants through university admissions.
A total of 160 startups applied to participate. Following the preliminary screening, 51 startups advanced to the online diagnostic stage, and ultimately 10 projects earned the right to pitch in the finals. The finalists represented key tech verticals: HealthTech (digital medicine), EdTech (educational technology), LegalTech (AI for legal professionals), FinTech (financial services), and AI (artificial intelligence).
The finalists included:
- BugBase — an AI-powered platform for automated software quality and security testing, enabling companies to release software faster without expanding their internal QA team.
- FoodSave — an eco-friendly service helping food service establishments reduce costs and sell unsold items at a discount.
- Connectus — a marketplace of verified mentors (students from leading global universities) helping applicants get admitted abroad.
- Home Diagnostics (Диагностика на дому) — a remote patient monitoring service featuring RPM devices (digital stethoscope and otoscope), a mobile app, and an AI-integrated doctor workspace.
- INMII — an end-to-end AI interior design service: from floor planning and 3D visualization to material selection and supplier sourcing.
- Femida AI — a LegalTech AI platform for legal document analysis, drafting, and regulatory search with primary source citations, compliant with the legislation of Kazakhstan. All data is stored locally within Kazakhstan.
- Eye Eye AI — an intelligent retinal image analysis system for early detection of retinopathy in premature infants to prevent blindness.
- JINAQ — an AI platform for student career guidance and early workforce planning.
- Neuralese — an educational platform where students learn AI technologies through practical development.
- Numerus — an AI-native workspace ("Cursor for Finance") automating everyday tasks for finance teams.
The projects were evaluated by an expert jury consisting of:
- Bolat Basheyev — CEO, Axiom Capital
- Abay Absamet — Co-founder, Silkroad Angels Club
- Aslan Sultanov — Founding Partner, White Hill Capital (GP of Tumar Venture Fund) & Al-Farabi Innovation Hub
- Nurassyl Dzharbassov — Founder, Astana Venture Club
- Yeskendir Amirkhan — Investment Analyst, BGlobal Ventures
The tech company Exbo East, a member of the Astana Hub ecosystem, served as the event partner.
In keeping with the best traditions of the format, the Demo Day concluded with an informal networking session over pizza, where participants and investors continued discussions in a relaxed atmosphere.
Astana Hub hosted the Pizza Pitch event at the alem.ai International Artificial Intelligence Center, bringing together tech startups, investors, and key players from Kazakhstan’s venture capital ecosystem.
A total of 160 applications were submitted for Pizza Pitch, but after several selection rounds, only the 10 most promising teams reached the finals. The event provided a platform where tech startups could pitch their solutions to potential investors, receive expert evaluation, and establish valuable connections within the venture ecosystem. During the finals, teams presented three-minute pitches, followed by a Q&A session and detailed feedback from leading investors and venture experts in Kazakhstan.
"It is crucial for us to create events that help young tech teams find investors, gain expert feedback, and become part of a strong community. We are delighted that the alem.ai venue brought together projects capable of solving real-world challenges across various sectors—from healthcare and education to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. I am confident that today’s pitch will serve as a launchpad for many participants to grow and scale further," — noted Almira Marden, Director of the Event Office at Astana Hub.
Based on the pitch results and jury evaluation, the winners of Pizza Pitch are:
- 1st Place (1,500,000 KZT) — BugBase (represented by Karina Liang) — an AI-powered platform for automated software quality and security testing.
- 2nd Place (1,000,000 KZT) — FoodSave (represented by Tomiris Zhussupova) — a food waste reduction service enabling venues to sell unsold food at a discount.
- 3rd Place (500,000 KZT) — Connectus (represented by Aruzhan Manarbai) — a marketplace of verified mentors from top global universities guiding applicants through university admissions.
A total of 160 startups applied to participate. Following the preliminary screening, 51 startups advanced to the online diagnostic stage, and ultimately 10 projects earned the right to pitch in the finals. The finalists represented key tech verticals: HealthTech (digital medicine), EdTech (educational technology), LegalTech (AI for legal professionals), FinTech (financial services), and AI (artificial intelligence).
The finalists included:
- BugBase — an AI-powered platform for automated software quality and security testing, enabling companies to release software faster without expanding their internal QA team.
- FoodSave — an eco-friendly service helping food service establishments reduce costs and sell unsold items at a discount.
- Connectus — a marketplace of verified mentors (students from leading global universities) helping applicants get admitted abroad.
- Home Diagnostics (Диагностика на дому) — a remote patient monitoring service featuring RPM devices (digital stethoscope and otoscope), a mobile app, and an AI-integrated doctor workspace.
- INMII — an end-to-end AI interior design service: from floor planning and 3D visualization to material selection and supplier sourcing.
- Femida AI — a LegalTech AI platform for legal document analysis, drafting, and regulatory search with primary source citations, compliant with the legislation of Kazakhstan. All data is stored locally within Kazakhstan.
- Eye Eye AI — an intelligent retinal image analysis system for early detection of retinopathy in premature infants to prevent blindness.
- JINAQ — an AI platform for student career guidance and early workforce planning.
- Neuralese — an educational platform where students learn AI technologies through practical development.
- Numerus — an AI-native workspace ("Cursor for Finance") automating everyday tasks for finance teams.
The projects were evaluated by an expert jury consisting of:
- Bolat Basheyev — CEO, Axiom Capital
- Abay Absamet — Co-founder, Silkroad Angels Club
- Aslan Sultanov — Founding Partner, White Hill Capital (GP of Tumar Venture Fund) & Al-Farabi Innovation Hub
- Nurassyl Dzharbassov — Founder, Astana Venture Club
- Yeskendir Amirkhan — Investment Analyst, BGlobal Ventures
The tech company Exbo East, a member of the Astana Hub ecosystem, served as the event partner.
In keeping with the best traditions of the format, the Demo Day concluded with an informal networking session over pizza, where participants and investors continued discussions in a relaxed atmosphere.
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