Digital Bridge not only demonstrated the momentum of Kazakhstan’s digital economy but also became a driver of investment and tourism, strengthening the country’s image as a regional IT hub.
This year, for the first time, the forum was held over three days, which allowed organizers to significantly expand the program and set new records. More than 20,000 tickets were activated, and the total attendance exceeded 60,000 visits. Digital Bridge 2025 gathered over 400 international and domestic speakers, more than one hundred investors and business angels, and around 200 IT companies and startups from thirty countries — a record in the forum’s history.
The program featured more than 120 events, including panel discussions, pitching sessions, keynote speeches, and thematic platforms covering the full spectrum of AI applications — from public administration, education, and healthcare to culture, game development, green technologies, biometrics, and investment. The central idea of the forum was ambitious yet clear: how artificial intelligence is already transforming the world today and which solutions are making an impact here and now.
One of the forum’s key moments was the opening of alem.ai, the International Artificial Intelligence Center, aimed at accelerating the development of AI technologies in Kazakhstan and promoting promising projects. It is the first initiative of such scale in Central Asia, combining a public innovation space, the Tomorrow School, the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, a startup campus, research laboratories, and an AI-driven Government zone. The Center plans to engage around ten thousand talents annually, train one thousand specialists, launch one hundred startups, and implement about ten research projects each year.
Another milestone was the first meeting of the Council for the Development of Artificial Intelligence, chaired by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The Head of State emphasized that digital systems and artificial intelligence have become crucial for ensuring national sovereignty and driving economic growth. “We have set an ambitious goal — to transform Kazakhstan into a fully digital nation within three years,” the President noted.
He also underlined that a new global paradigm is taking shape, with artificial intelligence at its core. Kazakhstan has established the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, which will coordinate the integration of AI across key sectors. The country has also decided to create a research university for artificial intelligence — a center for science, education, and international collaboration. “Our main goal is to train highly qualified specialists capable of implementing AI across all sectors of the economy. Talented young people must have the opportunity to receive world-class education at home,” Tokayev stressed.
At the opening ceremony, where President of Hungary Tamás Sulyok was the guest of honor, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev outlined the forum’s practical framework: the development of domestic technologies, the training of specialists, and the integration of AI into all major industries. “We face strategic objectives — the development of our own technologies, the preparation of highly qualified professionals, and the comprehensive integration of artificial intelligence into all key areas. Digital Bridge has become a practical platform for achieving these goals,” he said.
This year, the forum served as a venue for dozens of meetings between investors, corporations, and startups. More than forty memorandums and agreements were signed, reaffirming the readiness of business and government to jointly develop AI technologies and the digital economy. Digital Bridge also became a catalyst for the export of Kazakhstani tech solutions: negotiations with representatives of GITEX, King Hussein Business Park, the International Telecommunication Union, High Tech Park of Kyrgyzstan, as well as companies from Turkey, Spain, and other countries opened new opportunities for Kazakh products to enter global markets.
Dania Akhmetova, CEO of Digital Bridge, noted that each year the forum strengthens confidence in Kazakhstan as a technological hub of the region. “Investors see potential, partners see opportunities for cooperation, and the world sees Kazakhstan as a source of innovation and ideas,” she said.
Panel sessions featured such prominent figures as Omar Al Olama (Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence of the UAE), Kai-Fu Lee (Sinovation Ventures, 01.AI), Olaf J. Groth (UC Berkeley), Timur Turlov (Freedom Holding Corp.), Pavel Durov (Telegram), Marouan Debbah (Khalifa University), Paul Kim (Stanford / World Bank), Pradeep Khosla (UC San Diego), Nicolas Sadirac (01Edu), Mansour Al-Mansoori (G42 International), Peter Norvig (Google / Stanford), Ebtisam Al Mazrouei (UN “AI for Good”), Lily Liu (Solana Foundation), Ilya Strebulaev (Stanford), Mikhail Lomtadze (Kaspi.kz), Arsen Tomsky (inDrive), and others.
Kai-Fu Lee presented three possible scenarios for the development of AI over the next twenty years — from a pessimistic one, where technologies fall into irresponsible hands, to an optimistic scenario in which artificial intelligence enhances humanity. “Which scenario unfolds depends on us. Governments must not allow major players to act without responsibility,” he emphasized.
Mikhail Lomtadze spoke about the practical value of AI and predicted a “market cleansing,” where only those who solve real problems and create long-term value will survive. Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance, noted that in just three years Kazakhstan has built a comprehensive blockchain ecosystem, adding: “If you want to start doing business — start here, in Astana.”
Traditionally, the forum served as a showcase for technological entrepreneurship. At Startup Alley and the tech company exhibition, dozens of projects — from EdTech and HealthTech to fintech and eco-technologies — demonstrated how ideas turn into real products. The Astana Hub Battle 2025 finals brought together 180 teams from Central Eurasia with a prize fund of $125,000. The national competition AI SANA Generative Nation featured school, student, and research teams, demonstrating the potential of Kazakhstan’s next generation of tech talent.
The final day of the forum was dedicated to summarizing results. At the plenary session “Digital Bridge: Generative Nation”, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov presented the Digital Bridge Awards, emphasizing that digitalization and AI remain priorities defined by the President. The winners included projects already demonstrating measurable results: Grand Mobile, with a game that has surpassed sixty million downloads; Higgsfield AI, a video and animation generation platform ranked among the world’s top twenty-five startups; CodiPlay, an educational programming ecosystem used in schools across thirteen countries; Documentolog, a developer of digital governance solutions; DigitalBusiness.kz, Kazakhstan’s leading online technology and finance media platform with an audience of over 1.5 million users; and LifeSignal, a social project that enables emergency services to instantly determine a caller’s location.
Today, Kazakhstan ranks 24th globally in e-government development and 10th in online public services. The state continues to expand digital infrastructure, open educational centers, and introduce AI programs in twenty universities. Nearly half a million citizens are already studying artificial intelligence through initiatives such as AI Qyzmet, AI Sana, Tomorrow School, and QazCoders. A national strategy is being implemented to increase tech service exports to one billion dollars by the end of the year. Global technology “unicorns” such as Playrix, Mytona, and NetCracker are entering the market, reflecting a high level of confidence from international investors.
The organization of the forum was made possible through the support of partners and sponsors, with all expenses covered by sponsorship funds. The general partner of the forum was Freedom Bank Kazakhstan, an innovative financial institution offering advanced digital products and services. Gold partners included Kaspi.kz, Yandex Qazaqstan, and Kazakhtelecom JSC. The silver partner was Transtelecom JSC. The bronze partners were BI Group, Baiterek National Managing Holding JSC, Eurasian Bank, Ozon, and Tengizchevroil LLP. The innovation partner was inDrive. Media partners were CITIX, Musan Group, EcoGenMedia, MYD, and Visit Astana.
Digital Bridge not only demonstrated the momentum of Kazakhstan’s digital economy but also became a driver of investment and tourism, strengthening the country’s image as a regional IT hub.
This year, for the first time, the forum was held over three days, which allowed organizers to significantly expand the program and set new records. More than 20,000 tickets were activated, and the total attendance exceeded 60,000 visits. Digital Bridge 2025 gathered over 400 international and domestic speakers, more than one hundred investors and business angels, and around 200 IT companies and startups from thirty countries — a record in the forum’s history.
The program featured more than 120 events, including panel discussions, pitching sessions, keynote speeches, and thematic platforms covering the full spectrum of AI applications — from public administration, education, and healthcare to culture, game development, green technologies, biometrics, and investment. The central idea of the forum was ambitious yet clear: how artificial intelligence is already transforming the world today and which solutions are making an impact here and now.
One of the forum’s key moments was the opening of alem.ai, the International Artificial Intelligence Center, aimed at accelerating the development of AI technologies in Kazakhstan and promoting promising projects. It is the first initiative of such scale in Central Asia, combining a public innovation space, the Tomorrow School, the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, a startup campus, research laboratories, and an AI-driven Government zone. The Center plans to engage around ten thousand talents annually, train one thousand specialists, launch one hundred startups, and implement about ten research projects each year.
Another milestone was the first meeting of the Council for the Development of Artificial Intelligence, chaired by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The Head of State emphasized that digital systems and artificial intelligence have become crucial for ensuring national sovereignty and driving economic growth. “We have set an ambitious goal — to transform Kazakhstan into a fully digital nation within three years,” the President noted.
He also underlined that a new global paradigm is taking shape, with artificial intelligence at its core. Kazakhstan has established the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, which will coordinate the integration of AI across key sectors. The country has also decided to create a research university for artificial intelligence — a center for science, education, and international collaboration. “Our main goal is to train highly qualified specialists capable of implementing AI across all sectors of the economy. Talented young people must have the opportunity to receive world-class education at home,” Tokayev stressed.
At the opening ceremony, where President of Hungary Tamás Sulyok was the guest of honor, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev outlined the forum’s practical framework: the development of domestic technologies, the training of specialists, and the integration of AI into all major industries. “We face strategic objectives — the development of our own technologies, the preparation of highly qualified professionals, and the comprehensive integration of artificial intelligence into all key areas. Digital Bridge has become a practical platform for achieving these goals,” he said.
This year, the forum served as a venue for dozens of meetings between investors, corporations, and startups. More than forty memorandums and agreements were signed, reaffirming the readiness of business and government to jointly develop AI technologies and the digital economy. Digital Bridge also became a catalyst for the export of Kazakhstani tech solutions: negotiations with representatives of GITEX, King Hussein Business Park, the International Telecommunication Union, High Tech Park of Kyrgyzstan, as well as companies from Turkey, Spain, and other countries opened new opportunities for Kazakh products to enter global markets.
Dania Akhmetova, CEO of Digital Bridge, noted that each year the forum strengthens confidence in Kazakhstan as a technological hub of the region. “Investors see potential, partners see opportunities for cooperation, and the world sees Kazakhstan as a source of innovation and ideas,” she said.
Panel sessions featured such prominent figures as Omar Al Olama (Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence of the UAE), Kai-Fu Lee (Sinovation Ventures, 01.AI), Olaf J. Groth (UC Berkeley), Timur Turlov (Freedom Holding Corp.), Pavel Durov (Telegram), Marouan Debbah (Khalifa University), Paul Kim (Stanford / World Bank), Pradeep Khosla (UC San Diego), Nicolas Sadirac (01Edu), Mansour Al-Mansoori (G42 International), Peter Norvig (Google / Stanford), Ebtisam Al Mazrouei (UN “AI for Good”), Lily Liu (Solana Foundation), Ilya Strebulaev (Stanford), Mikhail Lomtadze (Kaspi.kz), Arsen Tomsky (inDrive), and others.
Kai-Fu Lee presented three possible scenarios for the development of AI over the next twenty years — from a pessimistic one, where technologies fall into irresponsible hands, to an optimistic scenario in which artificial intelligence enhances humanity. “Which scenario unfolds depends on us. Governments must not allow major players to act without responsibility,” he emphasized.
Mikhail Lomtadze spoke about the practical value of AI and predicted a “market cleansing,” where only those who solve real problems and create long-term value will survive. Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance, noted that in just three years Kazakhstan has built a comprehensive blockchain ecosystem, adding: “If you want to start doing business — start here, in Astana.”
Traditionally, the forum served as a showcase for technological entrepreneurship. At Startup Alley and the tech company exhibition, dozens of projects — from EdTech and HealthTech to fintech and eco-technologies — demonstrated how ideas turn into real products. The Astana Hub Battle 2025 finals brought together 180 teams from Central Eurasia with a prize fund of $125,000. The national competition AI SANA Generative Nation featured school, student, and research teams, demonstrating the potential of Kazakhstan’s next generation of tech talent.
The final day of the forum was dedicated to summarizing results. At the plenary session “Digital Bridge: Generative Nation”, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov presented the Digital Bridge Awards, emphasizing that digitalization and AI remain priorities defined by the President. The winners included projects already demonstrating measurable results: Grand Mobile, with a game that has surpassed sixty million downloads; Higgsfield AI, a video and animation generation platform ranked among the world’s top twenty-five startups; CodiPlay, an educational programming ecosystem used in schools across thirteen countries; Documentolog, a developer of digital governance solutions; DigitalBusiness.kz, Kazakhstan’s leading online technology and finance media platform with an audience of over 1.5 million users; and LifeSignal, a social project that enables emergency services to instantly determine a caller’s location.
Today, Kazakhstan ranks 24th globally in e-government development and 10th in online public services. The state continues to expand digital infrastructure, open educational centers, and introduce AI programs in twenty universities. Nearly half a million citizens are already studying artificial intelligence through initiatives such as AI Qyzmet, AI Sana, Tomorrow School, and QazCoders. A national strategy is being implemented to increase tech service exports to one billion dollars by the end of the year. Global technology “unicorns” such as Playrix, Mytona, and NetCracker are entering the market, reflecting a high level of confidence from international investors.
The organization of the forum was made possible through the support of partners and sponsors, with all expenses covered by sponsorship funds. The general partner of the forum was Freedom Bank Kazakhstan, an innovative financial institution offering advanced digital products and services. Gold partners included Kaspi.kz, Yandex Qazaqstan, and Kazakhtelecom JSC. The silver partner was Transtelecom JSC. The bronze partners were BI Group, Baiterek National Managing Holding JSC, Eurasian Bank, Ozon, and Tengizchevroil LLP. The innovation partner was inDrive. Media partners were CITIX, Musan Group, EcoGenMedia, MYD, and Visit Astana.
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