The forum demonstrated a high level of engagement from the professional community and confirmed strong interest in the country’s technology and AI agenda, attracting 6,000 participants. The exhibition featured 40 IT companies and 36 startups, including qTwin, Qutty Band, Biometric.Vision, MedicusUnion Kazakhstan, AG TECH, BEST Vision Technologies, Warden XAlaqan, Cybernet AI, Cortex AI, AgrioPro, AI HUB, and AIS Digital Ltd., showcasing cutting-edge technological solutions and innovations.
A landmark moment of the forum was the address delivered by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Olzhas Bektenov, who outlined the country’s key priorities for developing the digital economy and artificial intelligence. The Prime Minister emphasized that Kazakhstan is transitioning to a new economic model in which AI serves as a driver of growth, efficiency, and technological sovereignty.
He also noted that Kazakhstan is building a comprehensive ecosystem through the development of institutions, infrastructure, and human capital. A legislative framework has been established, and the Presidential Council for Artificial Intelligence Development is already operational. The country has launched the region’s largest supercomputing clusters — Alem.Cloud and AL Farabium — both included in the global TOP-500 ranking. A complete educational ecosystem is also taking shape, ranging from TUMO learning centers for school students to programs for training technology entrepreneurs. “We invite international companies to establish their research hubs here,” emphasized Olzhas Bektenov.
The forum was attended by heads of government from EAEU member states and international partners, reaffirming the high level of international dialogue and strengthening Kazakhstan’s role as a key digital hub of Central Eurasia.
The business program featured more than 150 speakers across 54 sessions covering artificial intelligence, digital transformation of industries, industrial AI, startup ecosystem development, talent cultivation, and emerging technology trends, creating a comprehensive agenda for the future of Kazakhstan’s digital economy. Among the speakers were Timur Turlov, Chief Executive Officer of Freedom Holding Corp.; Bagdat Musin, Chairman of the Management Board of Kazakhtelecom; and Yerkebulan Ilyassov, CEO of Alageum Electric Group. The program also featured Murat Abdrakhmanov, Founder of MA7 Ventures; Timur Shalekenov, CEO of Yandex Qazaqstan; Narikbi Maksut, Software Engineer at Booking.com; Aman Utemuratov, Software Engineer at Google; and Bakhytzhan Baizhikenov, Software Engineer at Meta.
More than 20 investors participated in the forum, strengthening its investment dimension and creating additional opportunities for technology projects to attract funding and scale their businesses.
As a result of the forum, 11 memorandums and agreements were signed to advance technological development and strengthen cooperation between the public and private sectors. These agreements establish a foundation for launching new projects, attracting investment, and accelerating the development of Kazakhstan’s digital economy across the regions.
One of the forum’s flagship events was the launch of Decentrathon 5.0, the country’s largest multi-location hackathon, bringing together more than 3,000 developers from 20 cities across Kazakhstan.
Opening the competition, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev stated: “Digital Qazaqstan 2026 has confirmed that we have moved beyond discussing concepts and entered the stage of large-scale technology implementation. The launch of Decentrathon 5.0 is a clear example of building the country’s intellectual core. Our goal is to create an environment where talent from every region has access to computing resources for developing globally competitive products. We are building a data-driven economy in which technological sovereignty is achieved through the synergy of government, startup creativity, and the expertise of international partners.”
The forum also served as a platform for technological entrepreneurship. As part of Digital Qazaqstan 2026, the final of the national startup competition Digital Qazaqstan Battle was held, where 20 of the country’s top projects presented their solutions to investors and an expert jury. The total prize fund amounted to KZT 19 million. The startup Gro.now won first place, followed by Cortex AI in second place and AR Sana in third. The Audience Choice Award was presented to Qalam AI. The competition demonstrated the strong capabilities of regional startup teams and their readiness to develop scalable products for both domestic and international markets.
Another highlight of the forum was the Digital Qazaqstan Awards ceremony, recognizing the most impactful projects in artificial intelligence and digital technologies. The winners included Alaqan in the Best AI Government Services category, Aspans in Best Industrial AI Project, Ikigai Promotion in Regional AI Transformation, Codo in AI for Social Impact, and Protector AI in Best AI Startup.
The awards showcased the practical implementation of AI solutions and their contribution to economic growth, social development, and public administration.
The forum also became a platform for bringing together outstanding software developers from across Central Asia. In partnership with the Federation of Sport Programming of Kazakhstan and the alem.ai Foundation, with support from Higgsfield and Khan Group, the Central Asia Programming Championship 2026 was held with a prize pool of KZT 3 million.
The competition featured 33 of the region’s strongest programmers. Farhod Hakimyon from Tajikistan won first place, while Aybar Kuanyshbay (Kazakhstan) and Altair Ashurov (Kazakhstan) took second and third place respectively, highlighting the region’s strong engineering talent.
As part of efforts to advance STEM education and prepare the next generation of engineers, the Digital Qazaqstan FIRST Championship was organized in partnership with USTEM Foundation, featuring a prize pool of KZT 2 million. Participants designed, built, and programmed robotics solutions. The championship winners were Team KAP and Team TGJ, while North Star and Panheya became the finalists.
Beyond its business agenda, the forum offered a wide range of technology-focused activities, including drone football competitions, robotics championships, and interactive technology demonstrations, allowing participants to experience innovation firsthand and increasing audience engagement.
Digital Qazaqstan 2026 marked Kazakhstan’s transition to a new stage of development, where digital technologies and artificial intelligence are becoming the foundation of the economy, public administration, and regional growth. The forum demonstrated the country’s readiness not only to adopt advanced technologies but also to shape its own technological agenda by bringing together government institutions, businesses, and the international community around practical initiatives and long-term partnerships.
The forum was organized by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Akimat of Shymkent, and the international innovation cluster Astana Hub. The event was made possible through the support of partners and sponsors, with all organizational expenses covered by sponsorship contributions.
The General Partner of the forum was Freedom Bank, a Kazakh digital bank serving both retail and corporate clients and part of Freedom Holding Corp. Freedom Bank became the first bank in Kazakhstan to fully digitalize mortgage, auto, and business loan services and launched the country’s first investor card, INVEST CARD.
The Platinum Partner was Alageum Electric, one of Kazakhstan’s largest electrical engineering groups, uniting more than 30 enterprises in the fields of power engineering, manufacturing, and infrastructure development.
The Gold Partner was Kazakhtelecom.
Innovation Partners included WSE and Damumed.
The forum partner was Visa.
Partners of the Central Asia Programming Championship were Higgsfield and Khan Group.
The Robotics Zone Partner was USTEM Foundation.
The Digital Creative Industries Zone Partner was the Creative Industries Alliance.
Media support was provided by leading national and industry media outlets, ensuring broad coverage of the forum and engagement with key target audiences.
The forum demonstrated a high level of engagement from the professional community and confirmed strong interest in the country’s technology and AI agenda, attracting 6,000 participants. The exhibition featured 40 IT companies and 36 startups, including qTwin, Qutty Band, Biometric.Vision, MedicusUnion Kazakhstan, AG TECH, BEST Vision Technologies, Warden XAlaqan, Cybernet AI, Cortex AI, AgrioPro, AI HUB, and AIS Digital Ltd., showcasing cutting-edge technological solutions and innovations.
A landmark moment of the forum was the address delivered by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Olzhas Bektenov, who outlined the country’s key priorities for developing the digital economy and artificial intelligence. The Prime Minister emphasized that Kazakhstan is transitioning to a new economic model in which AI serves as a driver of growth, efficiency, and technological sovereignty.
He also noted that Kazakhstan is building a comprehensive ecosystem through the development of institutions, infrastructure, and human capital. A legislative framework has been established, and the Presidential Council for Artificial Intelligence Development is already operational. The country has launched the region’s largest supercomputing clusters — Alem.Cloud and AL Farabium — both included in the global TOP-500 ranking. A complete educational ecosystem is also taking shape, ranging from TUMO learning centers for school students to programs for training technology entrepreneurs. “We invite international companies to establish their research hubs here,” emphasized Olzhas Bektenov.
The forum was attended by heads of government from EAEU member states and international partners, reaffirming the high level of international dialogue and strengthening Kazakhstan’s role as a key digital hub of Central Eurasia.
The business program featured more than 150 speakers across 54 sessions covering artificial intelligence, digital transformation of industries, industrial AI, startup ecosystem development, talent cultivation, and emerging technology trends, creating a comprehensive agenda for the future of Kazakhstan’s digital economy. Among the speakers were Timur Turlov, Chief Executive Officer of Freedom Holding Corp.; Bagdat Musin, Chairman of the Management Board of Kazakhtelecom; and Yerkebulan Ilyassov, CEO of Alageum Electric Group. The program also featured Murat Abdrakhmanov, Founder of MA7 Ventures; Timur Shalekenov, CEO of Yandex Qazaqstan; Narikbi Maksut, Software Engineer at Booking.com; Aman Utemuratov, Software Engineer at Google; and Bakhytzhan Baizhikenov, Software Engineer at Meta.
More than 20 investors participated in the forum, strengthening its investment dimension and creating additional opportunities for technology projects to attract funding and scale their businesses.
As a result of the forum, 11 memorandums and agreements were signed to advance technological development and strengthen cooperation between the public and private sectors. These agreements establish a foundation for launching new projects, attracting investment, and accelerating the development of Kazakhstan’s digital economy across the regions.
One of the forum’s flagship events was the launch of Decentrathon 5.0, the country’s largest multi-location hackathon, bringing together more than 3,000 developers from 20 cities across Kazakhstan.
Opening the competition, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev stated: “Digital Qazaqstan 2026 has confirmed that we have moved beyond discussing concepts and entered the stage of large-scale technology implementation. The launch of Decentrathon 5.0 is a clear example of building the country’s intellectual core. Our goal is to create an environment where talent from every region has access to computing resources for developing globally competitive products. We are building a data-driven economy in which technological sovereignty is achieved through the synergy of government, startup creativity, and the expertise of international partners.”
The forum also served as a platform for technological entrepreneurship. As part of Digital Qazaqstan 2026, the final of the national startup competition Digital Qazaqstan Battle was held, where 20 of the country’s top projects presented their solutions to investors and an expert jury. The total prize fund amounted to KZT 19 million. The startup Gro.now won first place, followed by Cortex AI in second place and AR Sana in third. The Audience Choice Award was presented to Qalam AI. The competition demonstrated the strong capabilities of regional startup teams and their readiness to develop scalable products for both domestic and international markets.
Another highlight of the forum was the Digital Qazaqstan Awards ceremony, recognizing the most impactful projects in artificial intelligence and digital technologies. The winners included Alaqan in the Best AI Government Services category, Aspans in Best Industrial AI Project, Ikigai Promotion in Regional AI Transformation, Codo in AI for Social Impact, and Protector AI in Best AI Startup.
The awards showcased the practical implementation of AI solutions and their contribution to economic growth, social development, and public administration.
The forum also became a platform for bringing together outstanding software developers from across Central Asia. In partnership with the Federation of Sport Programming of Kazakhstan and the alem.ai Foundation, with support from Higgsfield and Khan Group, the Central Asia Programming Championship 2026 was held with a prize pool of KZT 3 million.
The competition featured 33 of the region’s strongest programmers. Farhod Hakimyon from Tajikistan won first place, while Aybar Kuanyshbay (Kazakhstan) and Altair Ashurov (Kazakhstan) took second and third place respectively, highlighting the region’s strong engineering talent.
As part of efforts to advance STEM education and prepare the next generation of engineers, the Digital Qazaqstan FIRST Championship was organized in partnership with USTEM Foundation, featuring a prize pool of KZT 2 million. Participants designed, built, and programmed robotics solutions. The championship winners were Team KAP and Team TGJ, while North Star and Panheya became the finalists.
Beyond its business agenda, the forum offered a wide range of technology-focused activities, including drone football competitions, robotics championships, and interactive technology demonstrations, allowing participants to experience innovation firsthand and increasing audience engagement.
Digital Qazaqstan 2026 marked Kazakhstan’s transition to a new stage of development, where digital technologies and artificial intelligence are becoming the foundation of the economy, public administration, and regional growth. The forum demonstrated the country’s readiness not only to adopt advanced technologies but also to shape its own technological agenda by bringing together government institutions, businesses, and the international community around practical initiatives and long-term partnerships.
The forum was organized by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Akimat of Shymkent, and the international innovation cluster Astana Hub. The event was made possible through the support of partners and sponsors, with all organizational expenses covered by sponsorship contributions.
The General Partner of the forum was Freedom Bank, a Kazakh digital bank serving both retail and corporate clients and part of Freedom Holding Corp. Freedom Bank became the first bank in Kazakhstan to fully digitalize mortgage, auto, and business loan services and launched the country’s first investor card, INVEST CARD.
The Platinum Partner was Alageum Electric, one of Kazakhstan’s largest electrical engineering groups, uniting more than 30 enterprises in the fields of power engineering, manufacturing, and infrastructure development.
The Gold Partner was Kazakhtelecom.
Innovation Partners included WSE and Damumed.
The forum partner was Visa.
Partners of the Central Asia Programming Championship were Higgsfield and Khan Group.
The Robotics Zone Partner was USTEM Foundation.
The Digital Creative Industries Zone Partner was the Creative Industries Alliance.
Media support was provided by leading national and industry media outlets, ensuring broad coverage of the forum and engagement with key target audiences.
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