This year, the program received 61 applications. Following a competitive selection process, an expert committee chose six of the most promising startups to participate in an intensive five-week acceleration program at Draper University in San Mateo, Silicon Valley. The selected startups included:
Pulsar – a DeepTech computer vision system capable of performing a full technical vehicle inspection in seconds.
ibirAi – an AI-powered platform for continuous corporate learning through micro-lessons delivered via messaging applications.
AR SANA – an AI platform designed to scale speech therapy services for children.
Beauty AI – an AI manager that transforms data into profit through a “diagnosis–solution–result” approach.
VoiceClinic – a next-generation voice AI agent for healthcare clinics, specifically trained for the conversational patterns of multilingual countries.
Barion AI – a platform that transforms business data into personalized AI agents capable of performing employee tasks.
“Hero Training remains one of Astana Hub’s flagship international programs, providing startups from Central Eurasia with access to Silicon Valley expertise, international investors, and global markets. Over five cohorts, 47 technology companies have participated in the program, while alumni have raised more than $3.3 million in total investment. Beyond gaining practical knowledge from leading entrepreneurs and investors, participants immerse themselves in Silicon Valley culture and gain a deeper understanding of one of the world’s most advanced technology markets. This experience helps teams adapt their products for global audiences more quickly, establish international partnerships, and develop effective scaling strategies,” said Tanat Uskembayev, Managing Director of Astana Hub.
Particular success in the fifth cohort was achieved by the Kazakhstani startups VoiceClinic and AR SANA. The founders of both companies became part of the program’s winning team, earning a place on Draper University’s prestigious Wall of Champions.
This achievement grants the startups direct access to the global Draper Venture Network, which spans more than 70 countries, participation opportunities within the private co-investment platform DraperX, and priority engagement with venture capital funds across the Draper ecosystem.
“Participating in Hero Training became an important milestone in our growth journey. Thanks to the opportunity and infrastructure support provided by Astana Hub and Silkroad Innovation Hub, we were able not only to gain valuable knowledge and international validation, but also to bring back a victory for Kazakhstan, strong U.S. connections, and direct access to one of the world’s most influential venture ecosystems. It is especially encouraging to see the growing interest of international investors in startups from our region. We will leverage both the experience and network gained through the program to further accelerate VoiceClinic’s growth and strengthen the position of Kazakhstani technology on the global stage,” said Akerke Tatishyeva, Founder and CEO of VoiceClinic.
Throughout the program, participants worked closely with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts. They took part in hands-on sessions focused on business development, fundraising, U.S. market entry strategies, and building sustainable business models. Startups also had the opportunity to present their ventures to the international investment community during the final Demo Day.
Hero Training is an international acceleration program founded by renowned American venture capitalist Tim Draper. The program is designed for startups with a validated product and strong international scaling potential. Participants gain hands-on experience within the Silicon Valley ecosystem, access to global mentorship, and practical tools for expanding into international markets.
Additional information about the exclusive Hero Training acceleration program and participants from previous cohorts is available on the Astana Hub platform.
About the Draper Ecosystem
The Draper Ecosystem is a unique network that brings together talented founders, experts, and investors through world-class facilitators and an extensive community of mentors, industry specialists, corporate partners, and venture capital investors. Draper University was founded by Tim Draper, one of the most prominent venture capital investors in the United States.
This year, the program received 61 applications. Following a competitive selection process, an expert committee chose six of the most promising startups to participate in an intensive five-week acceleration program at Draper University in San Mateo, Silicon Valley. The selected startups included:
Pulsar – a DeepTech computer vision system capable of performing a full technical vehicle inspection in seconds.
ibirAi – an AI-powered platform for continuous corporate learning through micro-lessons delivered via messaging applications.
AR SANA – an AI platform designed to scale speech therapy services for children.
Beauty AI – an AI manager that transforms data into profit through a “diagnosis–solution–result” approach.
VoiceClinic – a next-generation voice AI agent for healthcare clinics, specifically trained for the conversational patterns of multilingual countries.
Barion AI – a platform that transforms business data into personalized AI agents capable of performing employee tasks.
“Hero Training remains one of Astana Hub’s flagship international programs, providing startups from Central Eurasia with access to Silicon Valley expertise, international investors, and global markets. Over five cohorts, 47 technology companies have participated in the program, while alumni have raised more than $3.3 million in total investment. Beyond gaining practical knowledge from leading entrepreneurs and investors, participants immerse themselves in Silicon Valley culture and gain a deeper understanding of one of the world’s most advanced technology markets. This experience helps teams adapt their products for global audiences more quickly, establish international partnerships, and develop effective scaling strategies,” said Tanat Uskembayev, Managing Director of Astana Hub.
Particular success in the fifth cohort was achieved by the Kazakhstani startups VoiceClinic and AR SANA. The founders of both companies became part of the program’s winning team, earning a place on Draper University’s prestigious Wall of Champions.
This achievement grants the startups direct access to the global Draper Venture Network, which spans more than 70 countries, participation opportunities within the private co-investment platform DraperX, and priority engagement with venture capital funds across the Draper ecosystem.
“Participating in Hero Training became an important milestone in our growth journey. Thanks to the opportunity and infrastructure support provided by Astana Hub and Silkroad Innovation Hub, we were able not only to gain valuable knowledge and international validation, but also to bring back a victory for Kazakhstan, strong U.S. connections, and direct access to one of the world’s most influential venture ecosystems. It is especially encouraging to see the growing interest of international investors in startups from our region. We will leverage both the experience and network gained through the program to further accelerate VoiceClinic’s growth and strengthen the position of Kazakhstani technology on the global stage,” said Akerke Tatishyeva, Founder and CEO of VoiceClinic.
Throughout the program, participants worked closely with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts. They took part in hands-on sessions focused on business development, fundraising, U.S. market entry strategies, and building sustainable business models. Startups also had the opportunity to present their ventures to the international investment community during the final Demo Day.
Hero Training is an international acceleration program founded by renowned American venture capitalist Tim Draper. The program is designed for startups with a validated product and strong international scaling potential. Participants gain hands-on experience within the Silicon Valley ecosystem, access to global mentorship, and practical tools for expanding into international markets.
Additional information about the exclusive Hero Training acceleration program and participants from previous cohorts is available on the Astana Hub platform.
About the Draper Ecosystem
The Draper Ecosystem is a unique network that brings together talented founders, experts, and investors through world-class facilitators and an extensive community of mentors, industry specialists, corporate partners, and venture capital investors. Draper University was founded by Tim Draper, one of the most prominent venture capital investors in the United States.
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