The AI Startup Showdown featured rapid-fire pitches, with each participant given just three minutes to present their solution. Afterward, a panel of leading startup industry experts questioned the teams, evaluating the scalability and potential of each project.

"Thirteen Kazakhstani startups took part in the showdown, each presenting unique AI-based solutions. The jury consisted of top-tier industry leaders: Yerzat Dulat, CEO of Higgsfield AI; Yerbol Kopzhasar, founder of Kepl.ai; and Elissar Nurmagambetov, founder and CEO of Black Ice AI. Their extensive experience underscored the high standard of the jury—each of them has walked the path from idea to scaled business, raising investments and bringing their companies to the global stage," said Yerbol Akhmetov, Director of Business Programs at Astana Hub.

FinFlow, the winner of the AI Startup Showdown, offers an AI-powered CFO solution for small and medium-sized businesses, providing intelligent tools for financial management and expense optimization. The second-place prize of $3,000 went to Pleep, an innovative tool for building multimodal AI traders. Foody.ai took third place and was awarded $2,000 for its AI-powered digital assistant that promotes healthy eating habits.

"This was another fantastic pitch battle, featuring strong startups and excellent organization. I especially appreciated the jury—seasoned and successful professionals who deeply understand the industry, ask the right questions, and know the real challenges. As for our project, we’re nearly finished closing our investment round, which we plan to finalize in April. We’re looking at rapid expansion across Central Asia. Besides Kazakhstan, we already have potential clients and partners in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan and are in talks with several banks. This coming year promises to be full of major milestones—we're actively growing our team, hiring developers, and excited for what’s ahead," shared Daulet Aitmakhanov, CEO of FinFlow and winner of the competition.

Other participants in the AI Startup Showdown included Flection.ai, a digital platform for stroke therapy; Bizdin.ai, a visual information-aware AI agent; RE:Create AI, a content-generation service for accelerating social media growth; KOZ AI, a provider of comprehensive business digitization solutions; Qala AI, a platform for enhancing city resilience; redflags.ai, an AI-powered corporate procurement audit tool; Protector AI, a video analytics system for incident prevention; WeGlobal.ai, a platform supporting schools with career guidance and psychological assistance; KikoAI, a social robot designed for families; and OncoZero.AI, a developer of advanced early cancer detection technologies. 

From March 28 to 30, 2025, Almaty hosted AlmatyFair.ai—the region’s largest artificial intelligence exhibition, attended by the Presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The exhibition showcased cutting-edge solutions in GovTech, BigTech, and Smart City, alongside panel discussions featuring leading industry experts. The event also featured themed zones dedicated to IT companies, industrial innovation, educational initiatives, and a startup alley, along with drone and robotics demonstration areas.

AlmatyFair.ai was organized by the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Akimat of Almaty, and Astana Hub. The general sponsor of the exhibition was Kaspi.kz, with Freedom Bank and Halyk Bank serving as official partners.