One of the key highlights was a session with Peter Norvig, Director of Research at Google and one of the world’s leading experts in artificial intelligence. Coauthor of the landmark textbook Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, creator of a popular online AI course and former head of Google’s search algorithms, Norvig spoke candidly about the future of AI, Google’s role in its development, and the technology’s impact on the startup ecosystem.
The centerpiece of the event was the final round of the Firebase Studio Championship, where ten top teams from across Central Asia presented their projects built with Firebase Studio and the Gemini API. The finalists included: LangBridge (Aktobe), an AI tutor for learning Kazakh; Emgek AI (Bishkek), a job-search platform for migrant workers; TerraVibe (Ashgabat), an AI that helps children “talk” to plants; Fleetly (Astana), a fleet-management and dispatching solution; Ebitdaddy (Astana), a financial interview-training tool; Loom (Pavlodar), which transforms children’s drawings into an emotional language; Civisignal (Astana), a platform for rapid urban-issue reporting; QuizPet (Astana), a gamified learning platform with a virtual pet; PrepAi (Kyzylorda), full IELTS and SAT practice tests; and IdeaForge (Astana), an AI-powered brainstorming platform.
The championship winner was EbitDaddy from Astana, receiving $500 and a $1,000 Google Cloud Platform voucher. Their product is an AI-driven interview-training platform that helps students and recent graduates prepare for job interviews and assists recruiters with preliminary candidate screening. The solution is based on a database of more than 1,500 real interview questions and provides intelligent feedback that builds confidence and practical skills.
“Winning the championship is recognition that we’re moving in the right direction, and it’s a strong incentive to continue developing our product and Kazakhstan’s tech industry. We are especially grateful to Google for the services that help our developers build the future, and to Astana Hub and alem.ai for supporting the ecosystem and young teams. Participating in the championship gave us valuable expert feedback, validated our idea, and helped expand our professional network. We are now developing our flagship product, the EdTech platform for virtual internships ‘Internium,’ and are looking for universities and corporate partners to launch pilot programs,” said Daniyar Rakhimberdinov, CEO and cofounder of EbitDaddy.
Second place went to TerraVibe, which received $400 and a $700 voucher. Emgek AI took third place with a prize of $300 and a $500 voucher. IdeaForge and Loom shared fourth and fifth places, each receiving $200. All finalists were also awarded access to Cloud Skills Boost learning resources and commemorative certificates.
The jury included leading industry experts and representatives of the tech community: Google Director of Research Peter Norvig; CEO of Codiplay Danabek Kaliazhdarov; Madina Abdrakhmanova, Chief AI Officer at ForestHero; Dalida Erkulieva, founder of YourPerfectSWE; Zhazira Koppagambetova, CEO of outpeer.kz; Anar Taubayeva, Deputy Chair of the Qaz.ai Association; and Askar Aituov, Google for Developers coordinator.
The championship was part of AI Week, which in turn is integrated into the international Digital Bridge 2025 forum. Throughout the week, the capital hosts competitions, championships, meetings with global experts and presentations of innovative projects. AI Week brings together school students, university students, startups, corporations and international companies, creating a space for knowledge exchange and the development of the AI ecosystem in Central Asia.
One of the key highlights was a session with Peter Norvig, Director of Research at Google and one of the world’s leading experts in artificial intelligence. Coauthor of the landmark textbook Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, creator of a popular online AI course and former head of Google’s search algorithms, Norvig spoke candidly about the future of AI, Google’s role in its development, and the technology’s impact on the startup ecosystem.
The centerpiece of the event was the final round of the Firebase Studio Championship, where ten top teams from across Central Asia presented their projects built with Firebase Studio and the Gemini API. The finalists included: LangBridge (Aktobe), an AI tutor for learning Kazakh; Emgek AI (Bishkek), a job-search platform for migrant workers; TerraVibe (Ashgabat), an AI that helps children “talk” to plants; Fleetly (Astana), a fleet-management and dispatching solution; Ebitdaddy (Astana), a financial interview-training tool; Loom (Pavlodar), which transforms children’s drawings into an emotional language; Civisignal (Astana), a platform for rapid urban-issue reporting; QuizPet (Astana), a gamified learning platform with a virtual pet; PrepAi (Kyzylorda), full IELTS and SAT practice tests; and IdeaForge (Astana), an AI-powered brainstorming platform.
The championship winner was EbitDaddy from Astana, receiving $500 and a $1,000 Google Cloud Platform voucher. Their product is an AI-driven interview-training platform that helps students and recent graduates prepare for job interviews and assists recruiters with preliminary candidate screening. The solution is based on a database of more than 1,500 real interview questions and provides intelligent feedback that builds confidence and practical skills.
“Winning the championship is recognition that we’re moving in the right direction, and it’s a strong incentive to continue developing our product and Kazakhstan’s tech industry. We are especially grateful to Google for the services that help our developers build the future, and to Astana Hub and alem.ai for supporting the ecosystem and young teams. Participating in the championship gave us valuable expert feedback, validated our idea, and helped expand our professional network. We are now developing our flagship product, the EdTech platform for virtual internships ‘Internium,’ and are looking for universities and corporate partners to launch pilot programs,” said Daniyar Rakhimberdinov, CEO and cofounder of EbitDaddy.
Second place went to TerraVibe, which received $400 and a $700 voucher. Emgek AI took third place with a prize of $300 and a $500 voucher. IdeaForge and Loom shared fourth and fifth places, each receiving $200. All finalists were also awarded access to Cloud Skills Boost learning resources and commemorative certificates.
The jury included leading industry experts and representatives of the tech community: Google Director of Research Peter Norvig; CEO of Codiplay Danabek Kaliazhdarov; Madina Abdrakhmanova, Chief AI Officer at ForestHero; Dalida Erkulieva, founder of YourPerfectSWE; Zhazira Koppagambetova, CEO of outpeer.kz; Anar Taubayeva, Deputy Chair of the Qaz.ai Association; and Askar Aituov, Google for Developers coordinator.
The championship was part of AI Week, which in turn is integrated into the international Digital Bridge 2025 forum. Throughout the week, the capital hosts competitions, championships, meetings with global experts and presentations of innovative projects. AI Week brings together school students, university students, startups, corporations and international companies, creating a space for knowledge exchange and the development of the AI ecosystem in Central Asia.
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