On September 26, the fifth Pizza Pitch was held at the Astana Hub – Zhambyl Hub regional office located in Taraz, where startups in the region presented their projects. Out of 15 submitted applications, 7 best projects were selected, which had the opportunity to speak to the jury and compete for the victory.

The main theme of the event was the promotion of the AI movement, an urgent topic that is actively gaining popularity in the region and beyond. The jury included managers of Shymkent Hub and Turkistan Hub Timur Kozykeev and Galymzhan Aitkaliyev, as well as Nurzhan Sagyndyk, head of the IT Department of Zhambyl Higher Innovation College. Their experience and expert opinions helped the participants to assess the potential of their projects and receive valuable recommendations for further development.

The winners of the event were three unique projects, each of which contributed to solving urgent problems:

iCompile is a project developed by a student of the 12th grade of the Nazarbayev Intellectual School (NIS). This startup offers innovative solutions for programming and automation of work processes, which was a real discovery for the jury and participants of the event.

EcoBin is another startup, presented by a student of the 12th grade of NIS, aimed at solving environmental problems. The project proposes a system for using AI for sorting and recycling waste, which is becoming increasingly relevant in the rapidly deteriorating environmental situation.

The application for matching volunteers and disabled children is a socially significant project that aims to create a platform for interaction between volunteers and families with disabled children. This project has attracted wide interest due to its social significance and potential to change people's lives for the better.

The event was also attended by the popular blogger @alga.petersburg, which attracted additional attention to the event and its main theme — the development of AI technologies and the introduction of innovative solutions in various spheres of life.

Pizza Pitch has become an important platform for startups in the region, providing an opportunity not only to present their ideas, but also to receive feedback from industry experts. Such events contribute to the development of the innovation ecosystem in the Zhambyl region and the popularization of AI technologies in Kazakhstan.