The hackathon, organized by the Astana Daryn Center in cooperation with the online programming school CAP Education, is the second annual event for schoolchildren of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the format of a two-day DemoDay pitching of the strongest startup projects among schoolchildren in the country.
The main partners of the hackathon are Astana Hub, Astana IT University, TrustExam proctoring platform, JUZ40 Education, etc.
The purpose of the hackathon is to support government initiatives in the field of artificial intelligence and digital transformation, as well as the implementation of the directions outlined in the strategic objectives of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan through school projects and practice-oriented student initiatives.
In 2024, 300 teams registered for the first stage of the hackathon, of which 100 qualified for the second stage. 34 teams made it to the finals and defended their projects. Given the high interest in the first project and the accumulated experience, the hackathon was continued at a higher level in 2026.
On January 10, 2026, the qualifying stage of the republican hackathon among schoolchildren took place, which was attended by talented students from all regions of Kazakhstan. Testing was organized at a high-tech level on the TrustExam platform, which ensured transparency, fairness and equal conditions for all participants.
More than 1,000 students, more than 300 teams and over 100 schools from all regions of the country registered during the qualifying stage. According to the test results, 75 teams made it to the second stage.
From January 12 to January 17, 2026, the second stage of the hackathon took place, during which the teams developed and presented their projects in the MVP format.
According to the results of the expert assessment, 50 teams in three directions made it to the final stage.:
- Digital Business & GovTech — 25 teams
- AI & Big Data — 19 teams
- Smart Technologies & IoT — 6 teams
In the final, the participants will present their projects to professional experts and jury members and investors.
Prizes of I, II and III are provided in each direction, as well as special nominations. The winners of the special nominations will be awarded with the Astana IT University branded merchandise.
The winners in each category will be awarded investment certificates for the implementation of a startup project.:
- I place — 150,000 tenge from Cap Education + 50,000 tenge from JUZ40 Education
- Second place — 75,000 tenge from Cap Education + 25,000 tenge from JUZ40 Education
- III place — 50,000 tenge from Cap Education + 20,000 tenge from JUZ40 Education
Additional educational opportunities are also provided for the winners. In three areas (AI & Big Data, Digital Business & GovTech, Smart Technologies & IoT), 3 winning teams in each category, about 30 students will have access to the Startup School and Startup Academy educational programs provided by Astana Hub for free.
Hackathon Speakers
Leading industry representatives will speak at the hackathon.:
- Head of the Center for the identification and support of gifted children and talented youth "Astana Daryny" — Beysenbayeva Zhanar Mauletkankyzy;
- Ainur Kuanyshbayeva, Director of TUMO Astana, employee of the Alem AI Foundation, representative of Astana Hub;
- The founder of the company TrustExam.ai , the main partner of the hackathon is Yersultan Ermanov;
- Vice—rector for Educational Work at Astana IT University - Toksanov Sapar Nurakhmetovich.
Congratulations to the teams that made it to the finals, and we wish you successful project protection. To confirm your participation, you must register and download the Astana hub app!
