A number of IT companies in Kazakhstan have reached a valuation of $100 million. This was announced today during a government meeting by the Minister of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry, Jaslan Madiev, as reported by a correspondent from the Kapital.kz business information center.
“Our digital developments in the GovTech sector are reaching an international level. In 2023-2024, the export volume amounted to 1.36 billion tenge. Kazakhstan exports e-government solutions to countries such as Tajikistan, Togo, and Sierra Leone. The main exported products include Smart Data Ukimet, Smart Bridge, and GOV.KZ,” he shared.
Kazakhstan is a leader in the region in terms of venture deal volume. Last year alone, the total amount of venture deals reached $80 million. Significant investments have been attracted by companies such as CITIX, Hero’s Journey, Higgsfield AI, and others.
“Some of these companies have already achieved a valuation of $100 million. These achievements confirm that Kazakhstan is becoming a key innovation hub in the region. In line with the president's directive, efforts are underway to establish an Artificial Intelligence Center in Astana. The mission of the Center is to facilitate AI transformation in the Republic of Kazakhstan by attracting talent from across the region,” the minister clarified.
It is planned to train thousands of specialists, hundreds of startups, and dozens of research projects in the field of AI annually. This center will serve as a platform for the best global practices in AI development.
“We propose a comprehensive approach to educating the population about artificial intelligence technology. We aim to train 1 million people over the next 5 years, specifically: 500,000 school students, 300,000 university students, 90,000 civil servants, 80,000 entrepreneurs, and 30,000 individuals from other categories. We are currently working on launching educational projects, including the TUMO creative technology center for school students,” added Jaslan Madiev.
In October 2024, the first AI school in the region, TomorrowSchool, was opened to train specialists in the field of AI.
“All these initiatives will help develop the country’s human capital, identify talents, and promote the growth of the IT sector,” the minister concluded.