BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 26. What drives a tech company to establish its presence in a new market? Why do founders choose to build their teams there, and why do highly skilled professionals decide to relocate and grow their careers?
Entrepreneurs need more than just low taxes or modern infrastructure. They need a country where the rules are clear—how to operate, register a business, find talent, secure the necessary status, and scale operations. This practical approach lies at the heart of the Trusted Kazakhstan concept.
Magzhan Madiyev, CEO of Astana Hub, notes: “Kazakhstan is steadily building an environment where international IT and AI professionals, entrepreneurs, and technology companies choose the country for long-term operations and scaling.”
But what does this mean in practice?
Can You Work for the Global Market from Kazakhstan?
One indicator is technology exports. In 2025, exports of Kazakhstan’s IT services reached $1.142 billion, up from $33.5 million in 2020. Kazakhstani IT solutions are exported to more than 110 countries.
For a technology company, this means that the Kazakhstani market is becoming not an end point, but a platform from which it can begin to expand and enter other markets.
Digital government infrastructure also contributes to this. In the UN E-Government Development Index 2024, Kazakhstan ranked 24th out of 193 countries.
At the same time, the country is expanding its international digital connectivity. The approximately 4,500-kilometer West–East digital superhighway stretching from Aktau to Khorgos, combined with the Trans-Caspian Fiber-Optic Line, is set to become a key segment of the digital corridor connecting Europe, Central Asia, and China.
This redefines Kazakhstan's traditional geographical advantage, gradually transforming the nation into a strategic gateway for the transit of not only physical goods, but also data, digital services, and technology.
For an international entrepreneur or specialist, getting to know a country begins not with a grand strategy, but with highly practical considerations. To address this, Kazakhstan offers the Digital Nomad Visa and Digital Nomad Residency. Astana Hub participants benefit from a specialized regulatory regime, while the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) provides a separate legal jurisdiction based on the principles of English common law.
All of this creates a clear pathway from initial interest to launching a real project.
However, infrastructure alone is not enough: technology companies cannot emerge without people who know how to build technology.
Where Do You Find the Talent to Build Technology?
This is one of the central questions of the global AI race. You can build data centers, attract investment, and establish specialized regimes for business. But without engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and AI specialists, the technology ecosystem cannot function. That is why human capital is another key component of Trusted Kazakhstan.
Initiatives like AI Qyzmet, AI Sana, Tomorrow School, and QazCoders are expanding across the country, alongside the integration of AI programs into universities. At the same time, mechanisms are being put in place to attract international talent.
It is not just about increasing headcount. What matters equally is the expertise they bring to the country. International specialists share their knowledge, build teams, launch projects, and integrate the local tech community into global professional networks.
This is how the next level of trust emerges: people come not just to work in Kazakhstan—they become part of its technology environment.
Why Trust, Specifically?
Because deciding to enter a new country is relatively easy to do once. What is far harder is ensuring they stay, invest, expand their teams, and launch their next project.
This brings us to the core question: what convinces businesses and professionals to stay? Trusted Kazakhstan is not a standalone marketing campaign or a single government tool. It is a set of conditions that addresses the practical questions of international business:
Can I register a company here? Are the rules clear? Can I find talent? Is there access to capital? Do digital services work seamlessly? Can I scale? Is there an international professional community?
The more clear and affirmative answers an entrepreneur, investor, or specialist receives, the higher the likelihood that initial interest in the country will evolve into a long-term presence.
Where Can You See This Ecosystem in Action?
From September 23 to October 23, AI MONTH is taking place across Kazakhstan—a month-long program bringing together key events in artificial intelligence and technology.
Developers, entrepreneurs, startups, investors, international technology companies, researchers, and government representatives come together in different formats—from hackathons and educational initiatives to international discussions and investment platforms.
The centerpiece international event of AI MONTH is AI & Digital Bridge 2026, taking place from October 1 to 3 in Astana.
This is where you can see the Trusted Kazakhstan concept in action.
International participants will have the opportunity not just to hear about the country's technological progress, but to see companies and products firsthand, meet founders, developers, and investors, find partners, and experience Kazakhstan's tech ecosystem from the inside.
Among the forum's headliners are Balaji Srinivasan, Founder of The Network School; Yerzat Dulat, Co-Founder and CTO of Higgsfield AI; and Jamie Beaton, Co-Founder and CEO of Crimson Education.
Their participation also reflects three resources that technology-driven economies are competing for today: entrepreneurship, technology, and human capital.
The AI & Digital Bridge program will cover artificial intelligence and its impact on the economy, investment and venture capital, technology entrepreneurship, digital infrastructure, startups, talent, Creative Industries, and GameDev. The forum will also feature a technology exhibition, Startup Alley, Astana Hub Battle, and other formats for direct interaction among companies, investors, and technology teams.
This is the practical meaning of Trusted Kazakhstan: not simply to tell the world about Kazakhstan, but to create an environment where international interest turns into real projects, partnerships, companies, and long-term presence.
AI & Digital Bridge 2026
The forum will take place from October 1 to 3 at the EXPO International Exhibition Centre in Astana.
October 1 will feature a special high-level program by invitation only, bringing together heads of government agencies and international delegations, as well as technology industry leaders.
The open program for ticket holders will take place on October 2–3.
AI & Digital Bridge 2026 is organized by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Astana Hub, and the Akimat of Astana.
The organization of the forum is made possible through the support of its partners and sponsors. All expenses for AI & Digital Bridge 2026 are covered by sponsorship funds.
Gold Partners: Freedom Bank Kazakhstan JSC, Kaspi.kz, Samruk-Kazyna JSC, and Kazakhtelecom JSC. Silver Partner: Halyk Bank. Business Partner: Beeline Kazakhstan. Bronze Partner: Yandex Qazaqstan. Official Airline Partner: Air Astana.
Trusted Kazakhstan is part of the country's broader technology positioning: Kazakhstan is the Eurasian AI Hub.
At such venues, you can see the Trusted Kazakhstan concept in action: the international technology community has the opportunity not just to hear about Kazakhstan's development, but to directly connect with companies, entrepreneurs, developers, investors, and the ecosystem's infrastructure.
The organization of AI & Digital Bridge 2026 was made possible through the support of the forum's partners and sponsors. All expenses for the forum are covered by sponsorship funds.
Gold Partners: Freedom Bank Kazakhstan JSC, Kaspi.kz, Samruk-Kazyna JSC, and Kazakhtelecom JSC. Silver Partner: Halyk Bank. Business Partner: Beeline Kazakhstan. Bronze Partner: Yandex Qazaqstan. Official Airline Partner: Air Astana.
The forum is organized by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Astana Hub, and the Akimat of Astana.
Learn more about the forum at https://digitalbridge.ai
