ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s startup ecosystem is moving from a period of rapid expansion toward a more demanding stage focused on revenue, international customers and global growth, according to the first national study of the country’s startup landscape. The Kazakhstan Startup Landscape 2026 report was presented Oct.
3 at the AI & Digital Bridge 2026 forum. The study maps more than 1,500 startups and technology companies and examines how businesses develop from their first sales to international expansion. It was prepared by RISE Research & Advisory with Astana Hub and Sapa Group with the support of the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development.
The findings show an ecosystem that has grown considerably in just a few years. The number of startups in the study’s database increased from around 300 in 2020 to more than 1,500 in 2026. Nearly 60% of active startups were founded between 2023 and 2026, highlighting how young the ecosystem remains.
From $20 million to more than $460 million One of the clearest signs of the ecosystem’s development is the growth of venture financing. According to the study, venture funding increased more than 23-fold from 2020, when it stood at around $20 million. RISE forecasts that venture investment in Kazakhstan could exceed $460 million in 2026.
More than 200 companies in the database have attracted venture funding, while 45 have raised more than $1 million. The growth reflects a broader transformation of Kazakhstan’s technology sector. In 2022, startups connected with Astana Hub attracted $130 million in investment, while digitally delivered services exported through the ecosystem reached $165 million.
By 2025, IT service exports through Astana Hub had reached 328 billion tenge (US$681 million), with 537 companies exporting IT services to 111 countries. The country’s startup ambitions also received a major boost with the emergence of its first unicorn. Higgsfield AI, a generative AI video company, surpassed a $1 billion valuation in September 2025, becoming Kazakhstan’s first startup to reach unicorn status.
The achievement marked a significant shift from earlier ambitions. In 2025, Kazakhstan was still working toward creating its first unicorn by 2027. AI is becoming part of the startup model Artificial intelligence has quickly moved from being a specialized technology to becoming a core part of Kazakhstan’s startup landscape.