At the AI and Digital Bridge Forum in Astana, founders, investors, and accelerator leaders discussed what Central Asian AI startups need beyond technology to enter global markets, and the answer centered on evidence. Investors and large companies increasingly want to see real customers, results from pilot projects, and measurable economic impact before committing, and participants described Kazakhstan as a bridge and platform that helps regional projects reach international buyers. The country’s startup ecosystem is growing, and partnerships with foreign accelerators are giving companies from across Central Asia a way to reach investors, customers, and expertise abroad.
Two Kazakh companies were presented as examples of that route. Cybernet AI, which builds AI technology for business and call-centre automation, tested its solution in Mexico, where it reportedly performed about 20 percent better than the client’s own team at roughly one fifth of the cost. Armeta began working with Mitsubishi Power after winning an international competition in Houston and has also joined the US-based Alchemist Accelerator. Both companies have had the chance to develop their projects in the American market, which shows how a pilot result or a competition win can turn into a commercial relationship.
The pipeline behind these stories is run by Silkroad Innovation Hub, with support from IT Park Uzbekistan and other partners. Its founder and CEO, Asset Abdualiyev, said the programme brings founders from the region to Silicon Valley each year to help them enter the US market, and that it has run for more than three years with over 100 startups taking part, many of which are now expanding in the United States. A session at the forum brought together representatives of leading accelerators, including Alchemist, StartX, and Draper University, giving regional founders direct access to the people who select and support companies for those programmes.
Alchemist Accelerator CEO Ian Bergman described the region as a source of exceptional talent and said he wants to see more applications from it, noting that the accelerator receives thousands of applications from around the world every year. He pointed to Central Asian companies that build in San Francisco while keeping engineering teams at home and scaling worldwide. For Pakistani founders, the Central Asian example offers a useful comparison, since it shows how a regional operator, sustained for several years, can create a repeatable path into Silicon Valley, and how much weight global buyers place on pilots, customers, and measurable results over technology claims alone.
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