A key role in this effort is played by Nazarbayev University (NU), a leading university in Central Asia, which has built an innovation cluster bringing together education, science, technology and business.
NU is an international, English-language research university located in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. It ranks among the top 23% of research universities worldwide, according to the prestigious Times Higher Education ranking
For a number of teams, participation in such business acceleration programs provides more than access to an international accelerator. It also offers an opportunity to enter a new professional environment, gain international expertise, build partnerships and continue expanding into foreign markets.
“We are proud that startups from Kazakhstan are gaining international recognition. We will continue to provide institutional and financial support to innovative projects aimed at the social and technological development of Kazakhstan.
“Partnerships with global innovation platforms such as StartX give entrepreneurs access to expertise, professional networks and new markets. The main result of this work is not simply the participation of our startups in international programs, but the emergence of new technology companies capable of creating competitive products and representing Kazakhstan on the global stage,” said Aslan Sarinzhipov, executive vice president of NU.
NU’s innovation ecosystem includes startup support and development programs, business incubation, acceleration, technological infrastructure and opportunities to attract investment. Particular attention is paid to student entrepreneurship: the university creates an environment where young people’s ideas receive not only expert and organisational support, but also a real opportunity to attract investors. NU also helps technology projects expand beyond Kazakhstan through the strategic partnership between Nazarbayev University Science & Technology Park (NU STeP) and StartX, a non-profit accelerator affiliated with Stanford University.
We are proud that startups from Kazakhstan are gaining international recognition. We will continue to provide institutional and financial support to innovative projects aimed at the social and technological development of Kazakhstan
To support the development of its innovation ecosystem, Nazarbayev University has allocated 40 hectares of land for the construction of a science and technology park. This is a contribution to the diversification of the economy by creating a center for high-tech and technology companies.
Since 2022, NU STeP has been a platinum partner of the Stanford business incubator. The partnership with NU STeP has enabled startups from Kazakhstan and Central Asia to apply without direct Stanford affiliation. Over the course of the partnership, 18 projects represented by NU STeP have gone through StartX programs.
Annually, the Nazarbayev University & NIS Foundation invests $1 million in startup development, and three million dollars have already been allocated over the past three years.
Key opportunities for participants include access to mentors and employee benefits. Startups participate in the programs on equal terms with US companies and gain access to educational programs, Demo Days and industry events. In addition, participants may use office space in Palo Alto while taking part in the program.
The first Kazakhstani project to go through NU STeP was the HealthTech/DeepTech AI company Cerebra AI. Today, the startup is scaling its operations in Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia and the United States. The company is developing Cerebra software, which uses artificial intelligence to enable the early diagnosis of stroke. Its AI modules analyze non-contrast CT scans in real time and can identify signs of ischemic stroke in less than five minutes. Cerebra AI’s solutions are already being used in 46 medical institutions.
In 2024, five more projects joined the program: Arlan Biotech, Smartestprep, GoDays, Mystory and GlobalArt.AI. In 2025, the participants were Python RPA, Aidentis, Parqour and TrustExam.ai. In 2026, the cohort included Defect AI, also known as Rette, Brain Patch, TrustMe, Mirai Tech, WeGlobal AI, Lumia and Moon AI. Another project, Cyberlabs, plans to join the program in autumn 2026.
Over the years, therefore, Kazakhstani projects working in artificial intelligence, medical technology, biotechnology, education, HRTech, LegalTech, DeepTech and Smart City have gone through StartX.
One of the notable projects to have gone through StartX is Arlan Biotech, a company developing generative artificial intelligence for biotechnology. The project was founded by NU alumni Bolat Sultankulov, who holds a PhD in biomedical engineering from NU, and Dauken Seitkali, a graduate of NU’s School of Engineering. Arlan Biotech provides an AI-powered service for generating amino acid sequences, nanobodies and antibodies.
Generative AI helps the biopharmaceutical industry accelerate the development of medicines and test systems. The project has attracted interest from China, Hong Kong and Germany, with investors offering funding to support its development.
NU alumni also form the core of the team behind Higgsfield, the first Kazakhstani unicorn, founded in 2023 and now valued at more than $5.4 billion.
In 2026, medical AI startup Defect AI, also known as Rette, joined StartX. The company automates Revenue Cycle Management for small specialized clinics. Its platform works as an AI assistant for reviewing medical claims, helping prevent insurance denials and accelerate payments. It is one of the leading startups in the biomedical sector.
The company has gained access to the database of one of the leading US healthcare organisations, Mayo Clinic Platform. American orthopedic investors have invested in the startup themselves, demonstrating a high level of confidence in the project and its potential.
A pilot program has already been launched, and the clinics are ready to enter into a commercial contract with the developers. The company is also in the process of obtaining ISO 27001 and HIPAA certification. The startup is valued at $15 million.
Another 2026 StartX participant is Mirai Tech, a DeepTech project working in biomechanics. The company is developing a portable AI biomechanics laboratory that includes smart sensor insoles and wearable devices for monitoring recovery and preventing injuries. Mirai Tech is already conducting pilots with football clubs in the Netherlands, the Kazakhstan Football Federation and the Triathlon.
The 2026 cohort also includes WeGlobal AI, which operates in the EdTech and Mental Health sectors. The startup is developing an AI-powered platform for career guidance and monitoring the mental health of school students. According to the company, the platform has reached more than 1 million students across Kazakhstan and is used by hundreds of schools.
The experience of the NU STeP – StartX partnership demonstrates how the university’s international connections can create new opportunities for the development of technology entrepreneurship in Kazakhstan. During the partnership, projects from a wide range of industries have gone through the accelerator – from medical AI and biotechnology to Smart City, education, LegalTech and corporate AI agents.
The journey from the first startup, Cerebra AI, to the new participants of 2026 demonstrates the gradual expansion of Kazakhstani startups’ presence in the global technology ecosystem.
In this way, Nazarbayev University’s innovation cluster in Kazakhstan is creating an environment where scientific research, entrepreneurial initiatives, investment and international partnerships come together.
About the author: Gaukhar Abeuova is an expert in strategic communications. She has been working at Nazarbayev University for the last three years.
She has experience in PR and communications of the mining sector, sports PR and media management. Before joining PR, she worked as a television journalist. For the last 15 years, she has been engaged in PR and communications, as well as consulting. She is the founder of the PR Alliance community in Kazakhstan.
