ASTANA – Astana Hub, the largest tech park in Central Asia, has wrapped up 2024 by showing remarkable growth across all key metrics. Over the past year, tech park residents have attracted more than $177 million in investments, increased tech service exports to $481.5 million, and achieved a total revenue of $1.3 billion.
Astana Hub plays a vital role in strengthening the ecosystem for tech businesses, supporting startups at every stage of their growth. Photo credit: Astana Hub.
The creation of over 28,000 new jobs in the tech sector reflects robust development and a significant contribution to the country’s economy, reported the Astana Hub’s press service on Jan. 30.
Astana Hub plays a vital role in strengthening the ecosystem for tech businesses, supporting startups at every stage of their growth. In 2024, more than 500 companies joined as new participants, bringing the total number of registered tech companies at the tech park to 1,600, including over 425 with foreign participation.
Major investments were secured by companies such as CITIX, Hero’s Journey, and Higgsfield AI. Meanwhile, Arlan Biotech, GoDays, Zypl.ai, CerebraAI, CodiPlay, ApartX, Biometric, Parqour, Grand Mobile, Kwaka, Beksar, Alaqan, ZebraEye, and many others are effectively expanding into international markets.
Astana Hub CEO Magzhan Madiyev highlighted the remarkable growth of the tech industry compared to other sectors of the economy. According to him, in 2024, investments in the sector increased by 40% compared to the previous year, while tech service exports grew by 52%, total industry revenue rose by 48%, and the number of new jobs expanded by 12%. He added that this growth is due to effective government policies focused on human capital development.
“Over the past five years, the state has invested roughly 15 billion tenge (US$28.9 million) in Astana Hub, resulting in tech industry revenues reaching 1.5 trillion tenge (US$2.9 billion) and net export earnings of $1.1 billion. With minimal investment, the tech sector has shown tremendous growth and creates a multiplier effect throughout Kazakhstan’s economy,” said Madiyev.
Notable initiatives included launching accelerator programs like Silkway Accelerator, Hero Training, and Scalerator, which helped 49 startups scale internationally. The establishment of Astana Hub Ventures, a $10 million fund, further supported local startups.
Digital Nomad Visa and Residency programs were introduced, attracting global firms like Playrix and TikTok. The park also enhanced its infrastructure, adding IT hubs in six regions and focusing on AI development with the launch of Alem.AI. By 2026, Astana Hub aims to increase tech service exports to $1 billion and help create Kazakhstan’s first “unicorn” startup by 2027.
