Which global tech giants are already collaborating with Kazakhstan and what AI projects are they developing?

NVIDIA and Firebird

In June 2026, Kazakhstan attracted NVIDIA and Firebird for $10 billion. Funds will be directed toward the construction of the "Data Center Valley" in Ekibastuz—a computing cluster based on 100,000 graphics processing units, which is expected to transform Kazakhstan into one of the key digital hubs of Eurasia. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenev, attended by NVIDIA Vice President Rev Lebaredian and Firebird co-founders Razmik Ovakyamyan and Alexander Esayan. According to Ovakyamyan, the launch of the facility in 2027 will make Kazakhstan one of the top ten countries in the world in terms of computing power.

Separately from this project, Freedom Holding Corp, together with NVIDIA and the Ministry of Digital Development, is launching its own national AI hub with investments of $2 billion—an announcement made by the holding company at the Freedom Inside 2026 forum in April.

OpenAI and Educational Program

A major educational program has been launched in Kazakhstan: Freedom acquired 165,000 ChatGPT Edu licenses for Kazakhstani educators. In early June, a delegation from OpenAI visited Astana and Almaty, where it met with the Bilim Group team and discussed the prospects of implementing artificial intelligence in Kazakhstan's education system. The discussions covered ChatGPT Edu, educational initiatives, and future directions for partnership. Cooperation is based on a memorandum with the Ministry of Digital Development, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and Kazakhtelecom. Earlier, in January, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, a Kazakhstani delegation led by Vice Prime Minister Zhaslan Madiev held negotiations with OpenAI, NVIDIA, and other international partners, including G42, DeepLearning.AI, and Scale AI.

Perplexity

The Ministry of Digital Development and Artificial Intelligence, Kazakhtelecom, and Perplexity AI signed a memorandum under which citizens of Kazakhstan received free access to Perplexity Pro for one year. The ministry noted that the agreement opens up new opportunities for millions of students and professionals.

Presight AI

In May, following a meeting of the AI Development Council, President Tokayev discussed AI development with international leaders and awarded Thomas Pramotedham, head of Presight AI. The Abu Dhabi-based company, a subsidiary of G42, is already implementing the Astana Smart City project with Kazakhstan and is interested in joining the "Data Center Valley." The parties also discussed expanding a similar solution to Almaty.

Chinese Tech Giants

In July, during President Tokayev's visit to Shanghai, Kazakhstan and China signed more than 70 agreements worth over $15 billion. Among them is a strategic partnership between the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development and Huawei Technologies, as well as a separate agreement on the procurement of Huawei technological solutions for Samruk-Kazyna. Earlier, within the framework of a roundtable discussion, BYD, Alibaba Cloud, and Huida Tech launched joint AI projects with Kazakhstan. In July, Alibaba Cloud joined the list of international companies with which Kazakhstan is developing AI projects: Astana Hub and Khan Tengri Innovation Hub signed a memorandum with the company on developing the country's AI ecosystem, which includes cloud credits for startups, integration of the QWEN model into the Astana Hub platform, and exploration of Alibaba Cloud's potential presence in Astana.

Citi and Freedom Holding Corp

On the sidelines of the Council of Foreign Investors under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a tripartite memorandum was signed on the creation of an AI cluster with the participation of Citi and Freedom Holding Corp. The parties are developing innovative financing approaches that should help create world-class computing power for state institutions, businesses, and researchers.

International Consortium

In May, within the framework of the GITEX AI forum, the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development signed a memorandum on the construction of a data center with a capacity of up to 200 megawatts with a consortium consisting of Dornan Engineering Group, Turner Construction Company, and JMOT04. The project involves a Tier III–Tier IV level facility, with investments estimated at $1–1.5 billion.

All the aforementioned agreements form a unified picture: 2026 has been declared the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in Kazakhstan, and the country is systematically building relationships with several technological power centers—the United States, China, and the Gulf countries—aiming to secure its own place in the new computing economy.