Network School, headquartered in Astana, has been valued at $2 billion

Network School, founded by tech entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan, is raising an investment round at a $2 billion valuation. The project’s headquarters is located in Kazakhstan. Participants in the round include Polychain Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and Coinbase.

The round was announced on October 9 at the Network State Conference 2026. The event was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan, Zhaslan Madiev.

On July 21, the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan and Network School signed a memorandum on relocating the project’s headquarters to Astana. This was the result of efforts to attract international tech entrepreneurs, investors, and new projects to the country.

The investment round is led by crypto fund Polychain Capital. According to its founder and CEO Olaf Carlson-Wee, the round also includes venture fund Andreessen Horowitz, crypto exchange Coinbase, and Balaji Srinivasan himself. The $2 billion valuation places Network School in the unicorn category—private companies valued at over $1 billion.

Network School combines education, professional community, company creation, and employment opportunities in the global market. The project is positioned as “Silicon Valley beyond Silicon Valley.”

During his speech, Balaji Srinivasan announced the relocation of Network School participants to a new urban campus in Astana, located at the International Artificial Intelligence Center Alem.ai. Future plans include developing a tech hub in the capital, attracting venture investors and startups, and collaborating on the crypto city project in Alatau.

Balaji Srinivasan also highly praised the development of Astana and its potential to attract the international tech community.

One of the key areas of cooperation is education and workforce training. Together with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan, Network School plans to create an academic institution focused on online learning. In the long term, it could become a full-fledged university authorized to award academic degrees.

The educational model will be focused on acquired knowledge and skills. The pace of program completion will depend on learning outcomes, and qualifications will be confirmed through an in-person exam. Continuous learning and the use of blockchain technology for verifying educational documents are also planned.

Cooperation with Kazakhstani national companies will link specialist training with subsequent employment. Network School intends to attract international specialists to Kazakhstan while expanding opportunities for local talent. Initially, the project plans to attract thousands of talented individuals, with the long-term goal of bringing in tens of thousands. At the same time, the company aims to help Kazakhstani citizens find jobs in the global market.

The development of Network School in Kazakhstan aligns with the country’s plans to become an AI hub in Eurasia. The project aims to develop technological infrastructure, attract investments and specialists, and create opportunities for launching companies operating in international markets.

Source: gov.kz