The first unicorn in Kazakhstan and a presentation from Apple: what was new in September 2025 in the world and Central Asia

We’ve gathered the month’s top news about startups, venture capital, and ecosystem development.

Apple’s Major 2025 Announcements: iPhone 17, AirPods with Instant Translation, and Apple Watch 11
At its annual September presentation, Apple unveiled a whole lineup of updates, emphasizing innovation, sleek design, and health-related technologies.

AI Academy Opens in Baku to Develop Artificial Intelligence in Azerbaijan
The official opening of the AI Academy—a new center for training AI specialists—took place in Baku. The event was held with the participation of ministers of digital development and science, educators, and industry experts.

CodiPlay Changes CEO: Zhanadil Taldybaev Launches AI Project Paradigm Shift, Danabek Kaliyazhdarov Takes Over the Company
EdTech company CodiPlay announces strategic leadership changes and a review of its key development direction. Zhanadil Taldybaev, founder and CEO, is stepping down to found and lead Paradigm Shift—a global company creating advanced sovereign AI solutions to transform the public sector.

Albania Appoints Artificial Intelligence as Minister
For the first time, Albania has appointed an artificial intelligence system to a ministerial position—AI bot Diella has been named Minister of Public Procurement. Its main task is to eliminate corruption and abuse in tenders, which have long been considered one of the country’s most problematic areas.

Kazakhstan Establishes the Ministry of AI and Digital Development
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree abolishing the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry. Its functions have been transferred to the new Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, which unveiled a logo featuring a shanyrak circle, internal squares resembling microchips, and a mesh structure symbolizing the interaction between the state, science, business, and society.

Meta Unveils Smart Glasses with Display and AI Support
Meta has introduced smart glasses with AI and a display. The kit will cost $799—along with the glasses, users will receive the Neural Band bracelet for device control. One lens displays messages, video calls, and responses from Meta’s built-in AI assistant. For photo and video recording, the glasses connect to a smartphone.

Nvidia to Invest Up to $100 Billion in OpenAI
The companies signed a letter of intent to deploy capacity of 10 gigawatts—enough to power millions of homes—using Nvidia systems, which will form the basis of OpenAI’s next-generation AI infrastructure.

Uzbekistan Launches Its First International Private VC Fund—DOMiNO Uzbekistan
DOMiNO Ventures, a global venture fund headquartered in the Netherlands, announced the launch of the DOMiNO Uzbekistan Fund—the first international private venture fund in Uzbekistan, with a target size of $20 million.

Kazakhstan Enacts Its First Law Regulating Artificial Intelligence
The document enshrines key AI concepts in legislation for the first time, regulates the rights of developers and users, and introduces mandatory labeling of content created by neural networks. The law provides for the creation of a National AI Platform to support developers and provide access to data libraries, as well as state support for research and educational programs.

Higgsfield Becomes Kazakhstan’s First Unicorn
Kazakh startup Higgsfield AI has officially achieved unicorn status. Co-founder Alex Mashrabov announced that the company’s valuation has exceeded $1 billion. The company develops generative video technologies that enable the creation of video content from text prompts.

Women in Tech Kazakhstan Launches the First Female Venture Fund
Women in Tech Kazakhstan is launching the first female venture fund, which will invest in startups founded by women. The fund will provide female entrepreneurs with access to capital, mentoring, and international opportunities.

ICT Week Uzbekistan 2025 Held in Tashkent
From September 23 to 26, 2025, Tashkent hosted the year’s largest tech event—ICT Week Uzbekistan 2025. The event took place at the CAEx exhibition center and brought together over 20,000 participants, including more than 300 startups and companies from over 50 countries.

Timur Turlov Plans to Establish a Bank in Georgia
Entrepreneur Timur Turlov intends to open a subsidiary of Freedom Bank Kazakhstan in Georgia. The authorized capital is set at 5 million lari.

Kazakhstan Creates the First State Crypto Fund, Alem Crypto Fund
The fund’s goal is to create strategic reserves of digital assets and diversify state investments. In the future, Alem Crypto Fund may be used as a tool for managing state savings and supporting national financial projects in the blockchain sector.