ASTANA ( WNAM MONITORING ): Seven startups from Central Eurasia secured $25,000 prizes each at the Astana Hub Battle, the region’s largest startup competition, held during the Digital Bridge 2025 technology forum in Astana on Oct. 2-4. The contest gathered 180 information technology (IT) companies competing for recognition and funding.
The competition drew applications from across Central Eurasia, including Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, the United States and the United Arab Emirates. After several selection rounds, 79 startups advanced to the semifinals, and 14 were selected to compete in the final, encompassing a range of solutions from artificial intelligence (AI) platforms to medical technologies.
Astana Hub CEO Magzhan Madiyev said the event reflects the region’s growing role in technology and entrepreneurship.
“Astana Hub Battle has once again confirmed its status as a key platform for IT entrepreneurs in the region. We see that startups from Central Eurasia are already developing competitive solutions in AI, medicine, education, fintech and other fields. Such projects shape the knowledge economy, create jobs and set new industry benchmarks,” said Madiyev.
“It is important for us not only to support entrepreneurs but also to foster young people’s interest in technology, showing that IT and AI offer opportunities for the future,” he added.
Winners across key categories
The awards spanned seven categories. WeGlobal.AI won the Best Social Impact award for its use of AI to provide career guidance and psychological support to students. MindShield earned Discovery of the Year with a mobile app and bracelet for early detection of Parkinson’s disease. TrustExam AI, which helps institutions combat exam fraud and strengthen academic integrity, received the Exponential Growth award.
Moon.AI, which developed an AI operating system for small and medium-sized businesses with digital employees available 24/7, won the Ticket to the Future award. Mirai Tech, a DeepTech startup that creates wearable AI-powered rehabilitation sensors, secured the MA7 Award.
Special recognitions also went to MacDent, a cloud-based platform for dental clinics, which received a $25,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPU) grant from Kazakhtelecom, and flection.ai, which won the Yandex Qazaqstan Startup Spotlight Award for its AI-driven rehabilitation games for stroke patients.
Scaling beyond the region
TrustExam AI founder Nurali Sarbakysh said the award strengthens the company’s international ambitions.
“We did not attract investments but developed our business and startup independently. Today, we feel incredibly confident and ready to conquer new markets. Our further plans involve scaling in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom. We have already signed a contract with a major organization in the U.K. and in the future plan to serve up to four million people there annually,” said Sarbakysh.
“Our startup is five years old, and this victory at Astana Hub Battle confirms that we are moving in the right direction,” he added.
