Kazakhstan Secures $75 Million for AI Development: Where Will the Money Go?
Kazakhstan is putting artificial intelligence at the centre of its economic diversification strategy. A new $75 million World Bank-backed project aims to train thousands of specialists, support hundreds of startups and attract private investment. 24KZ explains where the money will go and what the country hopes to achieves.
The World Bank has approved a $75 million loan to support Kazakhstan’s growing artificial intelligence and technology ecosystem. The financing will go towards the Advancing Learning, Entrepreneurship, and Markets for Artificial Intelligence (ALEM) Project.
The initiative is designed to address several challenges facing Kazakhstan’s technology sector, including a shortage of skilled professionals, limited access to high-performance computing, insufficient infrastructure for robotics and a lack of growth-stage investment.
From AI skills to computing power
Developing AI talent is one of the project’s main priorities.
More than 5,000 people are expected to receive training in artificial intelligence, data science and machine learning each year. By the end of 2031, the project aims to provide advanced skills training to 28,000 young people.
Startups and researchers will also gain access to high-performance computing through a GPU voucher programme. This will allow smaller companies and research teams to develop and test AI models without having to invest in expensive computing infrastructure themselves.
The project also includes plans for a national robotics laboratory equipped with industrial robots, sensors and prototyping facilities.
800 startups and 10,000 jobs
Supporting technology companies is another major part of the programme.
Around 800 startups are expected to receive support through pre-seed, seed and international acceleration programmes by 2031. Kazakh technology companies will also be connected with international startup hubs, investors and foreign markets.
According to the World Bank, the programme is expected to support the creation of 10,000 jobs.
It also aims to mobilise at least $60 million in private capital and facilitate venture investment in more than 50 companies.
Closing the investment gap
Access to financing remains one of the challenges facing Kazakhstan’s technology sector.
The World Bank estimates an annual funding gap of around $20–25 million for growth-stage technology companies in the country.
Under the project, $20 million is expected to be deployed through a Fund-of-Funds structure managed by Alem Capital Management. The mechanism is intended to attract additional private investment into growing technology companies.
Why AI matters for Kazakhstan
The project comes as Kazakhstan seeks to diversify its economy and expand knowledge-intensive industries.
The country’s technology sector has already grown significantly. According to the World Bank, Kazakhstan’s ICT exports increased from $132 million in 2019 to $1.1 billion in 2025. The country aims to increase ICT exports to $5 billion by 2030.
However, significant challenges remain. The World Bank estimates that Kazakhstan faces a shortage of more than 30,000 digital professionals, while technology companies continue to face limited access to computing infrastructure and later-stage financing.
The ALEM project is designed to address these gaps by connecting skills development, computing infrastructure, startup support and investment.
For Kazakhstan, the initiative is part of a broader effort to develop new sources of economic growth beyond its traditional resource industries. Its longer-term impact will depend on whether new skills, infrastructure and financing translate into globally competitive technology companies and sustainable jobs.
