How Kazakhstan invests in student startups and takes them global

Nazarbayev University (NU) is deliberately building a pipeline that turns student and alumni ideas into exportable technology companies. The university’s Nazarbayev University Science & Technology Park (NU STeP) has partnered with StartX, the Stanford-affiliated accelerator, enabling 18 projects from Kazakhstan and Central Asia to participate in StartX programs since 2022. NU has set aside 40 hectares for a science and technology park, and the Nazarbayev University & NIS Foundation invests $1 million annually in startup development—$3 million over the past three years—to help founders scale beyond Kazakhstan into markets such as Saudi Arabia and the United States.

"We are proud that startups from Kazakhstan are gaining international recognition. We will continue to provide institutional and financial support to innovative projects aimed at the social and technological development of Kazakhstan," said Aslan Sarinzhipov, executive vice president of NU.

How the partnership works

The NU STeP–StartX collaboration allows Kazakhstani teams to apply to StartX without direct Stanford affiliation and places them on equal footing with US companies. Participating startups gain access to mentors, educational programs, Demo Days, industry events and even office space in Palo Alto. Over the life of the partnership, NU STeP-backed teams have used these channels to establish pilots, attract investors and secure international partnerships.

The first NU STeP project to go through StartX was Cerebra AI, a HealthTech/DeepTech company whose software uses artificial intelligence to speed early diagnosis of ischemic stroke. Cerebra’s AI modules analyze non-contrast CT scans in real time and can identify signs of ischemic stroke in less than five minutes. The company is scaling operations in Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia and the United States, and its solutions are already deployed in 46 medical institutions.

Notable alumni and companies

• Arlan Biotech — Founded by NU alumni Bolat Sultankulov (PhD, biomedical engineering) and Dauken Seitkali (NU School of Engineering). The company develops generative AI for biotechnology, generating amino acid sequences, nanobodies and antibodies, and has attracted investor interest from China, Hong Kong and Germany.
• Higgsfield — An NU alumni-founded company that became Kazakhstan’s first unicorn in 2023 and is now valued at more than $5.4 billion.
• Defect AI (Rette) — A medical AI startup automating Revenue Cycle Management for small specialized clinics. The company has gained access to Mayo Clinic Platform data, secured investments from American orthopedic investors, is launching pilots with clinics and is pursuing ISO 27001 and HIPAA certification. Defect AI is valued at $15 million.
• Mirai Tech — A DeepTech biomechanics startup developing a portable AI biomechanics laboratory with smart sensor insoles; pilots are underway with football clubs in the Netherlands, the Kazakhstan Football Federation and triathlon programs.
• WeGlobal AI — An EdTech and mental health platform for career guidance and student mental health monitoring, reportedly reaching more than 1 million students and used by hundreds of schools in Kazakhstan.

NU STeP cohorts have ranged across sectors and years: five projects joined in 2024 (Arlan Biotech, Smartestprep, GoDays, Mystory and GlobalArt.AI); 2025 participants included Python RPA, Aidentis, Parqour and TrustExam.ai; and the 2026 cohort featured Defect AI (Rette), Brain Patch, TrustMe, Mirai Tech, WeGlobal AI, Lumia, Moon AI and Defect AI. Cyberlabs is slated to join in autumn 2026.

Outlook

The NU–StartX pathway has created repeatable routes for Kazakhstani innovators to access mentorship, markets and capital abroad. NU’s combination of dedicated land, recurring funding and an international accelerator partnership aims to convert university research and student entrepreneurship into competitive technology firms on the global stage. With projects already engaging major international partners and clinical pilots, the next phase will test whether NU-backed companies can turn pilots and investor interest into sustained commercial scale across multiple jurisdictions.