The international forum AI & Digital Bridge 2026, which will take place in Astana from October 1 to 3, will bring together leading technology companies, investors, and representatives of the artificial intelligence industry. This event will be the central part of the AI MONTH program, a large-scale initiative in the field of technology and artificial intelligence being held in Kazakhstan from September 23 to October 23.
Kazakhstan has declared 2026 the year of digitalization and artificial intelligence. Through the AI MONTH program, the country aims to unite international technology companies, developers, startups, government bodies, and the scientific community.
Key Participants of the Forum
Among the main participants of AI & Digital Bridge 2026 will be Balaji Srinivasan, founder of Network School, former CTO of Coinbase, and General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz. He is also the author of the book The Network State. Srinivasan participated in the launch of USDC and was one of the early investors in crypto projects such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, as well as Alchemy, OpenSea, Perplexity, Polymarket, Replit, StarkWare, and DigitalOcean.
Kazakhstan's AI sector will be represented at the forum by Yerzatom Dulat, co-founder and CTO of Higgsfield AI. This company develops an AI platform for creating images and videos. In August 2026, Higgsfield AI raised $400 million in a Series B round, reaching a valuation of $5.4 billion.
Confirmed speakers also include Reid Labareedian, Vice President of NVIDIA for Physical AI Simulation and one of the leaders overseeing NVIDIA Omniverse. His work focuses on digital twins, physical world modeling, and training robotic systems.
Greg Wyler, founder and CEO of E-Space, will also arrive in Astana. Previously, he founded O3b Networks and OneWeb. Currently, E-Space is developing low Earth orbit satellite infrastructure and secure communication networks.
Another participant will be William E. Ford, Chairman and CEO of the investment firm General Atlantic. The forum program also includes David Ripley, Co-CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange Kraken.
Goals and Program of the Event
Organizers note that the participation of representatives from such companies reflects Kazakhstan's broader goals for developing a technology-based economy. The country is working on creating AI infrastructure, training specialists, attracting investments, and forming conditions for local technology companies to enter international markets.
AI & Digital Bridge 2026 plans to cover topics such as physical AI and robotics, venture capital and investment, satellite infrastructure, AI applications in business, startup development, new professions, and creative industries.
The forum will be part of the overall AI MONTH program, which starts on September 23 with the HackAlem AI hackathon supported by OpenAI. Hackathon participants will create solutions using OpenAI Codex and OpenAI resources.
Hackathon winners will receive awards during AI & Digital Bridge. Over the years, AI & Digital Bridge has gathered more than 127,000 participants from over 100 countries, 1,500 speakers, 600 startups, and 500 investors. In 2026, organizers expect over 20,000 participants and more than 100 technology companies.
On October 1, a high-level meeting is scheduled with the participation of state and international delegations, as well as representatives of the technology industry; attendance on this day is only possible by special invitation. From October 2 to 3, the forum will be open to visitors with tickets. The program will include tracks on AI, creative industries, talent, and GameDev, as well as a technology exhibition, Startup Alley, Astana Hub Battle, and other events.
AI MONTH will conclude on October 23 with the grand final of the alem.ai battle. Thus, the monthly program will combine AI product development, specialist training, startup growth, international investment, and interaction with leading technology companies.
Funding for AI & Digital Bridge 2026 is provided by sponsorships. The forum's Gold Partners are Freedom Bank, Kaspi.kz, and JSC Samruk-Kazyna, while the Silver Partner is Halyk Bank. Beeline Kazakhstan is the Transformation Partner, BI Group is the Digital Partner, and Air Astana is the Official Airline Partner.