Kazakhstan launches grant program to help startups access AI computing infrastructure

International IT and AI infrastructure provider Pro-Data and the Qaz.AI artificial intelligence development association agreed to launch a support program for Kazakhstani AI startups. Grants of up to 2 million tenge are intended to cover access to cloud computing power — typically the largest expense when training and testing custom models or agents. The program isn't only useful for those planning a standalone startup. If a company is considering building a narrow, purpose-built AI tool for a specific internal process, it's worth knowing that part of the early infrastructure cost can be covered through initiatives like this one, rather than budgeting the full GPU spend upfront. Programs like this also signal the direction Kazakhstan's IT ecosystem is heading: both the state and private infrastructure providers are betting on local AI development, not just on using ready-made foreign services.