Nvidia’s Jensen Huang visits Kazakhstan, the next AI hub?

Kazakhstan may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking about the global artificial intelligence boom, but several Big Tech companies have taken interest — including Nvidia.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who made his first visit to Kazakhstan on Friday, said the country could become a major AI computing hub serving Europe, pointing to its energy resources and plans to expand data center capacity.

Sitting in a fireside chat in Astana with Zhaslan Madiyev, Kazakhstan’s deputy prime minister and minister of artificial intelligence and digital development, Huang highlighted the country’s role.

He also emphasized the importance of countries developing their own AI capabilities, saying nations should have the infrastructure to deliver AI services domestically, while adapting the technology to their own languages and cultures.

The visit comes as Kazakhstan seeks to attract billions of dollars in technology investment and position itself as a regional hub for artificial intelligence.

Kazakhstan has made AI a national priority, declaring 2026 the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence as part of a broader effort to develop its digital economy.

In June, Kazakhstan’s government announced plans for a $10 billion AI infrastructure investment in partnership with U.S.-based AI cloud company Firebird, aimed at building a computing cluster powered by 100,000 advanced GPUs, including Nvidia chips.

Nvidia intends to invest in the company, which is pursuing an approximately 2-gigawatt AI infrastructure expansion across Armenia, Kazakhstan and other market, as stated in the chipmaker’s announcement.

Meanwhile, San Francisco-based AI video startup Higgsfield also has a significant presence in Kazakhstan, with more than 300 people working across its engineering and creative teams there.

The company’s co-founder, Kazakhstani AI engineer Yerzat Dulat, told CNBC exclusively that “building a team in Kazakhstan was an unexpected bet for many. Today, we’re backed by some of the most influential names in technology and media.”

Higgsfield said Friday that Nvidia and investment firm TCV had invested in an extension of its Series B funding round, yet it did not disclose the amount. Earlier, the AI video startup company had also raised $400 million in a Series B funding round at a $5.4 billion valuation in August.

“The first thing and the last thing is you invest in people, not companies. And the founders of Higgsfield are visionary in the work that they do” Huang said in a fireside chat.

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