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ASTANA – NVIDIA has invested in Higgsfield, an artificial intelligence video-generation startup with a major engineering presence in Kazakhstan, CEO Jensen Huang confirmed during a visit to Astana on Oct. 23.
Madieyev and Huang during their conversation at alem.AI international center on Oct. 23 in Astana. Photo credit: Dariga Bassybayeva/ The Astana Times
The investment is part of an extension to Higgsfield’s $400 million funding round in August, which also attracted investment from venture capital firm TCV. The amount invested by NVIDIA was not disclosed.
The announcement follows a rapid rise in Higgsfield’s valuation, which more than quadrupled in around six months to $5.4 billion after its latest fundraising round, driven by growing demand for AI-generated content in marketing, advertising and media.
During a fireside chat with Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev at the alem.ai International AI Center, Huang explained why NVIDIA decided to back the startup.
“The first thing and the last thing is you invest in people, not companies,” said Huang.
He praised Higgsfield’s founders for their vision and ability to compete in a global market dominated by well-funded technology companies.
“They had a wonderful idea. It is not easy to do,” he added.
Huang also highlighted the company’s engineering talent and young workforce, whose average age, according to Madiyev, is 25.
Higgsfield, founded by Yerzat Dulat and Alex Mashrabov, develops AI-powered tools that enable users to generate images and videos for creative production, advertising and marketing. The company’s $400 million Series B round in August was led by DST Global, with participation from Goldman Sachs Alternatives’ Growth Equity business, Tribe Capital and Intel Capital, among others. Existing investors, including Accel, Menlo Ventures and GFT Ventures, also participated.
The company’s annualized revenue had reached $700 million, while its global user base had surpassed 30 million.
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