Nvidia's Huang heads to Kazakhstan for the first time — and he's not the only one with big plans

Jensen Huang, chief executive officer of Nvidia Corp., during the launch of the Sferical One AI supercomputer in Stockholm, Sweden, on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026.

Erik Flyg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

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.

At the center of the initiative is Data Center Valley, a planned AI infrastructure hub in Ekibastuz with 300 megawatts of power capacity is already available with plans to expand to 1 gigawatt.

Kazakhstan is promoting its competitive electricity costs, large land reserves and investment incentives as advantages for international data center developers, as demand for computing capacity continues to grow — and some of that investment push is already taking shape.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said earlier this month that two supercomputing clusters powered by Nvidia technologies had already been launched in the country. 

Other international companies have also announced plans to invest in Kazakhstan's digital infrastructure.

According to the country's digital development ministry, Singapore-based GK Hyperscale has also signed an agreement with Kazakhstan's government to develop two hyperscale data centers, with an expected investment of $1.5 billion and a combined IT capacity of 200 megawatts.

The project also includes a planned $1.2 billion investment in power infrastructure, with construction initially scheduled to begin in early 2026 and the first data center module expected to become operational in 2027.

CHOLPON-ATA, KYRGYZSTAN - SEPTEMBER 06: The Kazakhstan flag is shown before the finals of Kok-boruFinals against Kyrgyzstan during the World Nomad Games at the Hippodrome Racetrack on September 6, 2026 in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Mitchell Layton | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images

The growing corporate interest in Kazakhstan also extends beyond the AI industry.

German's Volkswagen has revamped its push into Central Asia this year, announcing in late June that for the first time its China business and factories was leading vehicle exports to another country, in this case Uzbekistan.

A few weeks later, the automaker announced entry into Kazakhstan.

The expansion illustrates how international companies are looking beyond China for new customers while using their existing Chinese manufacturing operations to serve neighboring markets.

In a "Tianjin Declaration" at the close of the SCO Summit in 2025, members of the security organization noted the potential of platforms such as an AI innovation center in Kazakhstan.

This year's SCO event on artificial intelligence took place earlier this month in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, bringing together representatives from member states to discuss national AI strategies, regulation and opportunities for technological cooperation.