Higgsfield AI, eGov.GPT among AI & Digital Bridge Awards 2026 winners

The awards were presented on October 3, the closing day of the AI & Digital Bridge 2026 international technology forum, held at the EXPO International Exhibition Center from October 1 to 3. The annual prize recognizes projects, companies and teams that contribute to the development of artificial intelligence and digital transformation.

Winners were selected in two rounds. Artificial intelligence tools were first used to draw up a shortlist of five contenders in each category, after which the finalists were put to an online jury vote.

This year's winners are:
* GovTech Project of the Year: eGov.GPT, National Information Technologies JSC
* EdTech Project of the Year: GoPrep, Aleem Labs LLP
* Startup of the Year: Rette (Defect AI)
* Corporate AI Transformation of the Year: Aventa, QazCode
* International Breakthrough of the Year: Higgsfield AI, Higgsfield Ltd.
* VC of the Year: MA7 Ventures
* Creative Industry Project of the Year: ōzen, OZEN XO LLP

eGov.GPT, developed by National Information Technologies, lets citizens obtain public services by making requests in natural language, without having to find the right service or work through complex procedures on their own. The platform runs on alem.LLM, a domestically developed language model, and on Alem Cloud infrastructure. Fifty-five public services are already available through it in commercial operation, and the number is set to reach 150 by the end of 2026.

In education, the award went to Aleem Labs, an Astana Hub participant, for GoPrep, an AI-powered IELTS preparation platform. It combines a proprietary scoring system, adaptive algorithms and a voice-based AI tutor to personalize each user's preparation. Since the start of 2026, GoPrep has attracted more than 31,000 learners from 139 countries, including 27,800 paying users, and it has grown without outside investment.

Startup of the Year honors went to Rette (Defect AI), a Kazakh HealthTech company whose AI tools automate and verify medical documentation. The platform scans medical records for missing information and potential errors and checks them against insurers' requirements and clinical regulations. This eases the administrative load on doctors and clinics and lowers the risk of delayed or denied payments for services.

Around 30 medical organizations in Kazakhstan use the solution daily. Building on its home market experience, the team has expanded to the U.S., launching pilot projects with orthopedic clinics, joining the Mayo Clinic Platform Accelerate program and partnering with the California Orthopaedic Association.

QazCode, an Astana Hub participant, won Corporate AI Transformation of the Year for Aventa, a corporate generative AI platform built on retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). It combines intelligent search across company data, a no-code builder for AI assistants, and agents able to carry out work tasks, automating routine processes in HR, support and legal departments. According to the project, Aventa can cut up to 60% of repetitive requests, shorten document preparation from one to two hours to five to 10 minutes, and close up to 80% to 90% of recurring questions. The system also keeps access control centralized and corporate data protected.

The International Breakthrough of the Year award went to Higgsfield Ltd., an Astana Hub participant, for Higgsfield AI, a platform and set of AI tools for creating and editing video and animation from text prompts. The technology focuses on a cinematic style, giving users control over camera movement, lighting and composition. Launched in 2025, the platform reached more than 30 million users in 238 countries and territories in under a year and a half.

According to the company, its annualized revenue has reached $700 million and its valuation stands at $5.4 billion, with total funding of about $550 million, including a $400 million Series B round led by DST Global in August 2026. Its tools are used by 390 of the 500 largest U.S. companies. Higgsfield was co-founded by Alex Mashrabov and Yerzat Dulat, the company's chief technology officer, who was among the forum's headline speakers.

MA7 Ventures, a Kazakh venture firm founded by entrepreneur and business angel Murat Abdrakhmanov, was named VC of the Year. It backs technology startups with global potential from pre-seed through later rounds, with stated investments ranging from $150,000 to $1 million. Its portfolio of about 50 companies includes Higgsfield AI, Zibra AI, Liki24 and Zeely AI, and beyond funding, the firm helps startups with product development, fundraising and international expansion.

In the creative industries category, OZEN XO, an Astana Hub participant, won for ōzen, a Kazakh music startup building digital infrastructure for artists, from music distribution and royalty management to new financial instruments for music assets. The platform hosts 2,364 artists and 7,792 tracks, and it collected 489 million tenge in royalties for artists between 2019 and 2026.

Earlier, Prime Minister Bektenov said Kazakhstan has the legal framework in place for the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence.