2025, March 15
Share this articleNazarbayev University (NU) hosted the final pitch competition of Deeptech Baige, featuring the participation of Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister Yermek Kosherbayev, on March 15.
Deeptech Baige is the first major local event uniting projects from all NU startup support programs, including incubation, acceleration, Jas Venture, Go Abroad, and others. The competition’s total prize fund amounted to 35 million tenge. This initiative, aimed at advancing scientific research, innovation, and fostering an ecosystem of deeptech startups capable of competing internationally, was supported by the Social Development Fund.
At the final event, 10 startups presented their innovative solutions across various sectors - from AI in medicine to advanced agro monitoring systems. Each project underwent a three-minute pitch session, followed by a Q&A with the jury. Experts assessed the uniqueness of each startup, its market potential, future plans, and the practical applications of its technology. Following the presentations, the jury—comprising leading figures from academia, education, and business and chaired by Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yermek Kosherbayev—deliberated on the results.
First place (12 million tenge) was awarded to GAME OF DRONES, an innovative platform for training combat drone pilots. The platform offers more accessible and effective training methods using simulation technology. Currently, the project has over 10,000 users from 23 countries. According to founder Abylaikhan Zhakanov, their platform represents a new format of cybersports where players operate real equipment, creating motion physics as close to reality as possible. However, the technology's potential extends beyond entertainment, with applications in agriculture, security, and industry. The team claims their platform can reduce military pilot training costs by a factor of 100.
Second place (10 million tenge) went to FLECTION.AI, a digital therapeutic system for post-stroke rehabilitation that integrates gamification and AI-driven methods. Co-founder and NU professor Alexandr Pak noted that the platform has already been tested on 200 patients in collaboration with clinics in Astana, with plans to expand into the U.S. home rehabilitation market.
Third place (8 million tenge) received GRANULO SYSTEM, a system for analyzing ore fraction size to optimize production processes in the mining industry. The technology enables real-time monitoring of ore size distribution on conveyor belts, improving ball mill control, drilling, and blasting operations. The project has already attracted interest from Kazakhstan’s metallurgical company, KazZinc.
HEMO LAB, a medtech startup developing a SaaS platform for accurate and early disease diagnostics, won Audience Choice Award (5 million tenge). The platform reduces diagnostic time by a factor of 10 while achieving 95% accuracy.
In addition to financial prizes, all participating startups gained access to mentorship programs and collaboration opportunities with industry partners, opening pathways for scaling their businesses and entering new markets.
The application process for Deeptech Baige began in late January this year, with approximately 100 projects competing in the preliminary round. Following evaluations by leading business angels and venture capital investors, only 10 teams advanced to the finals. Looking ahead, NU plans to expand the competition to include startups from other universities across Kazakhstan. In the long term, a dedicated startup support fund will be established to ensure Deeptech Baige becomes a regular event.
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