Astana Hub is offering an opportunity to the best technology startups of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) countries to scale their project to the global market, including the U.S. market, QazMonitor reports.
The technopark signed an agreement with Draper University which will allow 20 promising startups to train under the Hero Training intensive acceleration program in Silicon Valley.
The deal was signed by Astana Hub CEO Magzhan Madiev and Draper University President Asra Nadeem on March 10, 2023, in San Mateo, California, during an official visit to the United States by Kazakhstan's Minister of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry Bagdat Mussin.
Minister Mussin noted that Kazakhstan is giving special focus on developing its IT industry.
"We intend to provide our startups with access to the world's best practices. Draper University, located in Silicon Valley, has already become a catalyst of success for many young IT companies, as it allows startups to develop rapidly thanks to its unique combination of resources, capital, and international experts. I am sure that our cooperation will enable the program participants to bring their businesses to a new level and succeed in the competitive world of entrepreneurship on a global scale," said Minister Mussin.
The program consists of two stages. In the first stage, the top 80 projects will gain access to a two-week online program on product development and scaling, as well as the principles of attracting investment from international venture capital funds
In the next stage, the top 20 projects will be selected to undergo a five-week intensive acceleration program at Draper University in Silicon Valley, where they will live and work for up to 6 months to attract investments and enter the US market under the guidance of experienced technology entrepreneurs and Draper ecosystem experts.
The Draper Ecosystem is a unique approach to connecting talent, experts, and investors by providing advanced facilitators and an unparalleled network of mentors, industry experts, corporate partners, and investors to support the innovation ecosystem. Draper University was founded by Tim Draper, who has 38 years in the venture capital business, 11 funds under management, $7 billion in invested capital, 34 unicorn companies, and 6 rhino companies.
