Pizza Pitch in Astana: How 12 Startups Competed for Investors' Attention

Pizza Pitch in Astana: How 12 Startups Competed for Investors' Attention

The international innovation cluster Astana Hub hosted another Pizza Pitch event, at which startups presented their projects to investors in short, high-intensity 3-minute pitches.

Interest in the event proved high: organisers received 141 applications. Following a preliminary selection process, 55 teams underwent online diagnostics, and only 12 startups made it to the final stage. The finalists represented a wide range of sectors - from AI agents and video analytics to neural interfaces and medical solutions. Virtually every project relied on artificial intelligence as a key growth driver.

Among the participants:

  • Airi.chat - a full-cycle AI customer service platform covering communication automation, intelligent scenarios, analytics, and operational insights.
  • Repetino - a platform for finding tutors and booking online lessons, where a TikTok-style video feed makes choosing a teacher a fast and intuitive process.
  • NeuroForce - next-generation brain-computer interfaces (BCI) for controlling devices with the power of thought, brain training, improving focus, reducing stress, and enhancing mindfulness.
  • Extensy - an autonomous AI agent that creates browser extensions end-to-end without developers.
  • Tennet Ecosystems - a business process, task, and sales automation system for SMEs based on AI agents and AI assistants.
  • ZhurekAI - an AI platform for the early detection of cardiovascular risks, analysing data from wearable devices around the clock.
  • Sentra - an AI video analytics platform for retail: analyses video streams in real time, identifies theft and customer behaviour, and helps reduce losses and enable data-driven decision-making.
  • Origanima - an AI constructor for businesses that combines the right AI tools into a single integrated workflow tailored to specific tasks.
  • AVM.AI - an AI copilot for product managers: idea validation, hypothesis prioritisation, research, and strategy in minutes rather than hours.
  • SilenceAI - an AI cybersecurity system that performs the functions of an entire information security department.
  • Desargues AI - verifiable mathematical intelligence: AI whose reasoning can be checked mathematically for applications in science, finance, and engineering.
  • Co-founder AI -  a team of AI agent marketers, product specialists, and sales professionals that scales revenue across the full cycle from product strategy and customer acquisition to deal closure.

Projects at the intersection of deep tech attracted particular attention, especially in the fields of medicine and mathematics. First place and the top prize of 700,000 tenge went to Desargues AI. Second place (500,000 tenge) was awarded to ZhurekAI. Third place (300,000 tenge) went to Sentra.

The projects were evaluated by representatives of the venture capital and investment community, including fund analysts and investment company executives. The jury's focus was not only on the technology itself but also on scalability, business model, and potential for international market entry.

For startups, the Pizza Pitch stage provided an opportunity to receive investor feedback, test their pitch, attract potential investment, and expand their network. For investors, it offered rapid access to pre-screened and pre-validated projects.

Partners of the event included Astana Hub members and technology companies Aiti Kraud, ARMADOC.KZ, Fora Soft, Cheely Apps, and GOPASS PLATFORM, along with key partner Smart Bridge.

The event coincides symbolically with Kazakhstan's Year of Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, underscoring the country's strategic commitment to high technology, support for the IT community, and the development of a new generation of engineers.