On Pride and Prejudice: few insights about Astana (Kazakhstan) and the opportunities of its tech scene

I was invited to Nazarbayev University (the leading university in the capital) to give a two-day workshop and a talk about the power of stories. So prior to proceeding, I would like to thank Anarbek Utegulov, the talented manager of school's business incubator and his amazing teammates Magrifa Kamiyeva and Assylzhan Upasheva for being warm hosts and allowing me to get to know this unique place.

Though I personally have roots in the area, I have to admit that I came to Astana with some prejudice toward this ex-communist state. No, I didn't expect to find Burat's characters, but I was afraid to find little substance behind an impressive exterior (as it used to be the case in many places during the USSR era).

Taking Uber from the airport with a friendly 22 y.o. IT person was enough to put my mind at ease. "I love it here" he said, taking pride with his new, impressively preserved, 27 y.o. BMW. "Though the life is more expensive than at my hometown, the city provides great opportunities for a guy like me".

Even at the harsh -30 degrees winter, Astana is warm and inviting. The people are friendly and curious about anything and anyone coming from abroad. They are eager to help a foreigner (who somehow managed to lose his credit card and stay completely cashless within the first 24 hours) and they are even more eager to learn and adopt new ideas and methodologies.

The city that is merely 20 years old is extremely impressive, not to say built-to-impress by architects with strong love to sci-fi (see pics). It's alive and vibrant - lots of restaurants with amazing food, big malls, theaters, business hubs, 4G connectivity and wi-fi at all places. Everything a foreigner needs to be happy.

2 institutions are placed at the heart of Astana tech scene: Nazarbayev University and the Astana Hub, both conveniently located ~500 meters from each other.

The university, that proudly carries the name of the President of the Republic himself, has facilities that many leading global universities can only wish for: top of the line classrooms and laboratories, huge open spaces covered from outside weather and modern cafes. The university is very selective with whom it accepts for the undergraduate programs, so is not yet working at its full capacity. But with free studies and prestige it provides, this is just a matter of time till it fills up.

The shiny new Astana Hub is much more than a startups' playground. This well-designed structure sits in the middle of a major complex built for 2017's Astana Expo. The President demanded Expo buildings not to become white elephants, and they are being filled up with what seems to be a very productive mixture of startups, private companies, and governmental institutions. The cooperation also seems to be very fruitful as startups can get grants and even start pilots without exiting the building.

Yes, Astana has a still has a long way to go before becoming an additional startup nation:

- The percentage of entrepreneurs still small as most developers won't leave comfortable jobs to follow their dream. Here you should remember that developer salaries are still relatively low, so smart investments can be very efficient in attracting talent.

- Most startups focus mainly on adopting existent ideas and not on true innovation.

- The governmental bureaucracy and involvement are still strong (though seemingly efficient).

- The exit to international markets is relatively hard and investors have a hard time to make the right decisions.

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But Astana's startup scene, same as Astana itself, is a quickly accelerating train. Ignore it now and you will miss it. It won't take long for it to become the pride of this nation.