On September 23, 2026, Astana hosted the grand opening of HackAlem AI—the world’s largest artificial intelligence hackathon, organized in direct technological partnership with OpenAI. The initiative brought together thousands of software developers, AI researchers, data scientists, and technology entrepreneurs competing to engineer transformative AI applications across critical verticals.
The hackathon’s competitive tracks encompassed artificial intelligence solutions in corporate finance, healthcare and telemedicine, GovTech and public administration, logistics, and heavy industrial automation, alongside an open innovation track for breakthrough deep-tech prototypes.
Prize Pool and Direct Access to OpenAI Advanced Technologies
Participating engineering teams were granted direct access to OpenAI cloud infrastructure, developer tools, and proprietary enterprise API compute credits valued at up to $1 million to build and deploy high-performance AI systems. The competitive cash prize purse totaled $100,000, complemented by an additional $100,000 allocated directly in OpenAI API production tokens awarded to championship winners. In aggregate, the competitive ecosystem unlocked $1.1 million in funding and state-of-the-art technological resources.
The formal awards ceremony and showcase presentations took place on the main stage of the AI & Digital Bridge 2026 international technology forum in Astana.
Eligibility Criteria and Competitive Participation
The hackathon admitted adult software developers, undergraduate and graduate engineering students, IT practitioners, and research scientists possessing demonstrable technical competencies, verified computer science credentials, or existing open-source code repositories, commercial prototypes, and technical publications. Students and young professionals qualified if they had completed or were actively pursuing full-time technical coursework within accredited computer science disciplines over the preceding 12 months.
In-person attendance on-site in Astana on September 23 was mandatory for shortlisted teams, with participants independently covering their travel logistics and accommodations.
Developer Deliverables, Corporate Pilot Pipelines, and Acceleration
Beyond specialized developer access to OpenAI’s flagship frontier models and toolsets, participants received official HackAlem AI merchandise, technical credentials, and personalized certificates of achievement. An expert evaluation jury comprising global venture capitalists, machine learning architects, and corporate executives selected standout applications across priority tracks; leading teams secured funded commercial pilots with national holding companies, banking institutions, and multinational enterprise partners.
Executive Statements and Institutional Perspectives
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Zhaslan Madiyev:
“Hosting HackAlem AI in Kazakhstan represents a pivotal leap in engineering our national AI ecosystem. We are establishing institutional environments where domestic and international developers secure unhindered access to frontier technologies, create high-impact commercial products, and scale them across global markets. Our strategic objective is to solidify Kazakhstan’s position as a premier regional magnet for deep-tech talent, advanced computing, and AI innovation.”
Asset Abdualiyev, Founder and CEO of Silkroad Innovation Hub:
“For Silkroad Innovation Hub, entering a direct technological partnership with OpenAI within the scope of HackAlem AI is a historic milestone in democratizing access to global AI infrastructure for engineering talent across Kazakhstan and Central Eurasia. We believe robust technological ecosystems flourish when developers, tech founders, and applied engineering teams possess not merely abstract ideas, but production-grade developer tooling, rigorous architectural mentorship, and complex real-world challenges. HackAlem AI cultivates precisely this environment: participants build hands-on applications utilizing OpenAI’s bleeding-edge capabilities, presenting production-ready models to enterprise corporations that form the launchpad for multi-million dollar corporate pilots.”
Organizing Coalition and Institutional Partners
The organizing coalition behind HackAlem AI united the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, international innovation hub Astana Hub, Silkroad Innovation Hub, AI & Digital Bridge Forum, Blockchain & AI Technology Center, and OpenAI.
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In the RAEM Grants Catalog: HackAlem AI — program specifications, selection criteria, application cycles, and official registration channels.
