Kazakhstan finalizes a $10 billion agreement with Firebird, which is supported by Nvidia.
The AI deal with Kazakhstan has been finalized. Kazakhstan has established a series of agreements with Firebird, a US startup supported by Nvidia, to create artificial intelligence data centres that could attract up to $10 billion in investment, as the oil-and-gas producing nation seeks to transform itself into a regional computing center. The main feature is the Data Center Valley, intended for Ekibastuz, an energy hub in the northeast. The initial phase is estimated at around $5 billion, which includes $1 billion from state-owned Kazakhtelecom, and aims to have a 125-megawatt facility operational commercially by 2027. The agreements were signed in Astana by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Nvidia’s Rev Lebaredian, and Firebird co-founders Razmig Hovaghimian and Alexander Yesayan.
Examining the details of the Kazakhstan AI deal reveals that the “$10 billion” figure represents a potential total across multiple agreements, rather than a single guaranteed payment. The key documents include a strategic cooperation framework between Kazakhstan's AI ministry and Firebird, along with a binding term sheet between Kazakhtelecom and Firebird for the data centres. While a framework outlines intentions, the more concrete component is the $5 billion initial phase, which is contingent on financing, power availability, and timely delivery of chips.
The ambitions are significant. Officials indicate that the facility will accommodate a minimum of 300 megawatts of computing, aiming towards a gigawatt, featuring around 100,000 Nvidia GPUs, including the latest GB300 and Vera Rubin chips, and potentially generating $3 billion annually in exports. These figures are goals rather than confirmed installations. Nvidia’s involvement is that of a supplier and supporter rather than a financier, but its chips are highly sought after, making the presence of a vice president for the signing noteworthy.
This agreement is part of a broader trend. Governments from the Gulf to Southeast Asia are forming AI-infrastructure agreements to reduce dependency on a few US and Chinese cloud providers, with similar $10 billion figures appearing, reminiscent of plans for a US-backed hub in the Philippines. Resource-rich, capital-limited states are offering energy and infrastructure in exchange for the chips and expertise they lack.
However, there is a risk that announcements may outpace tangible results. While memoranda are straightforward to create, establishing financed, powered, and stocked data centres presents challenges, and many ambitious regional hub plans stall between agreement and execution. Firebird claims it operates quickly; it asserts that a flagship AI Factory was established in Armenia within about six months and is set to be operational in July. Whether Data Center Valley evolves into actual infrastructure or remains just a press release will hinge on securing funding once the media attention fades.
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Kazakhstan has entered into agreements with the Nvidia-supported startup Firebird to establish AI data centers, a contract valued at as much as $10 billion as the country aims to position itself as a regional AI center.