Firebird Lands 45,000-GPU Deal in Kazakhstan
Firebird signed an investment agreement with Kazakhstan on Oct. 23 and holds a U.S. export license for 45,000 Nvidia Grace Blackwell GPUs. Its first phase, built with Kazakhtelecom, targets a commercial launch in Q3 2027.
Firebird, an AI data center developer that builds on Nvidia hardware, signed an investment agreement with Kazakhstan's government on Friday, Oct. 23, in Astana. Nvidia said the company holds a U.S. export license for 45,000 Nvidia Grace Blackwell GPUs for the project.
The signing took place at the Akorda presidential palace during Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's first visit to the country, where he met President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The first phase of Firebird's build is targeting a commercial launch in the third quarter of 2027.
Key takeaways
- Firebird signed an investment agreement with Kazakhstan and holds a U.S. export license for 45,000 Nvidia Grace Blackwell GPUs, according to Nvidia.
- Phase one is being built with telecom operator Kazakhtelecom at Data Center Valley and targets commercial launch in Q3 2027. A second phase would lift potential capacity to about 500 megawatts.
- Kazakhtelecom runs 880 Nvidia GPUs today and plans more than 1,000 Vera Rubin GPUs in the Ekibastuz region next year.
What Firebird is building in Kazakhstan
In a post on Nvidia's blog, Nvidia's Rev Lebaredian wrote that the first phase is under construction with Kazakhtelecom at Data Center Valley. Under an earlier arrangement reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhtelecom supplies power, cooling and telecom links, while Firebird's Kazakh unit finances the computing hardware.
Firebird also plans to open Firebird Labs Kazakhstan to support local startups, researchers and talent. Cofounder and CEO Razmig Hovaghimian said the project began as an idea 180 days earlier, calling it "a major investment in Kazakhstan's AI future." No dollar value for the agreement was disclosed.
Kazakhstan's GPU capacity by the numbers
| Project | Hardware | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Kazakhtelecom, Astana and Almaty | 400 H200 + 480 B300 GPUs | Deployed |
| Kazakhtelecom, Data Center Valley | 1,000+ GPUs | Planned for 2027 |
| Kazakhtelecom, Ekibastuz region | 1,000+ Vera Rubin GPUs | Planned for 2027 |
| Firebird, Data Center Valley | 45,000 Grace Blackwell GPUs (export license) | Phase one targets Q3 2027 |
Kazakh outlet El.kz reported that Data Center Valley could scale to 1 gigawatt. Its first phase totals 215 megawatts and is "fully reserved," and the first 50-megawatt data center is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2027.
Energy, language and data sovereignty
At a public fireside chat at Alem.AI, Huang pitched Kazakhstan's energy as a path to exporting computation. "Instead of just exporting energy, in the future, you could transform energy into intelligence and export intelligence," he said. "Your country's data is your natural resource. It belongs to you."
Deputy Prime Minister Zhaslan Madiyev, who also serves as minister of AI and digital development, said: "We want AI that understands and speaks Kazakh and captures cultural contexts and cultural specifics." Tokayev has declared 2026 the Year of Digitalization and AI.
Firebird's wider buildout
Kazakhstan is Firebird's second market. Unite.AI reported that the company opened its first AI factory in Hrazdan, Armenia, on Aug. 8, targeting more than 70,000 Nvidia Rubin and Blackwell GPUs and 300 megawatts by the end of 2027. Hovaghimian has said Firebird expects about 2 gigawatts of capacity worldwide within two years.
Nvidia also announced an investment in Higgsfield AI, a generative video startup co-founded by Kazakh entrepreneur Yerzat Dulat. Higgsfield raised $400 million at a $5.4 billion valuation in August, according to The Times of Central Asia.
What's next
The next milestones are the 50-megawatt data center in Q2 2027 and Firebird's launch in Q3 2027. Firebird has not said how many of the 45,000 licensed GPUs will ship in phase one, or when the second phase would start.
FAQ
Has Kazakhstan received 45,000 Nvidia GPUs?
No. Nvidia says Firebird holds a U.S. export license for 45,000 Grace Blackwell GPUs. Phase one is still under construction.
When will Firebird's Kazakhstan AI factory open?
The first phase targets a commercial launch in the third quarter of 2027.
How much power will it use?
With a planned second phase, total potential capacity would reach about 500 megawatts, Nvidia said.
References
- Kazakhstan Expands Compute for Its AI Future — NVIDIA Blog (October 2026)
- Huang Backs Kazakhstan's AI Plans as NVIDIA Expands Partnerships — The Times of Central Asia (Oct. 24, 2026)
- NVIDIA highlights Kazakhtelecom's role in developing Kazakhstan's AI infrastructure — El.kz (Oct. 23, 2026)
- Firebird Takes Its AI Factory Platform Global With a 2-Gigawatt Pipeline — Unite.AI
Editor responsible for AI Newsway, operated by ZZEM. Writes about AI, developer tools, cloud and productivity technology.
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