Powering the Future
Freedom Holding Corp., founded and led by Timur Turlov, is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in data centers to support both its own ecosystem and the entry of global tech companies into the Kazakhstani market. One of the key projects is the Akashi Data Center, designed to deliver world-class capacity across the entire Central Asian region. As global spending on data centers surges, Freedom Holding is positioning itself early in a fast-growing market.
From Concept to Concrete
The Akashi data center is moving from concept to reality. The construction process is already past its first stages, according to information on the center’s website. Land preparation and foundation work are complete, and construction is already well underway. Critical infrastructure installations – including cooling and power systems – are in progress. “In the coming months, we plan to complete the primary server facilities and deploy backup and security systems,” the company states.
The initial phase of the project, involving the construction of the first of four data centers with a capacity of 5.2 MW, will be finished by the end of 2026. The launch is scheduled for early 2027. From that point on, customers will be able to connect to the Akashi Data Center.
The Game-Changer
The Akashi Data Center is the only one Tier IV-grade facility (the highest classification according to the Uptime Institute) in Central Asia. There are only a handful of such centers worldwide.
The center, designed to accommodate 4,224 racks – an unparalleled scale for the region – has a capacity of 42 MW, with the potential to expand to 100 MW. Tier 4 represents the highest level of reliability and fault tolerance, with 99.995% uptime, ensuring business continuity and compliance with international SLA standards.
The project even encompasses plans for a gas-fired power plant with a capacity of up to 1 GW. This will ensure energy independence, reduce the risk of power outages, and help maintain competitive energy prices. In the future, it will also use renewable energy sources to reduce its carbon footprint and increase energy efficiency.
The data center will costs several hundred million dollars. Freedom Holding Corp. is a key investor in the project.
The Bigger Picture
Today, advanced cloud services and robust IT infrastructure are strategic assets, just as valuable as natural resources.Kazakhstan has lacked this, even as the country pursues digital transformation and positions artificial intelligence as a key driver of economic growth. Realizing these ambitions requires world-class infrastructure for data storage and processing. Data centers serve as the cornerstone of that.
“Historically, there has been a lack of infrastructure, and with the digitalization of the private and government sectors, this deficit has only increased,” explained Timur Turlov, founder and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp., in one of his previous interviews.
Building a data center of this scale brings the country global advantages. Such infrastructure attracts major international businesses, which in turn drives economic and technological progress and supports Kazakhstan’s strategic goal of becoming a regional digital hub.
Global Players Onboard
More and more tech companies are already entering the Kazakh market. Vladislav Minkevich, head of Akashi Data Center, notes that “about 40% of the capacity is already reserved” by both local and international players.
The center has signed memorandums of understanding with China Mobile International and Virtuozzo and has received over 500 inquiries from global companies – from cloud providers to AI startups. Recently, Hong Kong-based AI solutions provider Liasail Global, serving over 500 corporate clients in 60 countries, agreed to host its computing capacity in Kazakhstan. Akashi Data Center is also in active talks with Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and other major tech firms.
More Projects On the Way
Akashi is not the only Freedom Holding’s project of this kind. Freedom Cloud currently operates seven data centers in seven cities across Kazakhstan, with a new facility under construction on a 2.5-hectare site in Almaty’s “Alatau” tech zone since April 2025. This center, which costs approximately 175 billion tenge (about $337 million), has a capacity of 7.2 MW and already attracted the interest of a number of global players, including Amazon Web Services (AWS).
In addition, with the support of the Kazakh government, Freedom Holding and Nvidia will establish a $2 billion sovereign artificial intelligence center with a capacity of 100 MW.
Another initiative involves testing a pilot version of the ChatGPT educational project in Kazakhstan. As part of this project, 165,000 teachers will be given access to the educational version of ChatGPT. It helps teachers reduce time spent on repetitive tasks and focus more on creative, student-centered teaching. For students, the AI mentor offers a personalized, thoughtful learning experience.
Actively investing in data centers and cutting-edge technologies, Freedom Holding Corp. is aligned with a global trend. A recent Moody’s report estimates that at least $3 trillion will be invested in data centres over the next five years.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. The content is based on information provided by a third party and has not been independently verified. Readers should conduct their own research and seek independent professional advice before making any investment decisions. The publisher accepts no liability for any actions taken based on the information contained herein.