CASA Joins Kazakhstan–U.S. Business Roundtable at the National AI Center in San Francisco

On October 22, Ramazan Slamkhanov, Founder and Managing Director of Central Asia Strategic Advisory (CASA), took part in the Kazakhstan–U.S. Business Roundtable at the National AI Center in San Francisco. The event was organized by the U.S. Commercial Service with the participation of H.E. Magzhan Ilyassov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the United States, and marked Kazakhstan's Republic Day and the 35th anniversary of Kazakhstan–U.S. relations.

The roundtable brought together leading American venture capital firms and technology companies, including Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Pronto (Atoms), AerialZeus, Lilac Solutions, DeepInfra, Armada, Signalabs, Lyten, Tawa, Sustain360, and Tubi.

Discussions focused on practical cooperation in artificial intelligence, critical minerals, autonomous mining, lithium extraction, data center infrastructure, energy storage, and logistics along the Middle Corridor. One promising topic was the potential application of U.S. lithium extraction technologies to Kazakhstan's oilfield-produced water resources.

Mr. Slamkhanov presented the work of QazTrade and CASA, including the Kazakhstan–U.S. Trade and Investment Roundtable organized during the SelectUSA Investment Summit 2026. Participants also explored connecting American technology companies and investors with Kazakh businesses through future business missions and SelectUSA 2027.

CASA thanks Gabriela Zelaya and the U.S. Commercial Service team, as well as the Consulate General of Kazakhstan in San Francisco, for convening such a strong group of participants.