Kazakhstan’s first unicorn startup, AI video and image generation platform Higgsfield, has raised $80mn in fresh funding, lifting its valuation above $1.3bn.

Now based in San Francisco, Higgsfield, founded by Kazakhstani engineers, was crowned Kazakhstan’s first unicorn when its valuation surpassed $1bn in September last year.

With investors stepping up bets on fast-growing applications of generative AI, the company launched a Series A funding extension round and drew backing from Accel, GFT Ventures and Menlo Ventures, Reuters has reported.

Higgsfield said its annualised revenue run rate, a forward-looking measure of expected income based on recent performance, has reached around $200mn, the news agency’s report added.

The funding success is billed as reflecting sustained investor appetite for AI companies building industry-specific applications on top of large foundational models, rather than developing competing models of their own. Higgsfield integrates third-party AI models into its platform, positioning itself as an enabler for content creators rather than as a rival to groups such as OpenAI or Google.

“We minimise the production tax so that, eventually, better stories and better ideas win,” company co-founder and CEO, Alex Mashrabov was quoted as saying in the report.

Higgsfield concentrates on post-training techniques and has developed a proprietary “reasoning engine” that links multiple AI systems, the report also noted, citing Mashrabov. This approach helps maintain visual consistency in AI-generated characters and branding, particularly in marketing videos.

Founded in 2023, the company launched its browser-based product in March 2025, enabling users to manage end-to-end video workflows within a single platform. Social media marketers account for about 85% of usage, according to the company.

Higgsfield plans to use its new capital to accelerate enterprise sales, expand internationally and invest further in research and development. The company also intends to increase its workforce from nearly 70 staff to around 300 by the end of the year.