The venture capital ecosystem is
actively thriving in Kazakhstan. The figures show that the country has
established itself as a leader among Central Asian and Caucasus countries in
the number of venture deals concluded last year. Thus, the total amount of such
transactions in the region reached $110 million, with Kazakhstan accounting for
over $80 million. Investments by residents of the Astana Venture Club in
various startups exceeded $300,000 within a year of the organization’s
operation. Overall, six projects were successfully launched.
“Two streams of the business
angel school have already been completed. Last year, we trained nearly 100
individuals. Our business angels concluded several deals. In general, there are
now just under 40 highly active residents. We encourage people to enter and
start with small investments,” said founder and head of the Astana Venture Club
Nurasyl Jarbassov.
It is noteworthy that venture capital
investment is not only a high-risk but also a highly profitable financial tool.
If a startup makes a breakthrough, its sales can yield impressive profits. Business
angels’ contributions enable startups to scale up more rapidly and penetrate
new markets. Investors and startup founders as well as users of their products
can profit from projects in attractive fields, such as IT, fintech, and
artificial intelligence. Young Kazakh IT specialists have developed an
innovative platform for creating and giving interactive presentations.
Residents of the Astana Hub international technology park have already proven
that their product meets market demands.
“Our speaker addressed a large
audience of 2,000 people and managed to sell products worth 1.5 million tenge
in just 25 minutes. Currently, we are in the pre-seed stage of investments and
attracting around $150,000-200,000. We have commitments from both local
business angels and foreign investors, including venture capital funds,” said founder
of the startup project Bakdaulet Tygynbayev.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart
Tokayev repeatedly stressed the importance of developing the venture capital market
as a driving force for innovation and technological progress and attracting
international players. Successful startups that have established themselves in
global markets play a significant role in this regard, experts note.