20% of IT startups at Astana Hub are led by women

1,043 IT companies are registered at the Astana Hub International Technopark, 179 of which are led by women. Additionally, there has been an increase in recent times in the number of applications from women seeking IT business training.

Most IT startups in the Astana Hub ecosystem, founded by women, focus on developing the social sector and EdTech. For example, the social startup Ozim Platform, founded by Asem Tazhiyeva, provides educational and informational support to families with children with special needs through a mobile application, YouTube channel, and social media.

Laura Vaygorova, CEO of SmarTestPrep, successfully develops an automated platform for preparing for international exams and a recommendation system that, like Spotify or Netflix, automatically suggests the most suitable university and program to the user based on data from a list of 50,000 universities and scholarships.

Aigerim Isataeva, CEO of the Qonzhyq App project, launched a mobile application aimed at reviving folklore and promoting the Kazakh language. The goal is to foster interest among the younger generation in Kazakh national music, literature, culture, traditions, and the study of the Kazakh language.

IT projects founded by women also demonstrate high efficiency and are expanding into foreign markets. The services of Citix, the largest DOOH network of smart boards led by Yana Shoibekova, are used in Turkey and the UAE.

Citix is included in the ranking of the National Agency for Technological Development's "Top 10 Best Innovative Projects of Kazakhstan."

The annual demand for ICT specialists in Kazakhstan is approximately 30,000 people. Currently, 31% of IT specialists in the country are women.

Participants in Astana Hub note that women in leadership positions are associated with better management behavior, provide firms with informational and social advantages, and motivate women in middle management roles.