Kazakhstani startup ÖZEN Finance received $50,000 in investments at Fintech Stars Battle

Kazakh FinTech startup ÖZEN Finance took first place in the Fintech Stars Battle competition, held as part of the Central Asia Fintech Summit. The project received the grand prize — $50,000 in investments from White Hill Capital. The award was presented to the startup's founder, Yerkyn Berdalin, by Aslan Sultanov, Founding Partner & CEO of White Hill Capital, and Zhanar Samayeva, Chairman of the Board of the National Payment Corporation of Kazakhstan.

ÖZEN Finance is a platform that connects small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with financial institutions through its own AI-based scoring system and digital credit pipeline. The solution uses real data from entrepreneurs — turnover, transactions, seasonality, and payment discipline — to enhance transparency and security in lending. The jury noted the product's maturity, architecture, and potential for scaling into regional markets.

Yerkyn Berdalin, Founder of ÖZEN Finance

Fintech Stars Battle is a Central Asian startup competition in the fields of FinTech, artificial intelligence, and digital solutions, bringing together key industry players. The event assembled a strong jury composed of leaders from the banking sector, venture funds, major IT companies, and regional tech parks, ensuring a high level of expertise and objective evaluation of the projects.