Finance no longer has to start with dry theory or intimidating terms. In Kazakhstan, high school students now have a tool that explains money in a language they understand - through practice, interaction, and play. The Astana International Financial Centre has launched FinPro, a mobile application designed to help teenagers confidently enter the world of personal finance, DKNews.kz reports.
FinPro is built around a simple but powerful idea: financial literacy works best when it feels real. Instead of memorising definitions, students learn by doing - managing virtual money, making decisions, and seeing the consequences in a safe environment. Educational content, practical tasks, and gamification are combined into one seamless experience that feels more like an engaging challenge than a traditional lesson.
Investing without fear of losing money
One of FinPro’s most compelling features is its investment module. Integrated with the Astana International Exchange, it allows users to buy and sell demo shares using virtual funds. Students can build their own training portfolios and track how they change under real market conditions.
This approach gives teenagers a clear and visual understanding of how investing works. They see market movements, learn what risk really means, and practise analysing outcomes - all without using real money. For many, it becomes the first opportunity to understand investing not as something abstract or risky, but as a skill that can be learned step by step.
Essential financial skills for real life
FinPro covers the core topics every young person will eventually face. The app includes thematic modules on budget planning, expense management, savings, investment principles, and financial risk awareness. Lessons are delivered through short videos and clear text explanations, followed by quizzes and practical exercises that help reinforce knowledge.
Students can also track their progress inside the app. Each course shows the percentage of completed lessons and tests, helping users stay focused and motivated while clearly seeing how far they have come.
When learning feels like a game
To keep students engaged, FinPro actively uses game mechanics. Completing lessons earns points and increases the user’s in-app rank. A “streak mode” encourages daily learning by rewarding consistency, while a leaderboard adds a friendly competitive element, allowing students to compare achievements with peers.
These features turn financial education into a habit rather than a one-time activity. Learning becomes something students want to return to, not something they feel obliged to complete.
Financial culture starts at school
The creators of FinPro emphasise that the project is part of a broader effort to raise financial literacy from an early age.
“The AIFC has been actively developing its Academy to enhance financial knowledge among both professional and general audiences, and the launch of FinPro is a natural continuation of this work. We believe that building a strong financial culture starts at an early age - right from school. When creating FinPro, our goal was to provide high school students with a clear, modern, and practical tool to help them take confident first steps in personal finance. This is not just an educational project; it is the AIFC’s contribution to shaping a financially literate generation,” said Talgat Amanbayev, Chief Innovation Officer of the AIFC Authority.
An investment in the future
FinPro helps young people develop modern financial habits, understand how to manage personal budgets, and think long-term about money. By learning early, students gain confidence in making financial decisions that will shape their adult lives.
The app is available for download on App Store and Play Market and is already positioning itself as more than just an educational product - it is a practical tool designed to change how the next generation thinks about money.
