Today, April 17, Almaty becomes the center of a crucial conversation about the future of Kazakhstan’s economy. Kursiv Media is hosting the second annual Kursiv Ecosystems Forum 2026 - a platform where business leaders, experts, and market players gather to openly discuss competition, regulation, artificial intelligence, and the future of super apps.
This is not a formal event filled with scripted speeches. It is a real attempt to understand where the market is heading - and who will ultimately shape its rules.
Ecosystems are no longer a trend - they are reality
Just a few years ago, digital ecosystems were seen as the future. Today, they are part of everyday life for millions of people in Kazakhstan. Financial services, marketplaces, delivery platforms, and digital services are merging into unified ecosystems.
Kursiv Media CEO Anastasia Novikova describes this transformation:
“Digital ecosystems have not only become an integral part of every Kazakhstani’s life - they are setting new trends, evolving under the influence of AI, and creating a new economic reality,” says Anastasia Novikova, CEO of Kursiv Media. “Today, this space is already occupied by major players with a financial core, such as Freedom, Kaspi.kz, Halyk Group, and Forte. At the same time, marketplaces are rapidly growing and expanding. Meanwhile, Kazakhstani companies are facing competition from global and regional players, and government regulation of ecosystems that combine fintech with other services is becoming stricter. How are market players coping with these new challenges? Kursiv Ecosystems Forum 2026 will serve as a platform for open dialogue on how the ecosystem model should evolve in Kazakhstan.”
The key point here is that ecosystems are no longer just IT products. They represent a new economic model, where users no longer choose individual services - they live within a single digital environment.
The key question: dominance or balance
The central theme of the forum captures the challenge perfectly: “Digital ecosystems in Kazakhstan: a path to dominance or diversification?”
The market is at a turning point. On one side - strong local players with powerful financial cores. On the other - pressure from global and regional platforms.
During the plenary session, participants will discuss:
- what regulation of ecosystems should look like
- which trends are already transforming the market
- whether partnership models are possible in Kazakhstan
- how ecosystems are responding to the rise of artificial intelligence
- which digital services Kazakhstan can export
Confirmed speakers of the plenary session:
- Madina Abylkasymova - Chair of the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market of Kazakhstan
- Timur Turlov - CEO and majority shareholder of Freedom Holding Corp.
- Natalia Boer - CEO of Ozon CIS
- Timur Shalekenov - Head of Yandex Qazaqstan
Among the expected speakers is also the Deputy Chair of the Agency for Protection and Development of Competition.
Moderator: Sergey Domnin, Head of Kursiv Research.
SuperApp 3.0: the end of icons as we know them
The first panel session signals a major shift: “SuperApp 3.0: the death of icons and the rise of AI agents”
This discussion focuses on the next stage of digital platform evolution, where traditional app interfaces may be replaced by intelligent systems.
Key questions include:
- where is the line between a useful ecosystem and an overloaded app
- what is more effective - a super app or a constellation of services
- can the chat interface become the new home screen
Confirmed speakers of the session:
- Vyacheslav Kim - Managing Director of Freedom Bank
- Arshyn Sultangazy - Head of Retail Mobile Banking at Bank CenterCredit
- Alexander Nagorny - CPO of Kolesa Group
- Molder Rysaliyeva - independent expert
In this scenario, users may no longer open apps - they will simply state a task, and the system will handle everything.
Artificial intelligence in business: how to stay human
The second panel shifts the conversation to practical implementation: “AI in the business processes of digital supermarkets: how to implement artificial intelligence without losing the human touch?”
Today, AI is already widely used in:
- customer service
- analytics
- marketing
- operational processes
But a new challenge emerges: as automation increases, how do companies preserve human interaction?
Confirmed speakers of the session:
- Renat Tukanov - Chief Technology Officer of Freedom Holding Corp.
- Kassym Yessergepov - CEO of QazCloud
- Vladislav Minkevich - Chairman of the Board of AKASHI Data Center PLC
The discussion will also cover:
- the depth of AI integration into services
- the transformation of customer experience
- interaction between business, government, and AI
- the economics of data centers
A live format instead of formal speeches
The forum is held in a fireside chat format and consists of three parts:
- plenary session
- two panel discussions
This format encourages real dialogue rather than prepared speeches. The moderator’s role is to reveal not only the speakers’ positions but also their deeper understanding of market dynamics.
Partners
General partner: Kaspi.kz
Strategic partner: Yandex Qazaqstan
Official partner: Ozon
Media partners include: Liter, Prodengi, Kolesa Group, Baribar, Channel 7, 365info, BlueScreen, Profit.kz, Aikyn, Turkistan.TV, DKNews.kz, ER10media, AlemInform, Bizmedia, Optimism.kz
When and where
Date: April 17, 2026
Time: 12:00 - 18:00
Venue: The Ritz-Carlton Almaty
Participation is free.
Decisions made today will shape tomorrow
Kursiv Ecosystems Forum 2026 is more than just a discussion about technology.
It is a conversation about the future of Kazakhstan’s economy - who will control digital platforms, and what role artificial intelligence will play.
And perhaps, right now in Almaty, the architecture of a new market is being defined.
