AIFC will provide start-ups with free licensed Microsoft software

AIFC Authority

15 December 2017 00:00:00

The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) will cooperate with Microsoft BizSpark international programme for the development of fintech ecosystem and support of innovative start-up projects in Kazakhstan.

Start-ups get free licensed Microsoft software for design, development, product testing and placing services on the Internet, as well as expert support of corporation and its partners by participating in Microsoft BizSpark.

The duration of the program is 1 year. Upon the expiry participants can save all the software received through the BizSpark programme and get a subscription to Microsoft software update on special preferential terms.

According to Chief Digital Officer of the AIFC Authority Assel Zhiyenbayeva, AIFC provides Kazakhstani and international start-ups with unique opportunity to effectively develop their projects on a new technology level.

"The first three years of the start-up project operation are the most challenging as they determine its further success. Our goal is to help start-up entrepreneurs as much as possible in financial technology field, to support them and provide them with all the necessary tools for accumulating innovative ideas and their development in successful projects/companies. Access to this programme will be available to any Kazakhstani start-ups, including those selected by the AIFC, winners of Fintech Innovation Day, AIFC Fintechstars (Hackaton), Acceleration Programme and other projects. We believe in success of our start-ups," said A. Zhiyenbayeva.

"BizSpark is Microsoft's global programme - more than 50,000 start-ups from more than 100 countries joined it. The offer provides start-ups with access to a global community of consultants, investors and partners, as well as to software. Our goal is to help young and innovative software companies to gain valuable experience and advantages of modern technologies without any preliminary costs," said Microsoft Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility Director Elena Mukhsinova.

Reference:

AIFC: In December 2015 President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev signed the Constitutional law “On the Astana International Financial Centre” (AIFC). The aim of the AIFC is to form a leading international centre of financial services. For the first time in post-Soviet region Common law framework will be introduced in the AIFC. English shall be the official language of the AIFC.

The objectives of the AIFC are to attract investment into the economy through the establishment of an attractive environment for investment in the financial services, to develop local capital markets, to ensure their integration with the international capital market, and to develop markets for insurance and banking services and for Islamic financing in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Microsoft BizSpark provides unique opportunity for start-ups to use modern tools and technologies such as Azure, Windows, Visual Studio, Office and SQL Server without charge. The program also provides funding and integrated marketing support.