23 Mining Projects Presented to Investors at Astana Finance Days 

On 9 September 2026, as part of 9th financial forum, Astana Finance Days 2026: Delivering Impact. Capital in Action (AFD 2026), the AIFC hosted a series of events under the AIFC Junior Mining Platform initiative focused on attracting capital to junior mining projects. Key events included an expert discussion on financing the sector and a pitch session at which 23 projects were presented to potential investors. 

The business programme was opened with the panel session “Financing Junior Mining Projects: Challenges and Opportunities”. Representatives from mining companies, private equity funds, and international financial institutions discussed how capital sources change as a project develops — from early-stage exploration and attracting private and strategic investors to institutional financing and entering the public markets. 

The discussion brought together Aida Alzhanova, Deputy CEO for Strategic Development at Solidcore Resources; Kassi Beisembetov, Co-founder of Alphamar; Akaki Gelashvili, Associate Director and Deputy Head of the Kazakhstan Corporate Sector at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD); and Liu Wenjing, Founder of Elistra Advisory Limited. The session was moderated by Said Sultanov, Founder of Aurora Minerals Group. 

Solidcore Resources presented the perspective of a major mining company on engaging with junior projects as a strategic investor. In particular, the discussion covered the company’s plans to expand cooperation with junior miners, its project selection criteria and prospects for future collaboration. Aida Alzhanova noted that the investment project to construct the Ertis Hydrometallurgical Plant (Ertis POX) in Pavlodar will be a key development milestone not only for the company itself but for the entire mining sector of Kazakhstan.  The plant is expected to process feedstock from Solidcore’s own assets as well as third-party refractory concentrates from Kazakhstan and Central Asia. This will enable the processing of technologically complex gold-bearing feedstock to be localised in Kazakhstan and allow other industry participants, including junior mining companies, to use established processing capacity to develop new projects that were previously unavailable due to a lack of appropriate technology, complex logistics and the high capital costs for organizing raw material processing. 

Participants also focused on the role of private equity. Representatives of Alphamar emphasised that investing in early-stage exploration projects requires considerable time and capital, as well as a willingness to assume significant technical risks. At the same time, the fund is prepared to consider selected junior projects with strong potential, including those located near existing assets. 

When investing at an early stage, Alphamar prioritizes direct capital investment into project development rather than making payments to existing owners before the resource base has been confirmed.  

During the capital markets discussion, participants noted that to attract public financing, it is not enough to simply have a promising field — the company itself must be prepared to meet investor demands. 

Liu Wenjing, founder of Elistra Advisory Limited, noted that the Jiaxin case demonstrated how a Kazakhstan-based mining asset, backed by Chinese strategic shareholders, was able to build international investor confidence and access global public markets through stronger corporate governance, capital-markets preparation and coordinated IPO execution. 

The overall conclusion of the discussion was the need for the project to consistently develop while simultaneously expanding its available sources of financing. As geological and technical risks decline and corporate readiness improves, companies gain access to a broader pool of capital: from private and strategic investors to international financial institutions and public markets. 

The second part of the programme featured the Junior Mining Platform pitch session. It brought together 15 companies, which presented 23 mining projects, most of them at the exploration stage. 

The pitch session aimed to establish direct engagement between junior mining companies, private equity funds and strategic partners considering investment opportunities in Kazakhstan’s mining sector. 

More than 10 local and international investors and strategic partners participated in the event.  

Project teams presented information on their assets, current development stages, planned activities and financing requirements. The presentations were followed by individual B2B meetings between project companies and potential investors. 

The event marked another stage in the development of the AIFC Junior Mining Platform. The platform is designed to create a structured engagement framework for junior mining companies and investors, help projects present their opportunities to the market and facilitate investment.  

Reference: 

The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) is an independent jurisdiction where investors and business meet emerging opportunities of Kazakhstan and Central Asia in a transparent and sustainable environment backed by the principles of English Common Law. www.aifc.kz      

AIFC Press Office,  

Ainur Issabayeva, press secretary 

E-mail: [email protected]