The AIFC invites investors and financial companies from Singapore to Kazakhstan
On November 10, the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) held the AIFC Connect: Singapore 2025 business event in Singapore. The event was part of the Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF) and Insights Forum, organized by the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN). The aim of the event was to strengthen business ties between Kazakhstan and Singapore, foster new partnerships, and attract foreign entrepreneurs to joint projects through the AIFC platform.
The event, organized with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Singapore, BIG Invest — an investment platform of BI Group Holding, and OD Consulting, gathered over 150 participants. Attendees included senior representatives of investment firms, banks, asset managers, fintech companies, insurance organizations, and other financial institutions.
AIFC Connect featured a series of panel discussions with industry experts from both countries on promising investment areas, the regional role of the AIFC, and the development of asset management, capital markets, venture investment, fintech, and innovation.
The event was opened with a welcoming speech by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Singapore, the Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand Askar Kuttykadam:
«Despite the geographical distance and the differences in land area, historical background, and geopolitical context, our countries share common challenges, and opportunities. In 2023 and 2024, we witnessed successful reciprocal visits of presidents, which gave strong momentum to our comprehensive partnership amid an increasingly turbulent global environment. Nevertheless, we must redouble our efforts and further enhance trade and investment cooperation to fully unlock our existing potential. This is why the «AIFC Connect: Singapore 2025» event is aimed at raising awareness among Singaporean and international entrepreneurs about Kazakhstan’s investment climate and business opportunities».
Presentations on AIFC’s potential in strengthening Kazakhstan-Singapore cooperation were delivered by Bakhtiyar Tleubekov, Chairman of the Management Board of the AIFC Authority; Evgeniya Bogdanova, Chief Executive Officer of the Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA); Baurzhan Kankin, Chief Client Officer of the AIFC Authority; and Talgat Amanbayev, Chief Innovation Officer of the AIFC Authority.
In his remarks, Bakhtiyar Tleubekov gave an overview of the AIFC’s activities and highlighted its key benefits in expanding opportunities for foreign companies in Kazakhstan:
“In recent years, Kazakhstan-Singapore relations have been strengthened by cooperation in trade, tourism, and an expanded political and cultural dialogue. In 2023, several agreements were signed between our countries’ presidents, including on the registration of Singaporean companies within the AIFC and the development of investment partnerships for projects in Kazakhstan. Currently, 48 Singapore-based companies are registered at the AIFC. The Centre offers unique advantages such as a legal framework based on English common law principles and world-class regulation. It actively promotes fintech and innovation, green and Islamic finance, creative industries, the aviation hub, and other promising sectors. We are also building infrastructure for cross-border project implementation, reinforcing Kazakhstan’s role as a key financial and investment hub in the region”.
Today, 48 companies with Singaporean capital are actively developing their businesses within the AIFC jurisdiction. They operate in sectors including financial services and insurance, information and communications technology, wholesale and retail trade, mining, professional, scientific, and technical activities, manufacturing, construction, and others. These companies include Bitmain Kazakhstan Limited, Kazakhstan Zhonghengyongsheng Energy Co. Ltd., RenEll Co. Ltd., Atlas Technology KA Ltd., AURORA QUEST SERVICES LTD.
Evgeniya Bogdanova, CEO of Astana Financial Services Authority, continued the event’s agenda by presenting the regulator’s activities and highlighting new trends in regulating financial and non-financial services within the AIFC jurisdiction. She emphasized the rapid development of the digital asset market and the AIFC growing international recognition: “Astana Financial Services Authority plays a key role in ensuring the sustainable and transparent growth of the Astana International Financial Centre ecosystem. Our approach combines innovation with high international regulatory standards, providing a solid foundation for market growth and the adoption of advanced technologies.
Today, the Astana International Financial Centre jurisdiction includes 27 licensed digital asset service providers, 19 regulatory sandbox participants, and 3 fully regulated digital asset exchanges. In the first three quarters of 2025, the trading volume on digital asset exchanges licensed by the AIFC exceeded $5.4 billion.
We are proud that the AIFC was recognized by IOSCO as one of the top four jurisdictions globally effectively implementing IOSCO recommendations on digital asset regulation. This confirms our commitment to investor protection, market transparency, and innovation.
Going forward, we aim to build infrastructure for tokenized assets and stablecoins, further strengthening Astana International Financial Centre’s position as a regional hub for digital finance”.
The event’s business program was continued by Diana Ablyakimova, Kazakh Invest’s foreign representative in Singapore, who spoke about the prospects for bilateral relations between the countries and the country’s investment potential for Singaporean companies.
A Fireside chat discussion was also held, moderated by Baurzhan Kankin, Chief Client Officer at the AIFC Authority. The speaker was James Tan, Managing Partner at Quest Ventures. The panelists discussed the AIFC’s role and influence on the development of financial services in the Asia-Pacific region. The dialogue was continued by Anastasiya Kim, CFO of BI Group South, who presented investment opportunities in the real assets sector.
Another panel focused on innovation and new tools in fintech. Speakers included Holly Fung, President of the Singapore Fintech Association (SFA); Athena Miao, Chief Commercial Officer of BigONE Exchange; and Miranda Brett, Head of VIP and Institutional Investor Relations at Binance.
The discussion on the fintech industry was continued by Talgat Amanbayev, Chief Innovation Officer of the AIFC Authority. He discussed the development of the centre’s new fintech products, such as grain tokenization using blockchain technology, the development of a corporate reputation scoring system and a data exchange platform, and opportunities for venture studios at the AIFC:
«Today, together with our partners, we are working on a grain tokenization project, as we consider the tokenization of real assets to be one of the key trends in fintech development. Kazakhstan harvests approximately 26.5 million tons of grain and legumes annually, making the sector highly perspective. At the same time, the country has 232 licensed elevators servicing grain and warehouse receipt operations, reflecting its well-developed storage infrastructure».
Seh Huan Kiat, Fintech Director of Phillip Capital; Olzhas Zhienkul, CEO of Investbanq; Arman Batayev, CEO of GWM Capital Ltd.; and Managing Director of OD Consulting Ltd. also shared new tools for developing fintech innovations.
According to the GFCI 38 ranking, the AIFC holds a leading position in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region, helping Kazakhstan’s business and economy attract capital through its specially created conditions. Since its launch in 2018, the AIFC has attracted USD 18.5 billion in investments into Kazakhstan’s economy. The Centre hosts over 4,600 companies from 88 countries, including the USA, UK, China, Turkiye, Singapore, and others.
Reference:
The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) is an independent jurisdiction with a favourable legal and regulatory environment and a developed infrastructure for starting and doing business, attracting investment, creating jobs and developing Kazakhstan’s economy. www.aifc.kz
AIFC Press Office
Ainur Issabayeva, press secretary
phone: +7 701 777 65 58
E-mail: [email protected]
