Vyacheslav Kim launches AÑSA HUB in Alatau City with a $100M endowment fund

Vyacheslav Kim, co-founder of Kaspi.kz and sole shareholder of Alatau City Bank, announced the creation of AÑSA HUB, a multi-purpose hub in Alatau City. A $100 million endowment fund will finance its projects, according to a press release from AÑSA Foundation.

The hub plans to work in four areas: education and infrastructure projects in Alatau City and other regions of Kazakhstan, the development and commercialization of science, venture investments, and grant funding for science, art, culture and sports. AÑSA HUB says it will find and select projects itself and will not accept applications from potential recipients.

It plans to involve scientists and universities from Kazakhstan and Central Asia, as well as foreign researchers and investors. "I want Kazakhstan to be known in the world as a smart country that does everything for the development of its talents," Kim said.

Kim is co-founder and one of the largest shareholders of Kaspi.kz, with a 20.75% stake. Forbes Kazakhstan estimates his wealth at $7.8 billion in 2026. Alatau City is a new city created in January 2024 on the site of Zhetigen village in the Almaty region, with a special legal regime and a separate constitutional law.

An endowment fund is a pool of capital that is usually not spent directly. The money is invested and the returns go to projects, which allows long-term funding for education, science, culture and other initiatives.