The study was prepared by the analytical agency RISE Research in partnership with Mastercard and Freedom Bank, with the support of the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan and GITEX AI Central Asia & Caucasus. The report is based on more than 30 in-depth interviews with practitioners, an analysis of international benchmarks and business models of over 100 Kazakhstani AI startups, as well as 10 practical AI implementation case studies.