EA Group Holding

What EA Group Holding does

EA Group Holding is a Kazakhstan-based private investment holding company founded in 2018 and headquartered in Almaty. It operates an integrated multi-strategy investment platform comprising a Private Equity fund that invests directly in real-economy Kazakh businesses, a Venture Capital arm branded as EA Ventures that backs early-stage technology startups, and a Hedge Fund branded as EA Global Capital that deploys capital across global equities, sovereign bonds, commodities, and derivatives. Combined assets total $210 million across 29 portfolio companies.

The Private Equity fund (approximately $7.6M AUM) holds five wholly-owned operating subsidiaries: Tarlan Payments, a PCI DSS Level 1-certified fintech with API/SDK payment processing, AML/KYC/KYB modules, and GDPR compliance; DataGo, a data analytics consultancy offering ETL, hybrid cloud, and unified data management; QARA Studios, a creative media producer whose films earned awards at the Shanghai International Film Festival and Asia Pacific Screen Awards; FC Semey, Kazakhstan's first private futsal club and 2025 UEFA Futsal Champions League quarterfinalist under Red Bull sponsorship; and Daneker Farm, a high-tech agritech operation supplying PepsiCo with specialized potato varieties for Lay's production. The Venture portfolio comprises 16 startups across AI, Fintech, Healthtech, Blockchain, and SaaS — including PLATMA (AI no-code platform, 10,000+ users), Zepo Intelligence (AI cybersecurity), CrediLinq.Ai, Cerebra, and Cattle Care — collectively capitalized at approximately $100 million with reported 307% ARR growth across the portfolio.

Monetization is multi-channel: capital appreciation through portfolio equity stakes, dividends from operating subsidiaries, and exit proceeds (Alem Research divestiture in 2023 being the first PE realization), supplemented by hedge fund and venture fund management fees and carried interest. In 2025 the firm launched two new vehicles — a €20M EA Ventures Plug and Play EMEA Fund co-created with global innovation platform Plug and Play in Spain, and the EA Global Capital hedge fund with a two-tier strategy (20% Pure Alpha long-short equity derivatives on a 1-3 month horizon; 80% Smart Beta diversified global risk premia). An integrated philanthropic arm — the EA Charity Fund and its Tamyr Platform accelerator — supports social entrepreneurship across Central Asia, distributing grants up to 10M KZT per project (130M KZT total program value) and receiving 549 applications in the first cohort. Operational reach spans Kazakhstan, Spain, the UK, UAE, Cyprus, Portugal, Ukraine, and the United States, supported by offices in Almaty and Palma de Mallorca.

Name

EA Group Holding

Legal name

EA Group Holding

Website

https://eagroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EA Group Holding is a Kazakhstan-based private investment holding company managing $210M across Private Equity, Venture Capital (EA Ventures), and Hedge Fund (EA Global Capital) strategies, with 29 portfolio companies spanning fintech, agriculture, creative media, sports, and enterprise technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Management & Asset Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Other Financial Vehicles (52599), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Asset-Based Lending (ABL) (FSANADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Equity Capital Markets Advisory (Equity Issuance Strategy & Readiness) (FSACAAAI), International/Ex-U.S. Developed Equity (Active) (FSAAAIAE), ESG/Sustainable Investment Advisory (FSAEAAAJ)

Keywords

• Private equity investments
• Venture capital funding
• Hedge fund management
• Portfolio investment management
• Asset management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Almaty

HQ country

Kazakhstan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Private Equity / Direct Investments: Returns generated through equity stakes in portfolio companies (Tarlan Payments, DataGo, QARA Studios, FC Semey, Daneker Farm) in Kazakhstan's real economy. Revenue derived from value appreciation, dividends, and exit proceeds (e.g., Alem Research exit in 2023).
2. Venture Capital: Returns from venture portfolio through equity appreciation and exit events. EA Ventures manages a €20M fund (EA Ventures Plug and Play EMEA Fund) and has invested in 16 startups across AI, Fintech, Healthtech, Blockchain, and SaaS sectors with $100M combined portfolio capitalization.
3. Hedge Fund Management: EA Global Capital hedge fund generates returns through strategic portfolio management in equities, sovereign bonds, inflation-protected securities, commodities, gold, and currencies. Uses a two-tier strategy combining Pure Alpha (20% — long-short equity derivatives, 1-3 month horizon) and Smart Beta (80% — diversified global risk premia).
4. EA Charity Fund (Philanthropy): Corporate charitable foundation supporting social entrepreneurship in education, culture, medicine, and technology across Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Supports via grants (up to 10M KZT per project) and the Tamyr Platform accelerator.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

EA Group Holding is an investment holding company that deploys capital through three core funds: a Private Equity Fund making direct investments in Kazakhstan real-economy companies (fintech, agriculture, creative industries, sports), a Venture Capital fund (EA Ventures) investing in early-stage AI, Fintech, Healthtech, Blockchain, and SaaS startups, and a Hedge Fund (EA Global Capital) managing global equities and derivatives portfolios. The company supplements its investment activities with the EA Charity Fund supporting social entrepreneurship across Central Asia.

Product overview

EA Group Holding is an investment holding company combining three core business areas: Private Equity Fund (direct investments in real economy), Venture Capital (EA Ventures for startup investments), and Hedge Fund (investment management). The company manages $210M in assets across 29 portfolio companies. Private Equity portfolio includes Tarlan Payments (fintech payment systems with PCI DSS certification), DataGo (data analytics), QARA Studios (creative media), Daneker Farm (agriculture), and FC Semey (futsal). Venture portfolio includes 16+ startups across AI, Fintech, Healthtech, Blockchain, and SaaS sectors including Platma (AI no-code platform), Zepo Intelligence (cybersecurity), and various operational technology companies. The Hedge Fund operates with a two-tier strategy combining Pure Alpha and Smart Beta approaches. EA Charity Fund supports social entrepreneurship through Tamyr Platform accelerator.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EA Ventures: Venture capital arm of EA Group focusing on investments in AI, Fintech, Healthtech, Blockchain and SaaS startups
• EA Global Capital
• EA Charity Fund
• Tamyr Platform

Products and services

• Private Equity Fund Direct equity investments in Kazakhstan real-economy companies across fintech, agriculture, creative industries, and sports. Provides capital, operational improvement, and digital transformation support. Portfolio includes Tarlan Payments, DataGo, QARA Studios, FC Semey, and Daneker Farm.
• EA Ventures (Venture Capital Fund) Venture capital fund investing in international and local startups with proven business models in AI, Fintech, Healthtech, Blockchain, and SaaS sectors. Focus on early-stage startups with strong scientific-technological base and global potential. Manages 16 portfolio companies with $100M combined capitalization.
• EA Group Hedge Fund (EA Global Capital) Investment fund for stocks and derivatives with comprehensive legal, operational, and technological infrastructure meeting international standards. Two-tier strategy: Pure Alpha (20%) for short-term market inefficiency exploitation and Smart Beta (80%) for systematic diversified exposure to global risk premia across equities, sovereign bonds, commodities, gold, and currencies.
• EA Ventures Plug and Play EMEA Fund Venture fund with total size of €20M, co-founded with Plug and Play in Spain in 2025. Invests in European startups at early stages. Portfolio includes 5+ startups including Sax AI and Zepo Intelligence. Provides access to Plug and Play's global innovation platform network for deal sourcing and co-investment partnerships.
• EA Charity Fund Corporate philanthropic foundation supporting social entrepreneurship in education, culture, medicine, and technology across Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Provides grants and mentorship through the Tamyr Platform accelerator.
• Tamyr Platform Non-profit accelerator program for social startups in Central Asia. Offers training, mentorship, and grants up to 10 million tenge per project. First Central Asian accelerator for social entrepreneurship, receiving 549 applications for the first cohort.

Quantifiable outcome

• 307% ARR growth across the venture fund portfolio of 16 startups
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability11 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Red BullmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025FC Semey (EA Group portfolio company) entered a one-year partnership with Red Bull in December 2025. Red Bull supports world-class teams including RB Leipzig, RB Salzburg, and Formula 1 projects. This is the first Red Bull sponsorship of futsal in Kazakhstan, demonstrating FC Semey's growing international brand recognition.
• UEFAmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025UEFA Futsal Champions League — FC Semey qualified for the quarterfinals of Europe's premier futsal club competition in December 2025, marking the first time two Kazakh clubs (Semey and Kairat) have reached this stage.
• Plug and PlaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2025Co-founded EA Ventures Plug and Play EMEA Fund in Spain in 2025. Plug and Play is a leading global innovation and acceleration platform. The fund has a total size of €20 million and focuses on early-stage European and international startups. This is a co-development partnership where both parties contribute to fund strategy, deal sourcing, and portfolio support.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Blackstone: Global alternative asset manager combining PE, hedge fund (Blackstone Liquid Credit/Strategic Partners), and growth equity. Comparable as the archetype for the diversified PE/credit/HF holding-company model EA Group is pursuing at much smaller scale.
• Actis: Emerging-markets private equity firm with a multi-decade track record across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Comparable as an institutional emerging-market PE peer with broader geographic diversification than EA Group currently has.
• Bridgewater Associates: Global macro hedge fund operating a multi-strategy framework similar to EA Global Capital's Pure Alpha / Smart Beta construction. Comparable as a structural incumbent in hedge fund strategies that EA Global Capital aspires to compete with at smaller scale.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: Global innovation platform and accelerator that co-founded the EA Ventures EMEA Fund. Operates a much broader startup ecosystem platform and serves as both partner and partial comparator as a global corporate venture/accelerator network.

Direct peers

• Almaz Capital: US-based venture fund focused on technology investments across CIS and emerging Europe. Co-invested with EA Group in PLATMA's pre-seed round and shares a similar thesis on early-stage tech investing from the Kazakhstan/CEE region.
• Tumar Venture Fund: Kazakh venture fund operating in the same domestic market as EA Ventures. Co-investor in PLATMA; competes for Kazakh early-stage deals and is positioning itself in the same Central Asia VC ecosystem.

Regional players

• Astana Hub: Kazakhstan's flagship international technology park and startup ecosystem based in Astana. Comparable as a regional player nurturing early-stage companies and competing for the same founder/limited-partner mindshare in the Kazakh venture ecosystem.

Emerging players

• FJ Labs: Emerging-markets focused VC that invests broadly across geographies and sectors with a portfolio approach. Comparable to EA Ventures in its broad sector mandate and emerging-market thesis.
• Creador: Southeast Asia-focused PE firm backing growth-stage consumer and services businesses. Comparable as a regional growth-PE investor operating in an emerging/frontier market with similar capital scale and sector-broad strategy.

Others

• Kaspi.kz: Kazakhstan's largest fintech super-app and a regionally dominant financial services ecosystem. Not a direct peer in PE/VC management but a benchmark for the scale of investable Kazakh platforms and a frequent reference point for Kazakhstan-focused capital allocators.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ea-group-holding

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EA Group Holding