BILIM-INNOVATION International Social Foundation

What BILIM-INNOVATION International Social Foundation does

BILIM-INNOVATION International Social Foundation is a Kazakh nonprofit organization operating one of the largest selective secondary education networks in Central Asia. Founded in 1994 (with firmographic data referencing 2016 in some records) and headquartered in Astana at 11/2 Koshkarbayev str., the foundation runs 35 specialized lyceums across Kazakhstan's five regions (Western, Eastern, Southern, Central, Northern), supplemented by 10 private schools, the Zhambyl Innovation Higher College in Taraz, the Nurorda School-Lyceum (Astana, opened 2007), the new Nurorda Almaty branch (opened September 2024), and Spectrum International School. Admission is selective and centralized through competitive entrance examinations administered at bilemtihan.kz, with instruction delivered in Kazakh, Russian, English, and Turkish. Graduate outcomes from the 2024-2025 cohort include 1,221 state scholarship awardees, 179 students admitted to Nazarbayev University, and 205 students admitted to QS Top-100 universities.

The foundation's technology-enabled offerings include two proprietary digital products. Qundylyq Academy is a web and mobile platform (launched August 2023, available on Google Play and App Store) delivering professional development courses for school leaders, teachers, and educators across topics including digital literacy, pedagogical ethics, bullying prevention, career guidance, and parent engagement; completion yields certificates. Kitapp is a mobile reading application (also launched August 2023) supporting active reading skills within the foundation's value-based education framework and 'Reading School' project, with features for electronic library access, progress tracking, and teacher/administrator reporting. Olympiad preparation is a flagship competency, exemplified by 60 medals (10 gold, 17 silver, 33 bronze) at the XXI International Zhautykov Olympiad in Mathematics, Physics, and Informatics.

The foundation's revenue model is hybrid: tuition and fees from 10 private schools plus the college, alongside state funding for the 32+ public/state lyceums, with supplementary professional services revenue through Qundylyq Academy course delivery. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is anchored by the lyceum network across all five Kazakh regions, with international expansion underway via 2026 memoranda of cooperation with Kent State University (offering 50% tuition discounts and 5 student nominations covering AI initiatives, research, and internships) and Zhejiang University's International School of Medicine (educational grants, summer internships, and study grants). The foundation also maintains brand-displayed partnerships with MIT, Microsoft, Cisco, KAIST, Yale Young Africa Scholars, Apple, UNESCO, and the Ministry of Education of Kazakhstan, and pursues CIS international accreditation for Nurorda School-Lyceum.

Name

BILIM-INNOVATION International Social Foundation

Legal name

"Bilim-Innovation" International Public Fund

Website

https://bil.edu.kz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

BILIM-INNOVATION is a Kazakh nonprofit operating 35+ selective lyceums, 10 private schools, and a college across Kazakhstan, delivering multilingual K-12 and tertiary education via competitive admissions, plus the Qundylyq Academy and Kitapp digital learning platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Secondary Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Under-18 / High School-to-University Foundation Pathways (EDAIAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

STEM/Business/Discipline-Specific Foundation Pathways (EDAIAJAH)

Keywords

• K-12 education services
• Secondary education network
• Teacher professional development
• Olympiad training programs
• Multilingual education

Headquarters

HQ city

Astana

HQ country

Kazakhstan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Educational Services (Tuition/Fees): Revenue generated from educational services at private schools and lyceums operated under the foundation's network. The foundation operates 10 private schools and 32+ public/state lyceums, with selective admissions through competitive exams.
2. Professional Development Services: Revenue and support generated through professional training programs for educators, including Qundylyq Academy courses that provide certificates upon completion.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BILIM-INNOVATION International Social Foundation operates a network of 35+ selective secondary lyceums, 10 private schools, 1 innovation college, and an international school across Kazakhstan. It delivers multilingual instruction (Kazakh, Russian, English, Turkish) with emphasis on academic excellence, olympiad preparation, value-based character education, and university placement support for K-12 students. The foundation also provides professional development courses for educators via the Qundylyq Academy digital platform and the Kitapp mobile reading application for students.

Product overview

BILIM-INNOVATION International Social Foundation operates a network of 35+ Bilim-Innovation lyceums, 10 private schools, 1 innovation college, and a university across Kazakhstan. The foundation's technology-enabled educational services include Qundylyq Academy — a digital platform and mobile app for the professional development of educators, and Kitapp — a mobile reading application supporting active reading skills. The foundation also delivers value-based education programs through its own authored courses and organizes international olympiads and competitions for students. The overall offering is a multi-institution educational ecosystem supported by digital tools for teacher training and student learning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bilim-Innovation Lyceum Network A network of 35 specialized selective secondary lyceums across five regions of Kazakhstan (Western, Eastern, Southern, Central, Northern), providing multilingual instruction and preparing students for olympiads and top university admissions.
• Zhambyl Innovation Higher College The highest-ranked vocational college in Kazakhstan offering English-language programs in Software Engineering and Accounting and Auditing, located in Taraz.
• Nurorda School-Lyceum (Astana and Almaty) Private international-standard school-lyceum providing international education in Astana (since 2007) with a new branch in Almaty (opened September 2024).
• Qundylyq Academy A digital platform providing professional development courses for school leaders, teachers, and educators covering digital literacy, pedagogical ethics, working with difficult children, bullying prevention, career guidance, time management, and parent engagement.
• KitApp Mobile Application A mobile reading application enabling students to read electronic literary works, track reading progress, take notes, and discuss books. Teachers and school administration can generate and export class or school reports.

Quantifiable outcome

• 179 students accepted to Nazarbayev University from 2024-2025 graduating class
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kent State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Kent State University, a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, USA, with campuses in over 10 countries offering 300+ bachelor, master, and doctoral programs. The memorandum includes a 50% tuition discount and 5 nominations for Bilim-Innovation lyceum students. Areas of cooperation include teacher professional development, research projects, AI initiatives, and internships.
• International School of Medicine, Zhejiang UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026International School of Medicine at Zhejiang University, ranked 3rd in China. Memorandum provides educational grants, summer internships, and participation in scientific research projects for Bilim-Innovation students. Study grants specifically allocated for Bilim-Innovation lyceum graduates.
• MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology and educational partnership. MIT logo displayed as part of foundation's partner ecosystem.
• KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership. KAIST logo displayed as part of foundation's partner ecosystem.
• Yale Young Africa Scholars ProgrammeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScholarship and academic preparation program partnership for African students.
• SEG (Schools of Excellence in Governance)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational excellence partnership.
• UNESCOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational educational organization partnership under the UN system.
• Council of International Schools (CIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational accreditation partnership. CIS conducted the final evaluation visit for Nurorda School-Lyceum from May 11-17, 2024 as part of the school's accreditation process. The school achieved CIS Membership in 2020 and Candidate for Accreditation status in 2021.
• Ministry of Education of KazakhstancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership for educational initiatives. Ministry logo displayed as part of foundation's partner ecosystem. Foundation jointly organizes olympiads with Ministry support.
• Daryn Republican Scientific and Practical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for gifted student development and olympiad organization. Jointly organizes the Zharkyn Bolashak Kazakh language olympiad and other competitions with the Ministry of Education.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• EF Education First: Global education company offering language training, academic programs, and cultural exchanges. Comparable broad-based educational services portfolio with international footprint and multilingual instruction emphasis.
• Cognita: Global private schools group operating premium K-12 institutions across multiple continents. Comparable international school operator model with shared focus on quality educational outcomes and selective admissions.
• GEMS Education: Global K-12 private school operator with presence across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Comparable premium international school network model and global brand, though operates at much larger scale and for-profit.
• Nord Anglia Education: World's largest premium international schools group operating in multiple countries including China. Comparable premium K-12 international school operating model, though at much broader geographic and corporate scale.

Emerging players

• Coursera: Global online learning platform partnering with universities and organizations to deliver courses. Comparable digital education distribution layer, though Coursera operates at vastly larger scale and is US-listed for-profit.

Direct peers

• Tien Shan International School: International school in Almaty serving the same affluent Kazakhstani families with English-language IB curriculum. Direct competitor for premium international school slots in the country's largest urban market.
• Miras International School: Private international K-12 school network in Kazakhstan (Astana, Almaty, Shymkent) competing for the same affluent urban families seeking premium international education, including multilingual IB-track offerings.
• Quality Schools International (QSI): Global network of non-profit private international schools operating in Kazakhstan and other countries. Comparable operating model as a non-profit selective international school network targeting expat and affluent local families.
• Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools: State network of selective secondary schools for gifted students across Kazakhstan. Closest direct comparator given similar selective admissions, olympiad focus, and Kazakh-language instruction model serving the same talent pipeline.
• Haileybury Astana: Premium private international school in Astana affiliated with Haileybury UK. Competes directly with Nurorda School-Lyceum for affluent Astana families seeking British-track international education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=emx_Tw-TGUM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bilim-innovation-international-social-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about BILIM-INNOVATION International Social Foundation