High Tech Academy, Almaty

What High Tech Academy, Almaty does

High Tech Academy (HTA), operating in Almaty, Kazakhstan under legal entity 21st Century School LLP, is a CIS-accredited private international school founded in 2017 by entrepreneur Yerkin Tatishev. It serves preschool through Grade 12 students (roughly ages 4-18) through four integrated product lines: Leikki Preschool (ages 4-6, Finnish-inspired play-based), Primary School (Grades 1-5), Secondary School (Grades 6-9), and a high school (Grades 10-12) that fully transitioned to the Minerva Baccalaureate (MBacc) program in AY 2025-2026. Trilingual instruction is delivered in Kazakh, Russian, and English, with English as the primary language of instruction.

HTA's curriculum fuses Finnish and American educational approaches centered on Project Based Learning (PBL), anchored by two proprietary/partner-exclusive frameworks: the Korda Method instructional framework (licensed from Korda Institute for Teaching, founded by Board Chair Doris Korda) and the Minerva Baccalaureate program (licensed from Minerva Project, delivered on the Minerva Forum online platform). The school operates on a Finnish-architect-designed campus in the Kok-Tobe microdistrict of Almaty, housing elementary, middle, and high school buildings plus the adjacent Budokan Sports & Arts Center, with class sizes capped at 24 students. Supporting technology includes the Toddle parent/student portal and the iSAMS school management system.

HTA's revenue model is tuition-driven and recurring, with annual fees ranging from 5.5M KZT (Preschool PreK) to 13.75M KZT (Grades 10-12 MBacc), plus one-time admission fees (300,000 KZT enrollment + 50,000 KZT interview) and ancillary revenue from Budokan extracurricular activities. Distribution is direct-to-consumer in domestic Kazakhstan only, with admissions funneled through the school's website, WhatsApp, in-person tours, and interactive information sessions. The school is privately held, has no disclosed venture or private equity backing, and is governed by a Board of Trustees with strategic ties to Kusto Group via its founder.

Name

High Tech Academy, Almaty

Legal name

21st Century School LLP

Website

https://en.hta.kz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

High Tech Academy is a CIS-accredited private international school in Almaty, Kazakhstan offering Finnish-inspired project-based education from preschool through Grade 12, including the Minerva Baccalaureate program, to affluent Kazakhstani families seeking internationally benchmarked, trilingual (Kazakh/Russian/English) K-12 education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International K-12 Private Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

Keywords

• International K-12 education
• Project-based learning
• Trilingual school programs
• Private preschool education
• Finnish curriculum school

Headquarters

HQ city

Almaty

HQ country

Kazakhstan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Preschool Tuition: Annual tuition fees for preschool programs (PreK and K groups), including education, school meals and supplies. Payment can be made monthly or in full.
2. Primary School Tuition: Annual tuition fees for Grades 1-5, including education, school meals and supplies. Monthly payment options available.
3. Secondary School Tuition: Annual tuition fees for Grades 6-9, including education, school meals and supplies.
4. Minerva Baccalaureate High School Tuition: Annual tuition fees for Grades 10-12 international program, including education, school meals, and learning supplies. Monthly payment option available.
5. Admission and Interview Fees: One-time fees including interview fee (50,000 KZT) and enrollment fee (300,000 KZT) paid upon admission. Trial day fee for preschool.
6. After-school Activities: Revenue from Sports & Arts Budokan Almaty center offering swimming, taekwondo, dombra, and other extracurricular activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

High Tech Academy is a CIS-accredited international private school in Almaty, Kazakhstan offering a continuous K-12 educational program (preschool through Grade 12) that fuses Finnish and American curricula with Project Based Learning (PBL) and trilingual instruction (English, Russian, Kazakh). The high school is built around the Minerva Baccalaureate (MBacc) program delivered via the Minerva Forum online platform, and graduates earn both an international and a national diploma. The campus also houses the Budokan Almaty Sports & Arts Center for extracurriculars.

Product overview

High Tech Academy (HTA) is a CIS-accredited international private school in Almaty, Kazakhstan offering a comprehensive educational program from preschool through high school. The institution operates a multi-level portfolio consisting of Leikki Preschool (ages 4-6), Primary School (Grades 1-5), Secondary School (Grades 6-9), and the Minerva Baccalaureate high school program (Grades 10-12). The school implements a fusion of Finnish and American curricula with Project Based Learning (PBL) approach, teaching in three languages (Kazakh, Russian, and English). Supporting programs include the HTA Debate Club for competitive debate and the Budokan Almaty Sports & Arts Center for extracurricular activities. The institution is owned and operated by 21st Century School LLP.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• First team from Kazakhstan to win an international debate tournament (Shanghai Speech and Debate Invitational, May 2025)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Korda Institute for TeachingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKorda Institute has provided the foundation of the educational and instructional framework of HTA. Korda continues to train and coach teachers in this science-backed method of teaching while working with leadership team to design curriculum focused on students solving real community-based problems. Led by Doris Korda, Chair of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Education Committee.
• Minerva ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinerva Project developed the Minerva Baccalaureate (MBacc) program offered at HTA high school. The program combines rigorous academics with active, discussion-based learning through the Forum platform. HTA became the official licensed provider of the Minerva Baccalaureate program.
• Council of International Schools (CIS)coreOthersCIS accreditation (achieved July 2022) confirms HTA meets rigorous international quality standards. CIS is a global network uniting 1,500+ schools across 120+ countries. Accreditation recognized by ministries, departments of education, and universities worldwide.
• Budokan Almaty (Sports & Arts Center)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerModern sports and arts center adjacent to HTA campus providing extracurricular activities including swimming pool, gym, sports hall with ASB GlassFloor, climbing wall, fight club, and art center. Children can attend additional classes at Budokan for activities such as swimming, taekwondo, and dombra.
• Youth Talent Foundation (ytf.kz)minorOthersKazakhstan-based youth foundation partnering with HTA for student development initiatives.
• Almaty Management University (AlmaU)minorOthersLocal university partner. Yerkin Tatishev has been a member of the Board of Trustees of Almaty Management University since 2013.
• High Tech HighminorOthersHigh Tech High in San Diego, California serves as an inspirational model and reference school for HTA's project-based learning approach.
• Turan UniversityminorOthersHost venue for Turan International Schools Debating Championship (TISDC-25) held in Almaty, where HTA Eagles won championship title.
• Nord Anglia Shanghai International SchoolminorOthersHost venue for Shanghai Speech and Debate Invitational where HTA Onyx won championship title (May 2025), marking first victory by a Kazakhstani team at an international debate tournament.
• Robert College, TurkeyminorOthersHost venue for Eurasian Schools Debating Championship in Istanbul where HTA teams made their international debut (January 2025).
• Kaspi BankminorOthersMobile banking payment option for tuition fees through Kaspi Bank application.
• Halyk BankminorOthersMobile banking payment option for tuition fees through Halyk Bank application.
• Center Credit BankminorOthersMobile banking payment option for tuition fees through Center Credit Bank application.
• Eurasian BankminorOthersMobile banking payment option for tuition fees through Eurasian Bank application.
• IE F.G. CompanyminorOthersCatering provider for HTA with official permit dated 09.11.2021. Operating since 2008, providing hot meals to major schools in Almaty in compliance with Ministry of Health sanitary regulations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Riverside International School: Private international school in Almaty offering a full K-12 program with English instruction and internationally recognized curricula. Directly comparable in target customer, geography, and value proposition.
• Haileybury Almaty: Premium British international school in Almaty serving affluent Kazakhstani families with K-12 education, English-medium instruction, and international accreditations. Directly comparable in target market, price tier, and product offering.
• Tien Shan International School: International school in Almaty providing English-medium K-12 instruction, targeting the same expatriate and affluent local demographic as HTA, with comparable pricing and curriculum positioning.
• Miras International School: Private international school in Almaty offering K-12 education with trilingual instruction (Kazakh, Russian, English) and an internationally oriented curriculum. Competes for the same affluent families in Almaty seeking premium international education.
• QSI International School of Almaty: Quality Schools International branch in Almaty offering K-12 English-medium education within a global network of accredited international schools. Comparable international-school positioning and curriculum approach.

Regional players

• Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools: Network of elite Kazakhstani schools focused on rigorous, internationally oriented education. Represents the public-sector benchmark for academically selective education in Kazakhstan and a competitive reference point for HTA.
• International School of Astana (ISA): Premium international K-12 school in Astana serving the same Kazakhstan market but in the capital city. Comparable premium-international offering; useful benchmark for geographic-expansion upside for HTA.
• Bilimkana School: Kazakhstani network of private schools with trilingual instruction (Kazakh, Russian, English) targeting affluent local families. Comparable curriculum philosophy and target segment within Kazakhstan.

Broad incumbents

• Nord Anglia Education: Global operator of premium international schools (including in Central Asia) with multi-school network and standardized curricula. Comparable premium international-school positioning, though at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Others

• High Tech High: US-based network of project-based learning (PBL) schools explicitly cited by HTA as an inspirational and reference model. Comparable pedagogical approach (PBL), though operating in a different geography and education market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HighTechAcademyKZ
• Instagraminstagram.com/hta.kz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/high-tech-academy-almaty

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about High Tech Academy, Almaty