Who Shapes the Narrative: Kazakhstan’s Most Media-Influential Startup Leaders in Central Asia
- Oct 28
- 2 min read
ITCOMMS Media Study Covers 350+ Publications Across Central Asia
ITCOMMS PR agency has released a ranking of Kazakhstan’s most media-influential startup leaders across Central Asia.
Topping the list is Magzhan Madiev, CEO of Astana Hub, with over 40 media mentions across regional outlets over the past year. The top three also include venture investor Murat Abdrakhmanov and Grand Mobile founder Roman Linetyev.
The study analyzed both the frequency and quality of media mentions of entrepreneurs in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan from August 2024 to August 2025, as well as their presence and engagement on professional social networks like LinkedIn and Instagram.
The Top-10 features founders and CEOs of leading startups such as 1Fit, Investbanq, CodiPlay, and TrustMe, highlighting the strong link between media activity and business success in the regional market.
Top-10 Media Influence Leaders in Central Asian Startups
Magzhan Madiev, CEO of Astana Hub
Murat Abdrakhmanov, venture investor
Roman Linetyev, founder of Grand Mobile
Murat Alikhanov, founder & CEO of 1Fit
Olzhas Zhienkul, co-founder of Investbanq
Ilyas Isataev, founder of Invictus and Hero’s Journey
Zhanadil Taldybaev, founder of CodiPlay
Chingiz Dauletbaev, founder & CEO of TrustMe
Alibek Dostiyarov / Ersultan Sapar, founders of Perceptis
Beibut Zhanturin, founder of ProsperPay
The ranking considers how often and where entrepreneurs appeared in the media agenda, along with their influence in professional digital ecosystems
“This ranking reflects the growing maturity of Central Asia’s startup ecosystem. The leaders on this list work strategically with media, and that directly correlates with their business outcomes. Importantly, there are no random names in the Top-10—each of them is a genuine driver of innovation in the region,”— said Alexander Likhtman, Founder and CEO of ITCOMMS.
Individual Highlights
Magzhan Madiev (Astana Hub) — consistent presence across top regional media and strong social support; over 40 mentions this year. Common topics: ecosystem, accelerator.
Murat Abdrakhmanov — high-quality Tier-1/2 mentions, strong investor and mentor positioning; 15+ mentions. Topics: investment, ecosystem.
Roman Linetyev (Grand Mobile) — media-driven visibility with premium coverage; 23+ mentions. Topics: founder, developer, startup.
Murat Alikhanov (1Fit) — moderate volume, strong quality and SMM amplification; 10+ mentions. Topics: CEO, strategy, international presence.
Olzhas Zhienkul (Investbanq) — balanced between media visibility and digital capital; 10+ mentions. Topics: founder, investor.
Ilyas Isataev (Hero’s Journey) — rising media profile, boosted by social engagement; 10+ mentions. Topics: founder, scaling, investments.
Zhanadil Taldybaev (CodiPlay) — stable media presence with balanced quality; 10+ mentions. Topics: founder, edtech innovation.
Chingiz Dauletbaev (TrustMe) — newcomer to the Top-10 thanks to niche media coverage and active SMM; up to 10 mentions. Topics: startup ecosystem.
Alibek Dostiyarov / Ersultan Sapar (Perceptis) — precise targeting of high-quality media; up to 10 mentions. Topics: developers, ecosystem.
Beibut Zhanturin (ProsperPay) — strong editorial features with growth potential in reach; up to 10 mentions. Topics: fintech, ecosystem.
Methodology
The analysis covered Russian-language media mentions in Central Asian outlets from August 1, 2024 to August 1, 2025 across three countries.
Each media source was assigned a Tier weighting (3/2/1), with only the Top-5 mentions per individual considered.
Social media influence was evaluated based on LinkedIn and Instagram follower data.
A full description of the methodology is available upon request.
