Askar Bolat is a Kazakh educator and co-founder of Qalan, the mathematics learning platform he developed with programmer Kuanysh Nabiyev. Its approach centres on identifying gaps in a pupil’s understanding and selecting suitable exercises. The product grew from Bolat’s experience as a schoolteacher. (digitalbusiness.kz; informburo.kz)
His story follows a practical teaching problem becoming a business: exercises had to match the learner, children needed a reason to keep practising, and parents had to see enough value to pay.
Who Askar Bolat is
Qalan’s licensing agreement dated 14 May 2024 identifies Bolat Askar and Nabiyev Kuanysh as the platform’s developers and citizens of Kazakhstan. EdCrunch’s speaker profile also identifies Bolat as a co-founder of the mathematics service. (qalan.kz; edcrunch.online)
The Qalan entry in Startup Radar provides a company overview.
Askar Bolat’s education and early work
A 2023 Digital Business interview identifies his university specialisation as mathematical and computer modelling. He began his professional career teaching at a school while also tutoring. The article does not name his university. (digitalbusiness.kz)
Speaking to Informburo, Bolat traced his interest in mathematics to childhood and encouragement from teachers. Later, classroom work prompted him to consider the gaps that accumulate in pupils’ knowledge and make subsequent topics harder to learn. (informburo.kz)
How Qalan began
The founders say the platform launched in autumn 2018. Nabiyev handled development, and early versions were tested with Bolat’s pupils. The initial project evolved as the team searched for a workable learning and payment model. (digitalbusiness.kz)
Bolat explained the core method through diagnosis and repetition: identify the topic a learner has not understood, then return to appropriate exercises. He also described access to explanations and help from a teacher. (informburo.kz)
This helps explain what a family might pay for: regular practice with feedback and a visible route through the material. Bolat himself warned against promises to learn mathematics in a few weeks. (informburo.kz)
Product and international development
Qalan’s published licensing agreement describes independent exercises, mentor-assigned work and automatically generated personalised assignments. (qalan.kz)
Cash rewards for completed assignments are another element. Bolat described them as a way to encourage regular study. (informburo.kz)
In June 2024, the founders reported operations in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia. They described translating exercises and explanatory videos into Uzbek and adapting the product to the local curriculum. (digitalbusiness.kz)
Qalan adapted exercises and explanations to the local school curriculum as it expanded abroad. (digitalbusiness.kz)
Related business models appear in RAEM’s overview of Kazakhstan’s EdTech platforms.
The licensing agreement provides for a user’s legal representative. (qalan.kz)
In this model, the user and buyer may be different people. A child needs understandable exercises and support, while an adult needs reasons to keep paying. This makes both the learning experience and the family’s purchasing decision relevant to the business story.
Revenue and investment
In June 2024, Nabiyev reported approximately KZT2.7 billion in 2023 revenue. The same interview referred to more than 24,000 pupils taking personalised courses. (digitalbusiness.kz)
The founders discussed talks with potential investors; those reports did not disclose an amount for a completed venture round. (digitalbusiness.kz)
The product and its international development are explored in RAEM’s article on Qalan’s mathematics platform.
Stated plans
In June 2024, the team discussed further expansion and research into the Middle East and North Africa. (digitalbusiness.kz)
Timeline
- Before 2018: Work as a mathematics teacher and tutor before launching Qalan. (digitalbusiness.kz)
- 2018: Platform launch, according to the founders’ interview. (digitalbusiness.kz)
- 2023: Interviews about Qalan’s method and development are published. (informburo.kz; digitalbusiness.kz)
- May 2024: A licensing agreement identifies both developers. (qalan.kz)
- June 2024: The founders describe localisation in Uzbekistan and 2023 business results. (digitalbusiness.kz)
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Qalan?
Askar Bolat and Kuanysh Nabiyev. Both are named in the platform’s official licensing agreement. (qalan.kz)
What did Askar Bolat do before Qalan?
He worked as a mathematics teacher and tutor. (digitalbusiness.kz)
Where did Askar Bolat study?
The reviewed interview names mathematical and computer modelling as his specialisation, but does not identify the university. (digitalbusiness.kz)
How much investment has Qalan raised?
The reviewed sources do not confirm the amount of a completed venture round.
