Kazakhstan's KMF Bank has begun searching for an international investor that could eventually take a stake in the financial institution. Negotiations are already underway with several international institutional investors and strategic partners from the financial sector, according to the bank's CEO Shalkar Zhusupov in an interview with Forbes Kazakhstan, as reported by infohub.kz.

Currently, the majority shareholder of KMF Bank is the non-profit fund "KMF-Demeu," which holds 60.4% of the bank's shares. The fund was established with the support of the American organization ACDI/VOCA and has accompanied KMF's development for many years.

According to Zhusupov, the bank has already established itself as an independent financial institution, so "KMF-Demeu" is preparing to gradually transition from majority to minority shareholder status.

However, the bank's head did not name a specific potential investor, only mentioning negotiations with a number of international institutional investors and strategic partners.

"It is fundamentally important for us to find a partner who shares our focus on developing micro and small businesses, supporting women entrepreneurs, regions, and financial inclusion. Such an investor will not only diversify the shareholder structure but also bring international expertise, best practices, and additional opportunities for the bank's further development," he said.

KMF Bank already cooperates with a number of international financial organizations and development institutions, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IFC, Proparco, the Austrian Development Bank, SIFEM, and JICA. The bank has also established partnerships with the Turkic Investment Fund.

It is worth recalling that on August 12, 2025, KMF received a banking license. Prior to that, it was a microfinance organization. According to the National Bank, before the conversion, it ranked first among MFIs in terms of assets. Among banks, the financial organization ranked 18th out of 23.

The founder of "KMF-Demeu" is ACDI/VOCA, a non-profit organization registered in the USA.