TAU Students' Project Receives High Praise at International Startup Competition
Students from Turan-Astana University participated in the eighth season of the "Menin Armanym" International Youth Business Project Competition, which brought together undergraduate and graduate students from Kazakhstan and across the region. The competition is aimed at developing innovative entrepreneurship and supporting startups in their early stages.
The university team presented SocialBeef Market, a social model for affordable beef sales designed to address a key urban challenge: the accessibility of high-quality food products for socially vulnerable populations. The project was highly commended for its innovation and social significance, winning the nomination for "Best Social Startup."
The team consisted of 2nd-year Management students: Botan Amir, Daniyarova Rada, Kazbekkyzy Aida, and Kubaeva Aida. The startup’s mentor is Murat Erikuly Bespayev.
The project is based on a cross-subsidization mechanism: profits from the sale of premium meat products are used to reduce the cost of basic products for pensioners, students, and large families. The team proposed a comprehensive solution that includes:
Direct supplies from farms without intermediaries;
Digital transparency and control tools (QR identification, integration with government databases);
Implementation of Zero-Waste production principles;
The use of analytics and demand forecasting for efficient inventory management.
This model not only increases product accessibility but also ensures the financial sustainability and scalability of the project. Commenting on the results, project mentor M.E. Bespayev noted: «Today, we are seeing how student projects are evolving into solutions capable of influencing both the market and society.»
It is fundamentally important that the project was developed within TAU-ResearchLab, a research laboratory established at the university following the results of the Hackathon TAU-InnoBattle. TAU-ResearchLab operates under the Department of Business Administration and is part of the TAU-InnoHub innovation ecosystem. The laboratory serves as a platform where student ideas are transformed into applied research and real business projects.
The creation of the laboratory was the result of an initiative by the students themselves, who proposed its concept during the hackathon. Today, under the leadership of Senior Lecturer M.E. Bespayev, TAU-ResearchLab integrates the educational process, scientific activity, and entrepreneurship, providing students with the opportunity to work on real-world cases and develop their own startups.
Participation in this international competition was a vital milestone for the team, allowing them to test their business model, receive expert feedback, and present their project on an international stage.
Turan-Astana University continues to develop an innovation ecosystem where student initiatives become the foundation for future business projects and technological solutions. It is here that a new generation of specialists is formed—those ready not only to adapt to change but to lead it.