About KG Labs
KG Labs Public Foundation is an independent, Bishkek-based research and advisory organisation working on the responsible development of digital technology, artificial intelligence governance, and digital public infrastructure in Kyrgyzstan and across Central Asia. The Foundation was registered on June 5, 2015 by the Ministry of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic and re-registered on October 10, 2016 in its current institutional form. Our work sits at the intersection of policy research, professional capacity-building, and ecosystem convening — translating regional realities into evidence that supports informed decisions by government, civil society, the private sector, and international partners.
What We Stand For
Three commitments anchor everything KG Labs does. They are not aspirations; they are the standards we apply to our own work and the work we choose to support.
We assess digital systems by what they do to the people they affect, not by the sophistication of their design. Responsible deployment requires accountability frameworks, transparency standards, and human oversight that match the scale at which the technology operates.
Civil society, academia, and the private sector engage best with technology policy when they have the vocabulary, the evidence base, and the institutional standing to do so. Closing the participation gap is a precondition for closing the governance gap.
Central Asia is an under-represented voice in global technology governance conversations to which it belongs. We work from the region, not about it, contributing experience as insiders to international processes that benefit when our perspective is part of them.
How We Work
The Foundation operates across three interconnected functions: producing original evidence through research and country-level assessments; building professional capacity through training, curricula, and institutional support; and contributing to policy through briefs, consultations, and implementation advisory. The Mission page sets out the theory of change in more detail and links each function to current programmes and outputs. Read the Mission →
Where We Focus
Our current programmes are organised across five operational areas, each addressing a distinct dimension of the responsible-technology landscape in Central Asia:
- AI Governance — country-level assessments (GIRAI, CAIDP), policy framework analysis, and convening for civil society on AI policy.
- Digital Public Infrastructure — research and advisory on identity, payments, data exchange, and platform interoperability as public goods.
- Build Skills — professional curricula and training on internet governance, AI policy, and responsible technology practice.
- Conduct Competitions — hackathons and innovation contests connecting startup talent with applied policy and ecosystem challenges.
- Promote Smart Policies — policy briefs, regulatory analysis, and consultation support for legislative and ministerial processes.
Origins and Continuity
The work that became KG Labs grew out of earlier ecosystem-building activity led by the Foundation’s founders before its formal registration. The Foundation was co-founded by Aziz Soltobaev and Emily Youatt, with Emily serving as co-founder through the October 10, 2016 re-registration, after which the Foundation continued under a new institutional configuration. From 2015 to 2021 a Board of Trustees provided governance oversight; that Board concluded its term in June 2021 and a new Board has not yet been appointed. In the current period, the Foundation operates with Aziz Soltobaev as its principal officer and public representative, supported by partner organisations, fellows, and contracted researchers as project work requires.
For the institutional record of the 2015–2021 governance period, see Board of Trustees. For partner organisations and collaborators, see Our Partners.
KG Labs Public Foundation · 64/1 Manas Avenue, Bishkek 720001, Kyrgyz Republic · Registered June 5, 2015 by the Ministry of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic · Re-registered October 10, 2016.