In the Kyrgyz Republic, a land known for yurts, epic mountain ranges and nomadic traditions, a wave of tech-savvy entrepreneurs is redefining the country’s economic future.

Initiatives by the Ministry of Digital Development and UNDP have increased digital literacy. International programmes such as Accelerate Prosperity and PEAK Business Innovation Centers are supporting companies across the country – contributing to its recent nine percent annual economic growth (2022–2024, IMF).

Women-led fashion brands are blending “intellectual casual” design with traditional identity, using online platforms to reach international markets.

Also leading this shift are start-ups like AddSign, the first in the Kyrgyz Republic to allow people to sign documents digitally, and fintech companies such as Mancho Devs and Smartbiz, which provide business intelligence and financial solutions to clients across banking, retail and health care.

As iHub’s founder Azim Abdrakhmanov puts it: “We are creating products for our generation. We have money – not as much as Singaporeans or Americans, but we still want to buy nice things. We’re the future and banks need to adapt to us.”

This photo gallery reveals the Kyrgyz Republic not as a snow-capped periphery, but as a bustling scene of innovation, identity and quiet transformation.

Finbarr O'Reilly is a Welsh‑born Irish‑Canadian author and photographer, and a regular contributor to The New York Times. He has documented conflict zones worldwide, won the 2019 World Press Photo Portraits prize and the 2006 World Press Photo of the Year, and co‑authored the memoir Shooting Ghosts (2017).

All images © AKDN / Finbarr O’Reilly