Why Kasper was first launched in the Kaspi.kz marketplace
Mikhail Lomtadze explains how the team chooses which problems to solve with AI and makes it easier for customers to find the right products
Kaspi.kz began developing its personalized AI assistant, Kasper, with one specific task in mind: helping customers find the right products among millions of options. Mikhail Lomtadze, CEO and co-founder of Kaspi.kz, spoke about the approach at the Kazakhstan Growth Forum 2026.
«Our technology allows us to do an enormous number of things today. But we don’t think about the technology itself. We think about which problem we can solve and where we can deliver the greatest benefit», — he explained.
The Kaspi.kz marketplace offers more than 20 million products. To make a decision, customers often have to browse product pages, read specifications and compare different options. Kasper allows them to start with a conversation instead: customers explain what they need, and the assistant asks follow-up questions and recommends suitable products.
Lomtadze demonstrated how this works using the example of buying a vacuum cleaner. Kasper asks about the size of the area that needs to be cleaned and the customer’s budget. Customers can also mention that someone in the household has allergies and ask the assistant to compare models with this in mind. If a product description contains an unfamiliar term, such as «HEPA filter», the assistant can explain it in simple terms.
«You don’t need to read through lots of different technical specifications. Kasper can compare them for you», — Lomtadze said.
Customers can also turn to the assistant before choosing a specific product. They simply need to describe what they are looking for — for example, a gift for a child.
According to Lomtadze, technologies and services like these have enormous potential, and it is very important that they are focused first and foremost on delivering value to customers.
«We started developing Kasper with the marketplace, and from there we will use Kasper to help our valued customers with other everyday tasks», — Mikhail Lomtadze said.
