Insider Weekly has awarded CraneCult the title of Most Innovative EdTech Company, recognizing the educational consultancy’s groundbreaking approach to democratizing access to international higher education through fully funded scholarships.
The Kazakhstan-founded company, led by CEO Azhar Askarbekova, has distinguished itself in the competitive educational technology sector by developing what it calls an “educational mobility strategy” that combines scholarship literacy, academic positioning, and cultural strategy into a systematized, tech-enabled framework.
CraneCult’s innovative model sets it apart from traditional education consultancies by maintaining complete independence from university partnerships and commission-based arrangements. This approach allows the company to provide unbiased guidance focused exclusively on student outcomes rather than financial incentives.
“Most competitors operate on a commission-based model,” Azhar explains. “This means that even when a student has the potential for a full scholarship to a world-class U.S. or UK university, they are often steered toward a fee-based program in another country simply because it secures a financial kickback for the consultant. We were built to reject that model entirely.”
The company’s methodology has demonstrated measurable impact across global markets, enabling over 20,000 students from more than 40 countries to secure over $150 million in fully funded scholarships to elite institutions including Stanford, Yale, Columbia, NYU, UC Berkeley, UChicago, HKUST, and Sciences Po.
The scholarship access platform specifically targets students from underrepresented backgrounds in countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Georgia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Egypt, Colombia, and Indonesia. These students often face what the company identifies as “information poverty” rather than just financial barriers to international education.
Azhar’s personal experience shaped the company’s mission. Raised in Oskemen, Kazakhstan, she navigated the scholarship application process without connections or guidance, ultimately securing full scholarships to multiple top U.S. universities. This experience led her to question why other talented students lacked access to the same opportunities.
The company’s services focus on three core areas: identifying and securing fully funded scholarships to top-tier institutions, providing personalized application strategies and interview training tailored to underrepresented students’ cultural contexts, and emphasizing long-term fit and potential over short-term placement metrics.
Industry recognition has followed CraneCult’s innovative approach. Azhar has presented her scholarship access strategies at major educational conferences including EducationUSA Central Asia Forum, and British Council’s Equity & Access Roundtable.
Additionally, she serves in advisory roles including judging of several initiative platforms and programs of the FLEX Alumni Impact Grants Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State judge and mentor for the Qazaqstan Business Council in Dubai.
As a respected member and chairwoman within the Association of Businesswomen of Kazakhstan, Azar plays a vital role in reviewing applications from prospective members, assessing their professional achievements, business potential, and commitment to empowering women. Her recommendations help shape the final decisions made by the founding leadership of the organization — decisions that impact national-level business representation and mentorship.
Furthermore, for two consecutive years, she served as a panel judge for the association’s prestigious Women-Founded Tech Startups Initiative, where she evaluated startup pitches, investment decks, and business models submitted by female entrepreneurs. Azar assessed their scalability, innovation, social impact, and team strength. Based on these evaluations, she prepared recommendation letters and evaluation summaries that informed final scholarship and funding decisions by the board.
Azar was honored to serve as a Strategic Mentor and Evaluator of Qazaqstan Business Council in Dubai for three incubator programs organized by the Qazaqstan Business Council in Dubai, where she provided guidance and formal evaluations for early-stage startup founders. Her core responsibility was to assess the participants’ MVP (Minimum Viable Product) development, market validation strategies, and go-to-market readiness. I provided structured feedback that shaped funding outcomes and helped founders pivot or refine their business direction — a responsibility that required not only judgment, but real-world experience in launching and scaling successful ventures, In addition to this, for over five years, Azar has served as the Internal Scholarship Judge for CraneCult Innovation Fund for Girls.
An official from the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan stated: “Azhar Askarbekova’s approach is transformative. Her organization is not just increasing access—it’s rewriting the rules of who gets to succeed globally.”
A representative from the Global Education Futures Initiative added: “What Azhar has built is one of the most effective scholarship navigation systems we’ve seen. Her impact is already measurable at scale, and the potential is massive.”
The award recognizes CraneCult’s technology-driven approach to addressing systemic barriers in international education access. According to UNESCO data, only 2.6% of students from low-income countries access international higher education, compared to over 15% from high-income nations, despite research indicating that over $100 million in scholarship funds from international universities go unclaimed annually.
“My work sits at the intersection of equity, strategy, and long-term mobility,” Azhar states. “We’re not just helping students get in — we’re changing their trajectory, from high school to global citizenship.”
The company has expanded its impact through the CraneCult Innovation Fund for Girls, which provides grants to support girls in technology and leadership from developing countries. Askarbekova also serves as a board advisor to the Education for All Alliance, an international nonprofit promoting scholarship access for marginalized communities.
By codifying proven methodologies into a scalable digital platform, CraneCult’s innovative framework aims to expand its reach from hundreds to tens of thousands of students, providing systematic solutions to address information gaps that prevent talented students from accessing international educational opportunities.
The Most Innovative EdTech Company award acknowledges CraneCult’s success in creating a sustainable alternative to commission-based educational consulting while demonstrating measurable outcomes in scholarship placement and student empowerment across diverse international markets.