Nazarbayev University has built an ecosystem that turns research into real-world impact. Three startups — Arlan Biotech, A.GEAR and Mirai Tech — are proof of that. Each addresses a different challenge in medicine. Their stories show how complex academic work can grow into technologies that save lives and compete on the global stage.
Arlan Biotech: How AI Compressed Drug Discovery from Months to Minutes
Developing a single nanobody — the protein molecule that forms the basis of diagnostic systems and therapeutic drugs — can take a research team four to six months, require specialized clean-room infrastructure, and cost millions of dollars. And even then, there is no guarantee of success.
Arlan Biotech does the same in minutes.
The startup was co-founded by NU graduates: biologist Bolat Sultankulov and engineer Dauken Seitkali. Their generative, physics-aware machine learning model designs nanobody sequences De Novo — from scratch — targeting specific proteins. The technology has applications in oncology, autoimmune diseases, and other complex conditions.
Today, Arlan Biotech is a four-person deep-tech team that has raised $610,000 in investment. The startup has completed three prestigious accelerator programs: Google for Startups, MBRF in Dubai, and StartX at Stanford University.
The team is not simply selling access to an algorithm — it is changing how the market works. With an infrastructure grant from AWS, Arlan Biotech is building its platform as an accessible chatbot for research labs and small biotech companies. The business model combines affordability with IP-share: clients access the platform for $50,000 and can run the model ten times. If a generated molecule becomes the basis for a successful drug, the startup shares in that outcome.
A further catalyst has been a regulatory shift in the United States. Since late 2025, the FDA has fully eliminated mandatory animal trials for antibodies, permitting the use of organoids — lab-grown tissue — instead. This dramatically reduces both the cost and timeline for bringing new drugs to market.
A.GEAR: A Rehabilitation Exoskeleton Built in Kazakhstan
In late 2021, a team at the NU Center of Excellence in Medical Robotics and Research set out to develop a wearable exoskeleton for patients recovering from stroke and musculoskeletal disorders. Four years later, the device completed full state registration in Kazakhstan.
For context: globally, the path from scientific idea to certified medical device typically takes fifteen to twenty years.
“We completed it in just four years — from laboratory research to a certified medical product,” said project leader Prashant Jamwal, professor at NU.
A.GEAR costs several times less than comparable imported systems — a critical advantage for Kazakhstan’s healthcare system. Clinical trials were conducted at medical centers in Astana and Karaganda with stroke survivors and adolescents with cerebral palsy. The device passed both technical and clinical validation and has already drawn interest from rehabilitation centers across the country.
Localization of production is a point of particular pride. Despite being a complex medical device, the team managed to source approximately 90% of all components within Kazakhstan — demonstrating that the country has both the resources and the expertise to develop high-technology medical equipment.
In 2026, production of the first five units will begin at the NU Technopark. The company is simultaneously seeking registration as a domestic manufacturer, a status that will open direct supply channels to state hospitals and rehabilitation centers nationwide.
The team is already developing a next-generation model with stronger materials and expanded capabilities. One important detail: every unit is equipped with a high-performance microcontroller capable of running AI locally — meaning artificial intelligence will be available across all models, including those already produced.
Mirai Tech: 20,000 Data Points in Two Minutes
It started with materials that generate electricity from motion. Researchers noticed that the sensors responded differently depending on how a person walked. That observation grew into a startup now working with professional football clubs across Europe.
Mirai Tech, co-founded by NU Assistant Professor Gulnur Kalimuldina, embeds nanotechnology-based sensors into insoles that track every aspect of an athlete’s movement: how the foot lands, how weight shifts, how load changes during running or jumping. In two minutes, the system collects over 20,000 data points and builds a digital movement profile.
The team is careful about one point: the technology does not predict injuries — it identifies risk indicators. Signs of asymmetry, excessive load, changes in movement patterns. This data is transmitted to coaching staff in real time, while full analytics are delivered after the session so specialists can adjust workloads or focus attention on a specific player.
Pilots with football clubs in Italy and the Netherlands confirmed a gap in the European market between the volume of data being collected and the tools available to interpret it practically. That is the gap Mirai Tech closes. “They very quickly shift the conversation from ‘how technically complex is this’ to ‘what problem does it solve and why would a client pay for it,'” the team says of the key insight from Silicon Valley, where the startup completed the StartX accelerator and presented at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco.
Mirai Tech currently works in the B2B segment with professional clubs. But the technology has broader potential: in the future, the insoles could reach everyday athletes — anyone who wants to train smarter and reduce the risk of overuse injuries.
All three startups traveled the same road: from NU laboratories, through incubation and acceleration programs, to international markets. Their story is evidence that products the world pays attention to can grow from Kazakhstani science.
