CyborgBase — a startup that provides people with disabilities with high-quality prosthetics

Madi Zhykipov, 36 years old, city — Almaty, CEO and founder of CyborgBase, @cyborgbase

How It All Started

I have been trying to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities for over 10 years. In 2017, my wife’s sister lost her leg due to illness, and we understood what a person without a limb goes through. It is a real trial, and I decided to automate and simplify the process of obtaining prostheses in Kazakhstan. Thus, the idea of creating CyborgBase was born—a platform where a person can find a suitable prosthesis, a prosthetist, a clinic, and financing options. In the future, I plan to expand the platform by adding other advanced devices that enhance the body and quality of life, returning people back to society and the country’s economy.

People have always strived to be healthy and live long. Modern technologies and medicine are making such impressive breakthroughs that the cyborgization of humanity is becoming a reality. Amputees will likely be the first cyborgs, as they are the first to integrate with prostheses and begin to enhance their bodies, in some cases even surpassing healthy people. Therefore, I am already building a cyborg database. CyborgBase — upgrade your body by click!

The Team

I started with Customer Development (CusDev), meeting with everyone who needed prostheses to understand their problems and difficulties after losing a limb. I visited prosthetic centers and deeply studied the prosthetics process, working as an apprentice under one of the best prosthetists in Kazakhstan. I conducted numerous interviews and surveys before deciding to develop a marketplace with crowdfunding. I began assembling a team of developers through freelancing and Telegram. Since there was no technical director, I had to figure things out myself. I even took Java courses at nFactorial to properly develop the startup and received training from Andrei Torbicha and Artem Azevich, which led to my certification. All of this is for the development of CyborgBase. However, some developers, knowing that I am not strong in programming, took advantage of this, delaying development and draining money. This is a big experience for which I paid quite a lot of money. 

In 2023, I spent five months in Silicon Valley, doing CusDev, finding partners and support. Howe Innovation Center included CyborgBase in the global map as the first Disability startup from Central Asia. I also participated and spoke at TechCrunch. 

I assembled the team based on recommendations and attracted HR specialists. Since the topic is complex and niche, many candidates are filtered out in the first few months. I am constantly looking for people for the team. I need bold, fearless individuals who do not quit at the first problem. Those who want to become part of a company that will make its global contribution to the cyborgization of humanity. Fans of cyberpunk and biohacking, write to me, let’s unite.

Target Audience

In the first stage, our clients are amputees and paralyzed people and their family members. Through us, they can receive functioning used prostheses from the USA for free. Also, the language interface — Mouth Pad for people paralyzed below the neck. This device allows connection and, using the tongue, control a computer and mobile phone. A person gets a palatal touchpad, thereby gaining independence from an assistant; they can type, watch videos, order food, and much more. We currently have more than 80 users, 3 partners in America, and 2 prosthesis manufacturing plants in China and India. We are looking for a factory in China that can produce a functional and affordable prosthesis for everyone. 

The cost of a leg prosthesis ranges from $5,000 to $100,000. There are about 100 million people in the world who need prostheses, but 95% of them cannot afford them due to high costs. The global shortage of prosthetists is 80,000 prosthetists; in Central Asia alone, there are only 114 prosthetists for 200,000 amputees. In Kazakhstan, approximately 5,600 people lose limbs annually. The main causes of amputation are diabetes and vascular diseases, 44% are mechanical injuries, and 2% are oncology. According to the WHO, every 30 seconds someone in the world loses a limb, which amounts to 1 million people per year. The demand for prostheses and orthopedic products grows annually by 5.7%, and by 2030, the market will reach $13 billion. The problem is global and needs to be solved systematically. Due to the high cost of new prostheses and components, the market for used prostheses and their parts is actively developing. We are focusing on this market. 

Incubation Programs

I went through accelerations at Astana Hub, Most BI IRA, and AlmaU InnoBoost. In the IRA acceleration, at the Pitch Competition, I won a ticket to the Select US Investment Summit, and in June, I am going back to the US. 

The goal is to partner with an insurance company and a prosthetic center. Currently, I am attracting interns and looking for advisors in the US so that, being local, they can help establish contacts with insurance companies and pave the way to them.

Difficulties

I have many cases, but I will tell you about one. I was probably one of the first to apply for acceleration at StartX, before Doszhan Zhusupov, CEO of Cerebra, became its first resident. To apply to StartX, two recommendations from Stanford graduates and one recommendation from a StartX graduate were required. Since at that time there were no StartX graduates in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, I decided to look for them on the internet. I sent messages to all StartX graduates on LinkedIn, to all startup communities in the Telegram channel, in general, I sent more than 600 messages. At the first CAFV, I met Denis Kalyshkin, managing partner of a venture fund. He was the only one who replied to me, and thanks to the fact that he had a founder, Konstantin Bayandin, who went through acceleration at StartX in his portfolio, he asked him for a recommendation for me. But there was no answer. For the last 30 minutes before the application deadline, I thought that all my efforts were in vain and that it was probably not meant to be. And then, 15 minutes before the submission deadline, I received a letter that I had received a recommendation from Konstantin, and my application was accepted. I will never forget this challenge. It reminds me that communication is of great importance and that you should never give up; you must always squeeze the maximum out of any situation.

At the initial stage, the startup CEO always makes mistakes; without them, there is no growth. The main thing is to learn lessons and not repeat them.

What mistakes should beginner startuppers avoid:

1. Giving a large portion of equity to an investor at the pre-seed stage. If we talk about fatality, this will lead to the fact that the founder, CEO, will lose motivation to develop the startup, and ultimately, the startup will close. 

2. Assembling more than five founders where there is no clear responsibility and KPI. Usually, such startups also fall apart. 

3. Not starting fundraising immediately when the idea comes. Fundraising is a long-term game. 

4. Polishing the product to perfection and not releasing it to users is one of the common mistakes. Ultimately, the product may turn out to be unnecessary. It is better to release the product when it meets the minimum needs of customers and refine it based on feedback. Speed is important.

5. Of course, doing CusDev in the field. Do not invent a problem, but proceed from requests. Conduct proper research into the customer’s pain. Identify the real pain for which the customer is willing to pay.

The main thing is not to be afraid of difficulties. If you love solving problems, then a startup is for you.

Achievements

There are many achievements, but for me, the most important achievements are when, thanks to CyborgBase, we return people to society, and in some cases, save their lives. 13 people have received prostheses, and another 55 are waiting for their turn. There are requests from Eurasian countries; due to geopolitical events in the world, there is a growing demand for used prostheses. We also created a cool social video "Stairs" https://www.instagram.com/stairsshow/, https://stairs-project.kz/. We want to raise this topic and remove the stigma in society about people with special needs.

Plans

We plan to cooperate with American insurance companies and develop the market for used prostheses and assistive devices through the website cyborgbase.com. We will also create a database of prosthetists at x.cyborgbase.com. Our goal is to unite people looking for technological solutions to improve their bodies and quality of life.