Mirai Tech — a startup transforming rehabilitation in medicine and sports

Gulnur Kalimuldina, Astana, Assistant Professor at Nazarbayev University, Instagram, LinkedIn

How it all began

I am a scientist specializing in the development of innovative technologies in rehabilitation and diagnostics, as well as an Assistant Professor at the School of Engineering and Digital Sciences at Nazarbayev University. I am also a co-founder of the startup Mirai Tech, which focuses on creating high-tech solutions for healthcare.

For many years, I have been working on the development of innovative materials and nanomaterials, including self-charging sensors. Two years ago, our team recognized the immense potential of these technologies for medical applications, which became the starting point for Mirai Tech. We aim to address one of Kazakhstan’s key challenges — the lack of accessible and effective solutions for diagnostics and rehabilitation.

Our mission is to combine cutting-edge scientific advancements and technologies to create products that not only improve the quality of healthcare but also make it accessible to a wider audience. We believe that the integration of science, technology, and medicine can transform lives for the better, and this belief inspires me and my team to keep moving forward.

Team

I founded Mirai Tech together with Dr. Azamat Yeshmukhametov. Both of us completed our doctoral research in Japan, which allowed us to combine deep scientific expertise and attract like-minded individuals from our laboratories to create an innovative product. This is also reflected in the name of our startup — Mirai, which means "future" in Japanese.

Our team brings together highly qualified researchers in nano- and micromaterials, as well as specialists in robotics, artificial intelligence, and rehabilitation. From the very beginning, we worked with minimal resources, focusing on developing an MVP — biomechanical sensor insoles called Mirai Gait.

Over time, we expanded the team and established strong partnerships, which helped strengthen our scientific and technical foundation. Today, Mirai Tech is a startup that successfully combines science and technology to create solutions capable of transforming the approach to rehabilitation and medicine.

Target Audience  

Our startup aims to revolutionize rehabilitation in medical and sports clinics. We offer innovative solutions that help patients restore natural gait, correct movement patterns, and accurately track treatment progress, while also reducing the cost of accessing advanced technologies.

We are already collaborating with leading rehabilitation clinics to develop products that not only incorporate the latest scientific and technological advancements but also deliver tangible results for patients. Our solutions promote the restoration of motor coordination, improvement of balance, and the return to an active and fulfilling life.

Acceleration Programs  

Mirai Tech is actively participating in the NURIS incubation program at Nazarbayev University, which helps us accelerate development and refine our business model. We are proud to have taken first place at Founders Weekend, earning us an invitation to TechCrunch Disrupt — one of the world’s largest technology and startup events. Additionally, we presented our startup at the first conference organized by the Silkroad Innovation Hub Central Eurasia @ Silicon Valley, marking a significant milestone in our development.

Challenges

Like any DeepTech startup, Mirai Tech faced several challenges in its early stages, which became important lessons for our team. One of the key tasks was creating a product that not only showcased advanced technology but also met market demand. This required a deep understanding of user needs and significant effort in testing and data collection to optimize the solution.

Another challenge was finding and attracting specialists with expertise in niche areas such as medical sensors, machine learning, and rehabilitation technologies. We successfully built our team through a combination of internal talent and external collaboration.

Regarding work with clinics, we have already begun collaborating with partners open to innovation. Testing our product in these clinics not only confirms its potential but also provides valuable feedback for further refinement based on real-world conditions.

Achievements

We are proud of the significant progress we have made in the early stages of development:

— developed prototypes of intelligent biomechanical insoles using sensors, which have begun initial testing. This allows us to gather valuable feedback and improve our product

— established partnerships with leading rehabilitation clinics, enabling us to test the product in real-world conditions and address the needs of end-users

— focused on product improvement, scaling development, and preparing for the next stage — market entry.

Plans

By the end of the year and in the near future, we aim to achieve ambitious goals that will accelerate our startup’s growth and strengthen its market position:

1. Completion of the NURIS ABC Incubation Program: The program will provide a solid foundation for launching pilot projects and optimizing our market entry strategy. The strategic insights and tools gained during incubation will help us create a sustainable and scalable business model.
2. Pilot Product Implementation: After finalizing testing of our intelligent biomechanical insoles, we aim to deploy them in 10 rehabilitation centers in Kazakhstan. This will be the first step toward building a broad partner network and establishing a reputation as a reliable technological solution.
3. Scaling and International Expansion: In 2025, we plan to expand beyond Kazakhstan by initiating discussions with clinics in Central Asia and the United States. Simultaneously, we will participate in international accelerator programs to prepare for global market entry.
4. Building a Product Ecosystem: We envision Mirai Tech as a platform offering not only sensor insoles but also other rehabilitation solutions, including wearable devices, AI algorithms for diagnostics, and comprehensive patient monitoring systems.

Our goal is to become a leader in rehabilitation technologies, providing accessible and effective solutions to improve the quality of life for patients worldwide.