Illustration: AI
Kazakhstani startup CareLink has developed smartwatches to monitor patients in hospitals. Co-founder Olzhas Mukhtarov told The Tech that the team had signed contracts with seven clinics, recorded sales above $25,000 and reached more than 1,000 users.
What happened
CareLink’s patient-monitoring system was also covered in an independent 24KZ report published on 22 October 2026. The broadcaster described a team of 16- and 17-year-olds from Astana developing watches that send patient readings to a computer inside the hospital. Its report supports the description of the project; the sales, clinic and user figures come from Mukhtarov’s interview with The Tech.
According to that interview, CareLink was founded by Olzhas Mukhtarov, Berdali Zhuniskhan and Ramazan Akhmet. At the time, Olzhas and Ramazan were both 17, while Berdali was 16. Olzhas handles the technology, Berdali heads the company and Ramazan runs operations.
Mukhtarov said personal experiences prompted the founders to focus on patient monitoring. After surgery, Berdali was unable to move or call for help. That experience helped inspire the system.
The team spent its first few months building the product without outside funding, Mukhtarov said. Developing and configuring the watches and mini-computer took more than two months. Once the prototype was ready, the team secured its first contract for a pilot deployment.
How the hospital monitoring system works
According to Mukhtarov, the watches transmit data to a mini-computer over an encrypted channel. A server inside the hospital processes the information on the institution’s local network. Medical staff can open a dedicated link to view patient readings on a shared dashboard.
In the separate 24KZ interview, CareLink CEO Zhuniskhan also described the watches sending readings to a local mini-computer. According to the developers quoted by the broadcaster, patient data remains within the medical institution.
The system is designed primarily for inpatient hospitals. Mukhtarov said hospitals buy the devices in bulk and that the team was running several pilots alongside its seven clinic contracts. He said CareLink was funded through sales revenue and the founders’ personal funds, without outside financing.
Where the team plans to expand next
Mukhtarov said CareLink had completed two accelerator programmes, including Go Abroad by Silkroad Innovation Hub. During a trip to San Francisco, the founders spent around two weeks working with investors, engineers and specialists from various industries.
The team initially considered expanding into the US after establishing itself in Kazakhstan, but later shifted its immediate focus to other markets. Mukhtarov named Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan as planned destinations. The team was also considering applying for a patent for its technology.
