Sanzhar Myrzagalym is a Kazakh entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Rette, the medical AI team that also develops Defect AI. In October 2026, Rette (Defect AI) received the Startup of the Year award at AI & Digital Bridge. Its products help medical practices review documentation and manage payment-related workflows. (rette.ai; kt.kz)
His route into healthcare includes Microsoft, graduate study at Stanford and earlier engineering projects. It combines experience with corporate technology and the practical work of turning ideas into prototypes. (rette.ai; almaty.tv)
Who Sanzhar Myrzagalym is
Rette’s official team page identifies Myrzagalym as CEO and co-founder. His fellow founders are Kuanysh Idrissov, chief product officer, and Zharaskhan Aman, chief technology officer. The company currently describes its target customers as US orthopedic practices. (rette.ai)
The two brands serve different markets. Defect AI reviews records against Kazakhstan’s requirements; Rette addresses documentation, coding and payer-related processes in the United States. Defect AI’s website explicitly describes them as products developed by the same team. (defect.kz)
The Defect AI entry in RAEM’s Startup Radar provides a company overview.
Sanzhar Myrzagalym’s education and early projects
In a September 2026 interview, Myrzagalym described completing a Computer Science bachelor’s degree at the Kazakh-British Technical University and a master’s degree at Stanford. He and Idrissov have known each other since their undergraduate years. (digitalbusiness.kz)
His earlier public record includes EcoSocket. Almaty TV reported that he and fellow students began developing the electricity-saving socket in 2014. A later initiative involved creating a workspace for inventors. (almaty.tv)
In an interview with the organisers of the Build Your Business competition, Myrzagalym described Sheberkhana as a place where people could develop prototypes with equipment and help from the team. One example was a Braille reading device. The project gave him experience organising an environment in which other inventors could test their ideas. (do-business.kz)
Contemporary reporting also documents his Microsoft career. Informburo described his recruitment through MACH, Microsoft’s programme for recent graduates. Myrzagalym recalled interviews and a group exercise that required candidates to work together. (informburo.kz)
Rette summarises his Microsoft background as nine years building AI solutions. The PROFIT Retail Day 2017 programme listed him as a technology solutions specialist; in 2018 he delivered Power BI training for interns at Kazakhstan’s Samruk-Kazyna group. (rette.ai; profitday.kz; sk.kz)
How Defect AI and Rette developed
In an interview with Kapital, co-founder Kuanysh Idrissov connected the choice of healthcare to doctors’ workloads and complicated administrative processes. The team brought experience with medical products and considered the US a next step after Kazakhstan. (kapital.kz)
The problem sits between delivering care and receiving payment. Missing information or documentation that does not meet a payer’s requirements can leave a practice clarifying its records and substantiating work already performed. This is the process Rette describes in its product proposition. (rette.ai)
Defect AI describes its document checks as advisory, with the final decision remaining with physicians and the practice’s experts. (defect.kz)
RAEM has also examined this market in its overview of three projects for patients and clinics.
Rette’s product and documented milestones
Rette’s current website focuses on orthopedic practices. It describes documentation integrity, coding, prior authorisation and appeals against payment denials. (rette.ai)
In their September interview, the founders said approximately 30 clinics used the Kazakhstan product. (digitalbusiness.kz)
Rette separately announced its acceptance into StartX in March 2026. (rette.ai)
On 3 October, the company won Startup of the Year at the AI & Digital Bridge Awards. Kazakhstan Today identified the winner as Rette (Defect AI). (kt.kz)
Funding and business model
In September 2026, the team reported initial financing in late 2025 from 500 Eurasia, JAS Ventures and Astana Hub Ventures. The interview did not disclose the amount. At the time, the team also described a US pre-seed fundraising process as open. (digitalbusiness.kz)
Idrissov described subscriptions in Kazakhstan and a share of the money US clinics received with the platform’s help. (kapital.kz)
Other competition results appear in RAEM’s AI & Digital Bridge 2026 recap.
Stated plans
In September, the founders described converting American pilots into commercial contracts as a goal. (digitalbusiness.kz)
Rette’s official mission is to reduce administrative friction in healthcare. Its practical results will need to be assessed at practice level through time spent, documentation quality and payments received. (rette.ai)
This trajectory shows the changing application of his technical experience, from devices and engineering prototypes to software tools for organisations with complex workflows.
Timeline
- 2014: Work begins on EcoSocket. (almaty.tv)
- 2017–2018: Public presentations and training as a Microsoft specialist. (profitday.kz; sk.kz)
- Late 2025: Initial financing subsequently described by the founders. (digitalbusiness.kz)
- March 2026: Rette announces acceptance into StartX. (rette.ai)
- October 2026: Startup of the Year award. (kt.kz)
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Rette and Defect AI?
The founding team includes Sanzhar Myrzagalym, Kuanysh Idrissov and Zharaskhan Aman. Myrzagalym is CEO. (rette.ai)
Where did Sanzhar Myrzagalym study?
He reported a bachelor’s degree from KBTU and a master’s degree from Stanford. (digitalbusiness.kz)
How much funding has Defect AI raised?
The reviewed interview names its initial investors but does not disclose the amount. (digitalbusiness.kz)
