Makpal Orakkyzy is from Ust-Kamenogorsk. After graduating from university, she built a strong career as a specialist, working at various IT companies where she focused on development, management, and analytics. It was during her maternity leave that she came up with the idea for her future startup, MacDent. The platform helps dental clinics manage analytics and patient communication—from booking appointments and tracking completed or recommended procedures to sending visit reminders and evaluating the effectiveness of social media advertising.
As part of the joint project by Digital Business and Astana Hub «100 Startup Stories of Central Asia» Makpal shared why she decided to launch a startup specifically for dental clinics, what makes MacDent valuable for practitioners, and how she landed her first sales while the product was still just an idea. We also spoke about how AI can enhance dental treatment, and why a solution developed in Kazakhstan has strong potential on the international market.
«I only had the idea. There was no team, not even a single line of code»
— Makpal can you share about your journey in IT?
— I started out studying Information Systems at D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University, then switched to Computing Technology. I worked in Ust-Kamenogorsk in the IT department of the industrial company KazZinc, where I was programming in C#. Later, I moved into business analysis. Around that time, the company began rolling out ERP systems from the German corporation SAP. I took the necessary courses and got certified to work with their products.
In 2016, I left KazZinc and moved to Astana. I worked as a project manager at a company that was implementing a medical information system at an oncology center. A year later, I went on maternity leave. That’s when the story of my first startup began. I’d never had any experience like that before.
The idea for MacDent came to me during my pregnancy. I was getting dental treatment and noticed that my dentist often forgot which procedures had already been done and where the X-rays were. That’s when I thought of creating a medical information system for clinics — one that would store all patient data for the doctor, as well as financial information to help the clinic’s management. But at that stage, it was just an idea. During the first part of my maternity leave, I was completely focused on my baby.
When my baby was less than a year old, I found out about Astana Hub, which had started organizing various events for startup founders. I decided to apply for the first accelerator program at the hub. At first, I had a concept for a CRM system for the entire medical field. But I was told that such a broad project would be too difficult to manage alone, and I was advised to narrow the niche. That’s how I ended up focusing on a system for dental clinics. With the improved concept, I joined the second round of the Astana Hub accelerator in 2018. Fifteen projects were accepted, but only seven or eight made it to the end of the program.
— At that point, MacDent didn’t exist as a product yet?
— I came in with just an idea. There was no team, not even a single line of code. But within a month, I had a clear picture of the target niche and what the first version should include, such as appointment scheduling and a patient database. Around that time, I also built the MVP myself to show to potential clients. Then I hired a programmer to handle development, which took another four weeks. By the third month, I was already making my first sales.
It was an assignment from our mentors in the program, Askhat Sergazin and Alexander Doroshenko, to make our first sale. I went to a dental clinic called Happy Clinic in Astana and showed the director the MVP version of MacDent. Not everything worked perfectly, but after the presentation he asked, “How much do I need to pay for you to install this?” I came up with a number on the spot, I think it was 15,000 tenge. He handed me the cash right away. The MVP wasn’t even on a server at that point, everything was just stored on my computer.
Within three weeks, I quickly found an outsourced developer named Samat Kapyshev, who soon joined my startup full time. At the beginning, we divided responsibilities in a simple way. He was in charge of the technical side, while I handled everything else, including sales, marketing, the business model, and accounting. Samat is still with us today and now holds the position of CTO.
As a result, we created the first official release of MacDent, and I sold the program to several more clinics. I was upfront with them, saying they had to pay now, but the installation would happen in a couple of weeks. And they agreed. I still don’t know what kind of magic worked back then. If I tried going clinic to clinic like that today, I doubt I’d make as many sales. Maybe the market was wide open at the time, and now things have changed a lot.
— Do any of your first client clinics still use MacDent?
— Yes, and some of them have even grown into multi-branch clinics. It’s really rewarding to see their businesses grow alongside our product.
«We’ve reached the point where we’re growing our own clients»
— What matters most in a CRM system? What are the main things businesses typically look for in these kinds of solutions?
— When we were just getting started, clinics mostly needed a basic set of features. That included automated scheduling, medical records, notifications, and reporting. We were able to implement all of that fairly quickly.
But over time, the market in Kazakhstan started to evolve. Clinics began to grow, and dental chains started popping up, so the scale got much bigger. At the same time, expectations from CRM systems increased. Now they have to cover everything from detailed patient data to full functionality for tracking appointments, marketing efforts, and finances.
For businesses, it’s important to stay on top of everything. That includes marketing research, patient feedback and satisfaction, and the clinic’s financial situation. We designed MacDent with the same approach. It gives clinic owners a clear, complete view of what’s happening inside their practice. It’s a fully integrated CRM and ERP system with features like loyalty cards, legal protection, social media integration, and connections to e-gov and digital signature services.
We’ve reached the point where we’re building our own customer base through webinars, conferences, training courses, and trips to different regions where we present MacDent. We have 14 ambassadors who are respected voices in dentistry. They show through their own experience how technology can benefit a business. In many ways, we’ve helped shape the market and trained the entrepreneurs who are now growing alongside us.
We make money through a subscription model. On average, an annual subscription costs around 500,000 tenge. MacDent’s turnover is about $1 million. Since we started selling early, back when the product was still at the MVP stage, we quickly built up a large client base. Now MacDent is a profitable business.
— How many clients does MacDent have now?
— We currently work with over 1,800 dental clinics in Kazakhstan, mainly in Astana and Almaty. We’re also present in Uzbekistan, where we’ve recently increased our activity, as well as in Kyrgyzstan and Russia. Our main focus, however, remains on Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Our goal is to reach a 25 percent market share in our home market.
We also looked into two potential directions for future expansion: Southeast Asia and the MENA region. Most likely, our next market will be one of these.
— What are the differences and specific features of those markets?
— We’re working on choosing the right strategy for entering those markets. B2B products require significant investment to adapt to local conditions. One option is to integrate with popular CRM systems in the region by offering one of our exclusive features. Another approach is to enter as a full medical information system, but that would require more funding.
For example, in the UAE, each emirate has its own patient database, and all medical data is managed by the government. Every dental clinic is required to connect to the e-gov system, which updates a patient’s medical record within 48 hours of their appointment. If we enter that market, we will definitely start by integrating with an existing CRM system in the country. That way, we can move forward without needing to invest heavily in marketing.
Southeast Asia has its own specifics. The protocols, documentation processes, and even the messaging apps are different from what we’re used to. The market is growing fast, but the region is less familiar to us compared to MENA.
«Helping clinics significantly increase their revenue»
— A quote from the MacDent website: “Eliminate chaos in your clinic and earn 53% more without additional investment.” How do clinics manage to increase their revenue that much with your help?
— The value of MacDent lies in closer, more efficient work with the patient base, which helps boost profits. Once that base is established, clinics can start saving on marketing. They no longer need to spend heavily on attracting new clients because the focus shifts to working with existing ones. Targeted ads and broad advertising become less essential. It’s enough to generate revenue through regular, returning patients.
What sets MacDent apart from competitors is that we enable clinics to work with detailed treatment plans. For example, in Astana, the average check per patient is around 3.5 million tenge. That includes tooth sanitation, X-rays, surgical procedures, hygiene, implants, and more. The problem is that patients don’t always complete their full treatment. They take care of what’s uncomfortable — like cavities and fillings — because those can’t be delayed. But they often skip planned procedures like cleanings, implants, orthodontics, aligners, and other high-cost treatments. Our long-time client clinics require their dentists to create treatment plans for each patient. Then, when there’s a lull in patient flow, they work with the existing database. That includes phone calls, automated messages, and booking follow-up visits for the next steps in treatment. This approach helps clinics increase their revenue. On average, email or SMS campaigns see a conversion rate of around 12–15 percent, while follow-up calls based on treatment plans convert at 20–25 percent.
Any dentist only needs two or three minutes to spot the issues and record them in the patient’s chart using the CRM. I wouldn’t call this “selling” services. In reality, it’s about taking care of a person’s health. It’s the doctor’s responsibility to talk through the treatment plan and make sure the patient comes in on time. If deep cavities aren’t treated now, the problem will only get worse and more expensive later on.
— MacDent focuses on patient loyalty and repeat visits. But what about attracting new clients and expanding the audience?
— We cover that business need as well. Targeted ads, SMM, and influencer marketing all help drive new patient inquiries through different channels. The problem is, without a clear system for tracking incoming requests, clinic staff can easily miss potential patients. Someone might get forgotten, someone else might be half-answered and then interrupted, and just like that, the clinic loses money. MacDent brings all messages into a single window. By the end of the day, staff can clearly see how many calls were missed and which inquiries still haven’t been answered.
After that, we calculate the conversion rate. We look at how many leads turned into appointments, how many patients actually came in, and whether they continued their treatment afterward.
It often happens that a dental clinic spends a lot on advertising but has no clear understanding of which channel works best, where clients drop off, or what to focus on. MacDent shows exactly where a potential patient is getting lost and which marketing method is the most effective for that specific clinic.
«Patient health data can help predict future visits to the dentist»
— These days, using AI for data analysis has become a trend. How are you approaching this at your company?
— We have an AI agent that answers patient questions, introduces them to available services, provides information about doctors, and offers to schedule appointments. This kind of functionality is fairly standard in most CRM systems today.
We’re also developing our own AI features, although it’s too early to announce them officially. The tool will work with phone calls by analyzing speech, guiding doctors and administrators on how to communicate with patients, and generating statistics. For example, it will track whether the patient was warned about potential allergic reactions or side effects. This information will be added to the patient’s medical record, allowing clinic managers to get a more complete view of each case. They’ll be able to see which procedures were completed, which ones the patient scheduled but didn’t show up for, and whether the clinic followed up with an alternative appointment offer.
Patient health data will make it possible to predict future visits to the dentist and help determine the best way and channel to remind them about the need to come in for treatment.
We’ve been working on this AI model for about six months. At first, we tried building it from scratch, but more experienced colleagues advised us that it would take too long and cost too much. Now we’re using existing models and adapting them to fit our needs.
— It seems like MacDent could be adapted for related industries, like beauty salons. Have you considered that?
— We already have some. About 10 to 15 percent of our clients are body centers, massage salons, and cosmetic clinics. These service industries are quite similar, and they all need at least the basic functionality, like appointment booking, reminders, financial tracking, and CRM tools.
But we’re not actively expanding into other niches. It’s really important for us to fully meet all the needs within the field MacDent was built for. Right now, that’s dentistry. And even within dentistry, the scope is broad. It includes orthodontics, surgery, implants, and gnathology, which studies the relationships between the tissues and structures of the jaw system. I see MacDent as a solution built for one industry, but one that’s designed to cover all of its needs.
«It’s my personal fear — being responsible for someone else’s money»
— You mentioned earlier that you managed to make your first sales back when the product was still at the MVP stage, and that you basically built everything on your own. Did you raise any external investment, or have you been developing the project using your own funds?
— So far, we’ve managed without external support. I wouldn’t say we didn’t need investment—there’s always a need for money in business. But it’s my personal fear, being responsible for someone else’s finances. I didn’t want to take funding or increase debt.
I have experience in the IT industry, including development, business analysis, and management. But at the time, I didn’t have any background in investment or finance. Now I have a better understanding of Kazakhstan’s venture market and have built the right connections. If I were launching a startup today, I might be willing to consider that option. But right now, MacDent is a profitable company, and we operate entirely on our own resources.
— What do you see MacDent becoming a year from now?
— We plan to expand our presence in the Uzbek market. Since the beginning of this year, we’ve done a lot of work to enter the country and tested several hypotheses. In a year, we aim to build a solid, systematic sales process there.
As for Kazakhstan, we plan to expand further in the southern regions, including Shymkent, Kyzylorda, and Taldykorgan. We’re going to increase our sales efforts in those areas.
The third point is the launch of the AI feature I mentioned earlier. If everything goes well, it will become a completely new direction for MacDent, separate from our core product.