Back in the early 2000s, few outside Nepal would have associated this landlocked country- known for its trekking trails, temples, and tenacity- with cutting-edge healthcare technology. Fast forward two decades, and it has become one of the world’s most promising centers for global health tech development.
Today, global healthcare technology giants like Cotivity, Cedar Gate Technologies, and Leapfrog Technology operate large technical and product development teams out of Nepal that contribute directly to core global healthcare platforms. Alongside them, homegrown players such as TechKraft Inc. are building digital solutions that touch millions of lives globally- from predictive modeling for population health to cybersecurity frameworks for electronic medical records.
How did a small South Asian country- with no legacy in tech exports- become a trusted engine behind global digital health infrastructure?
Nepal’s Strategic Advantage in The Global Healthcare Value Chain
Nepal’s emergence as a tech hub is rooted in its growing pool of adaptable, English-fluent engineers and its unusually favorable cost-performance ratio. Each year, more than 15,000 IT and engineering graduates enter the market from institutions like Kathmandu University, Tribhuwan University, and The Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk Campus.
While these universities may not yet feature in global rankings, their alumni are known for their technical rigor, cross-functional adaptability, and global communication skills. And with labor and operational costs 30–75% lower than those in Western or even many South Asian markets, it’s no surprise that international firms are betting on Nepal for their healthcare engineering needs.
The real story here is not just cost, but it’s trust, talent, and tenacity. Low churn rates, long-term team stability, and a strong work ethic make Nepal one of the highest-return environments for long-term health tech collaboration.
Nepal’s Proven Track Record in Global Healthcare
Over the past decade, Nepal has become a trusted destination for global healthcare technology operations, with several leading U.S.-based health analytics and AI healthcare platforms establishing long-term engineering hubs in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. From claims analytics and fraud detection to value-based care tools and FHIR-compliant systems, Nepali companies now power some of the most critical infrastructure behind modern healthcare delivery. These operations aren’t limited to back-office support; they are integral to product development, data security, and regulatory alignment across continents.
But Nepal’s tech evolution isn’t only about outsourcing. It’s also about creating, exporting, and leading. Take TechKraft Inc. for example- a firm founded by a team with deep expertise across U.S. healthcare and technology. TechKraft actively contributes to the health tech ecosystem by building solutions, sharing insights, driving industry conversations, and supporting talent development across domains like healthcare data infrastructure, Gen AI, cybersecurity, cloud engineering, and digital public goods. One of the co-founders, Santosh Koirala, who has over 20 years of experience in the healthcare technology ecosystem, is also the current President of Nepal Association for Software and IT Services Companies (NAS-IT), an industry body that advocates for the growth and global competitiveness of Nepal’s IT sector.
From helping U.S. startups build MVPs, to managing sensitive patient data pipelines for international healthcare clients, TechKraft brings together cloud architects, data scientists, security experts, and product designers, forming multi-disciplinary pods that deliver high-impact solutions.
Why Healthcare Tech Companies Are Betting on Nepal
The surge of global healthcare investments into Nepal is underpinned by three core differentiators:
- Specialized Engineering Talent
Engineers in Nepal are increasingly trained in health informatics, data privacy compliance (such as HIPAA and GDPR), and AI/ML applications in diagnostics and decision support.
Companies like TechKraft run internal learning tracks aligned with HL7/FHIR standards, ensuring interoperability across global systems.
- Time Zone Synergy
Nepal’s GMT+5:45 time zone enables optimal handoff cycles between U.S., Europe, and Asia, making it possible for healthcare companies to run near-24/7 development loops.
- Low Churn, Deep Retention
Kathmandu’s workforce displays higher retention rates than most competing tech hubs. This translates to better continuity, deeper institutional knowledge, and stronger client-vendor relationships (Nepal IT Outsourcing Survey, 2023).
The Origin Story
No reflection on Nepal’s health tech ascent is complete without mention Dr. Rudra Pandey, founder of D2Hawkeye- one of the first U.S.-Nepal digital health joint ventures, established in 2001.
After D2Hawkeye’s acquisition by Verisk Health (now part of Cotiviti), the model became a blueprint for offshoring innovation with compliance and quality (Verisk Acquisition Report, 2010).
Pandey later founded Deerwalk, which was acquired by Cedar Gate Technologies, and now leads Deerhold, a global software firm. His ventures have continued to fuel Nepal’s role in health tech, with offshoots like Maitri Services, ZAKIpoint Health, and Smart Data Solutions advancing work in analytics, claims intelligence, and workflow automation.
How TechKraft Inc. Is Powering the Future of Digital Health
From modernizing legacy EMRs (Electronic Medical Records) to deploying AI pilots for clinical triage, TechKraft is quietly shaping the global health stack, one pipeline at a time.
Their cross-functional teams are built for resilience, interoperability, and scale, whether it’s cybersecurity frameworks, predictive modeling tools, or cloud-native diagnostics systems.
Through virtual accelerators, skill pipelines, and cross-border delivery models, TechKraft not only exports solutions- it also exports trust, talent, and transformation.
When Abacus Insights, a U.S.-based healthcare data platform helping payers unlock actionable insights, needed a trusted partner to scale its HIPAA-compliant data operations, TechKraft delivered. The team built secure, high-throughput pipelines that process billions of healthcare data points- enabling real-time analytics and system-wide interoperability across U.S. payer networks.
What’s Next? Nepal as South Asia’s Health Tech Capital
Nepal may not rival the global tech giants in size, but it is carving out a distinct niche built on quality and global integration. The country is quickly becoming a key player in the global tech ecosystem, particularly in healthcare.
TechKraft Inc. is one of the pioneers leading the way in health tech, with a focus on cloud engineering, data infrastructure, and cybersecurity. Their role in shaping global healthcare solutions positions Nepal as a rising tech hub.
Beyond TechKraft, companies like Fusemachines are driving the AI revolution, while CloudFactory supports scalable workforce solutions for AI projects worldwide. Logpoint stands out in cybersecurity, offering advanced threat detection and SIEM solutions, and Giant Capital showcases Nepal’s 3D modeling capabilities for global energy sectors.
These companies are redefining Nepal’s role in the global tech scene, proving that it’s not just about outsourcing but also innovation, quality, and leadership.
About TechKraft Inc.
TechKraft is a trusted health tech engineering partner to some of the most ambitious healthcare companies in the U.S. and beyond. From population health and claims intelligence to AI-powered care management platforms, we specialize in building secure, scalable, and compliant solutions across the healthcare value chain.
With deep domain expertise in U.S. healthcare and a proven team in Nepal, we help companies move faster, stay lean, and deliver impact at scale.
Let’s Talk
Thinking of scaling your healthcare tech? With zero capex, ROI in months (not years), and access to the top 3% of engineering talent with exceptionally low attrition, TechKraft makes it easy to start- with no risk.
Curious how we helped Abacus Insights grow from 10 to 85+ engineers and launch their own base in Nepal? Read the full case study here.
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