South Korean medical artificial intelligence startups are accelerating their push into Mongolia. The country offers conditions well suited to building real-world evidence, with limited medical and telecommunications infrastructure and high rates of cancer and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Momentum has also picked up this year as the Korean and Mongolian governments strengthened healthcare cooperation, opening the public health market.
Talos, a company specializing in AI-based cerebrovascular disease prediction, is in talks with Mongolia's Third State Central Hospital on adopting its AnRisk solution, according to industry sources on the 22nd. AnRisk uses AI to analyze routine health screening data and predict the risk of a brain aneurysm without separate cerebrovascular imaging tests. The company signed an exclusive supply agreement with Mongolia's MG Hospital in May last year and now aims to expand its local customer base to gather more patient data. Talos said it plans to hold a first meeting with another international hospital in Ulaanbaatar in November.
Aidot, which develops AI for cervical cancer screening, is also expanding local trials. After being selected for the 2026 Gangwon State AI Healthcare Global Innovation Zone corporate support program, Aidot is testing an on-device version of its AI cervical cancer screening system, CerviRay AI, with more than five public and private hospitals in Mongolia. The on-device version can analyze cervical images on a portable device and classify suspected lesions even on grasslands and in deserts where internet access is difficult. "I plan to visit Mongolia in person next month to discuss additional memorandums of understanding with other institutions and explore business opportunities," Aidot CEO Jung Jae-hoon said. MedInTech, an AI endoscopy company, is working to secure local use cases for Intion S, a motorized endoscope launched in June this year, while discussing further business with local distributors.
Mongolia's appeal stems from medical infrastructure that is thin relative to its vast territory, along with a heavy burden of cancer and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Heart Federation (WHF), Mongolia recorded 312 cardiovascular disease deaths and 171 cancer deaths per 100,000 people as of 2024, roughly 1.5 to two times the global average. As a result, the country has emerged as an overseas testing hub alongside Southeast Asia for medical AI startups seeking opportunities abroad amid intensifying competition for market share at home. "Mongolia is a market where you can secure real-world data validated in extreme conditions, so it can serve as direct evidence when entering other countries with underserved healthcare systems, such as those in Latin America and Africa," Jung said.
Industry officials expect the barriers to Mongolia's public health market to fall further as the two governments deepen cooperation in AI, biotechnology and healthcare this year. In July, the Ministry of Health and Welfare revised a memorandum of understanding on health and medical cooperation for the first time in 15 years, specifying cancer and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease management and AI-based digital healthcare as areas of collaboration. The two countries are also conducting a feasibility study on building Mongolia's Second National Cancer Center using Korea's Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF).
"Our push into Mongolia started at the private-sector level, and now it has an institutional foundation in government-to-government cooperation," Jung said. "The starting point has changed when we discuss adoption at public hospitals and links to national screening programs." Kim Na-yeon, chief operating officer at Talos, said the government-level framework will help build trust with local hospitals and health authorities, adding that the company plans to take an active part in follow-up projects such as joint research and field trials.