Patients first. Technology second.

Our mission is to stop the millions of people diagnosed with CKD from ever needing dialysis or transplants.

KAREL is building a future where patients have the tools they need to engage directly with their medical needs - improving quality of care and quality of life.

Our story

When Carl and Ross met in 2018, they shared a vision of using technology to tackle chronic kidney disease.

They knew that this global health problem wasn’t talked about outside of clinical settings. And they wanted to make a future where self-managed care gave people the power to prevent the progression of CKD.

This vision has a far-reaching impact. Managed correctly, CKD patients may never need dialysis or a transplant. Self-care can help healthcare systems around the world save millions of dollars in sunk costs, taking the strain off medical services and families alike.

Fast forward to 2020 and the KAREL team is now laser-focused on their mission to prevent anyone with CKD from ever needing dialysis or a transplant.

About CKD

About chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease is one of the fastest-growing healthcare issues worldwide.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the loss of healthy kidney function for more than three months. As a primary organ, kidney function is essential for continued good health. When a kidney fails, it can lead to a range of complications.

CKD is the most common form of kidney disease. It affects more than 850 million people globally. Over the next 20 years, CKD is predicted to be the fifth leading cause of mortality around the world.

There are five recognised stages of CKD. Each stage is measured by how much blood the kidneys can filter in one minute.

Stage 1 is the mildest form and often hard to detect with no obvious signs. As kidney functions degrade, the amount of filtration begins to fall off.

At Stage 5, kidneys are unable to filter more than 15mL every 60 seconds. This is known as acute renal failure. 

CKD can be brought on by a range of conditions. There is a strong link between kidney disease and both diabetes and high blood pressure. Other causes can include immune diseases, congenital conditions, and genetic disorders like polycystic kidney disease.

But in many cases, CKD is manageable. And we aim to stop people with CKD from ever needing dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Our team

Meet the team

Ross hardy

Co-founder & CEO

Ross was given first-hand experience with how much clear communication mattered in healthcare. As a patient involved in a cycling accident, he was picked up by an ambulance and taken to three separate hospital emergency departments. After spending 26 hours either in a wheelchair or emergency trolley without a clear diagnosis, it was clear to Ross that he was involved in something he believed no patient should ever experience - a healthcare system failure. From then on, he began exploring ways to streamline the flow of information between clinicians and patients using modern technology.

Carl Juresic

Co-founder & CMO

In 2003, Carl suffered an acute bout of vasculitis that almost killed him. He was told that he would eventually need a kidney transplant and since then, he has lived with CKD. Following a successful transplant in 2012 in London UK, he started looking for ways to give back to the CKD community using his digital expertise. He quickly realised that there was room for a single point of digital technology - an app - to help people like him navigate the highly restrictive circumstances of CKD patients.

Our advisors

Prof. Carol Pollock

Distinguished Prof of Renal Medicine, University Of Sydney. Chair, Kidney Health Australia

Assoc. Prof. Cathy Quinlan

Consultant Paediatric Nephrologist, Royal Children's Hospital

Prof. Peter Kerr

Director of Nephrology, Monash Health

Press information

Contact us
We’re passionate about CKD, the future of predictive medicine, and how self-care can tackle these serious issues.
Get in touch today!