Indian start-ups using AI to automate medical diagnosis
SigTuple, an Indian medical technology start-up, has developed a device to digitise images of blood obtained by a microscope and to assist with analysis using its cloud-powered engine. The company, which is expanding into chest x-ray and retinal scan analysis, believes it will help to automate diagnosis. AI is now being used by start-ups in diagnosis and pathology in a bid to increase efficiency in healthcare, which is attracting investor attention, having seen the impact of AI in other industries.

HYDERABAD: Tucked away in a little corner at Koramangala, Bengaluru, is a medical technology startup, SigTuple, that has built a device to digitise images of blood captured by a microscope and aid analysis through its cloud-powered engine. This, the founders believe, will help automate diagnosis, as they work towards branching into chest x-ray and retinal scan analyses.After being adapted in technology companies, artificial intelligence and machine learning are now being used in diagnosis and pathology by startups which are trying to increase efficiency and reduce redundancy in the world of healthcare. And, they are gaining investor attention — these include Kalaari Capitalbacked Advenio Technosys, Bengaluru-based Spectral Insights and Cardiac Design Labs, among others.Founded in June last year, SigTuple is backed by Flipkart founders Sachin and Binny Bansal, and Accel Partners. While the healthcare industry has always been a conservative one, where disruption hasn’t taken place on a large scale, artificial intelligence-enabled healthcare startups have started to garner investor attention. "Investors have seen the impact of artificial intelligence in different verticals, which gives them confidence that the healthcare industry could be disrupted using AI too," said Rohit Kumar Pandey, cofounder of SigTuple, that is in the process of raising Series-A round of funds. "However, they are definitely sceptical about how soon the impact will take place."Advenio, founded by Mausumi Acharyya in 2010, has developed artificial intelligence-based, computer-aided diagnostic platform to detect retinal abnormalities, tuberculosis, among others. The company aims to assist physicians, radiologists with this technology to reduce errors and also encourage the concept of early-screening. "There is a shortage of physicians. So, even if there are images, there is no one to read them. That is where we want to intervene," said Acharyya.The company recently received $100,000 from Kstart Capital, the seed programme of venture capital firm Kalaari Capital. They plan to use the funds to enhance their product and for clinical validation, as they soon hope to launch their product in the market. "We are excited about the technology and vision that Mausumi and team have built," said Muthiah Venkateswaran, who led Advenio’s investment from Kstart. "With the first use case of ophthalmology, we look at the company having the ability to disrupt the market with a solution that will be much cheaper and easy to use (using a smartphone) versus existing solutions."Investors in India are bullish about investment in such startups, despite the recent scandal of the Silicon Valley-based healthcare technology company Theranos. Ramesh Byrapaneni from Endiya Partners, who is always on the lookout to invest in healthcare startups, believes in the power of artificial intelligence in clinical decision-making and plans to invest in such a startup soon. "Investors have asked us questions about the scandal, wondering if we’re doing something similar," said Pandey. "But, Theranos has minimum or no impact on investor sentiment because unlike them, we are transparent about how we are trying to solve the problem of pathologists."