Dectrocel: AI-Powered Diagnostic Solutions Raise Rs 4 Crore
Dectrocel, a health-tech startup dedicated to creating AI-driven diagnostic solutions, has successfully secured Rs 4 crore in a funding round led by IAN Group-powered BioAngels. This round also saw investment from PadUp Ventures and Vinners. Notable investors from IAN include Nitin Zamre, Samir Kalia, and Mitesh Shah. The funding will be allocated to enhance commercial operations throughout India, improve self-learning foundational multimodal AI technology, and expand into international markets. Additionally, the company aims to speed up the launch of their upcoming AI Tools focused on CT, MRI, PET-CT, and HPB diagnostic modules, as stated in a press release.
About Dectrocel and Its Founders
Established in 2020 by Ankit Shukla, Saumya Shukla, and Nikhil Mishra, Dectrocel is pioneering AI-powered diagnostic solutions targeting respiratory and hepato-pancreatico-biliary (HPB) diseases. The company’s flagship tool, DecXpert, is one of only three AI-based diagnostic instruments to receive approval for clinical usage in India by CDSCO. It offers interpretations of chest X-rays and CT scans, claiming a production speed that is 10 times faster with 98% accuracy.
The Impact of DecXpert
Dectrocel highlights that DecXpert effectively addresses the urgent diagnostic challenges posed by India’s significant shortage of radiologists, with a shocking 1:125,000 ratio, especially in tier-2 and smaller cities where delays in diagnosis range from 7 to 10 days and error rates can vary between 25% to 40%.
Statements on AI’s Role in Healthcare
The founder, Ankit Shukla, has remarked that the intention behind creating AI diagnostic tools goes beyond mere development; it is about saving lives. He mentioned that patients in tier-3 cities deserve the same quality of chest X-ray, CT, MRI, or PET-CT scan interpretations as those available in metropolitan hospitals. A verified improvement of 40.1% in missed case detection, published in Nature Scientific, supports the assertion that AI can serve as a significant equalizer in healthcare access.
Plans for Expansion and New Modules
Dectrocel is looking to broaden the commercial deployment of DecXpert by collaborating with OEM partner networks, targeting India’s Rs 1,000 crore digital X-ray market, and initiating a foothold in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, the company is actively pursuing product diversification by developing new diagnostic modules for CT, MRI, and PET-CT scans, while also enhancing AI capabilities for more extensive pathology detection and self-learning features.