Startup Originals Team
Lucknow-based healthtech startup Dectrocel has successfully raised ₹4 crore in its latest funding round. Spearheaded by IAN Group-backed BioAngels, this round also saw participation from PadUp Ventures and Vinners. Key individual backers from IAN include Nitin Zamre, Samir Kalia, and Mitesh Shah.
Fueling Growth: Purpose of the Funds
The fresh capital will enable Dectrocel to:
- Scale its commercial operations across India.
- Enhance its self-learning multimodal AI technology.
- Expand into international markets.
- Accelerate launch of new AI diagnostic modules for CT, MRI, PET-CT, and HPB (hepato-pancreatico-biliary) disease detection.
Flagship Tool: DecXpert
At the core of Dectrocel’s innovation is DecXpert, its flagship AI diagnostic platform. Approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), DecXpert stands among only three AI-based diagnostic tools authorized for clinical use in India.
Boasting 98% accuracy and delivering results 10× faster, it addresses a critical bottleneck in India’s healthcare: a severe shortage of radiologists, with a doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:125,000. In many tier-2 and smaller cities, delayed diagnoses (by 7–10 days) and error rates as high as 40% are common, DecXpert aims to bridge this quality gap.
Founders and the Mission Behind the Startup:
Dectrocel was founded in 2020 by a team combining deep AI expertise and public health credentials:
- Ankit Shukla: AI-in-medicine expert (University of Queensland), with a Master’s in Infectious Diseases from Duke Medical School and NUS, Singapore.
- Saumya Shukla: Holds a Doctorate in Public Health from SGPGIMS, along with an MBA from NUS and an MS in Data Science from Harvard.
- Nikhil Mishra: AI and machine learning researcher from IIT Kanpur, focused on medical applications.
Their mission is deeply personal: they were inspired by a case where a patient with a persistent cough suffered delayed diagnosis and ultimately passed away from late-stage lung cancer. That tragedy galvanized their vision: to democratize high-quality diagnostic insights for every patient, regardless of location or income.
Looking Ahead: Expansion and Innovation
With this funding, Dectrocel plans to:
- Scale domestic operations, especially through OEM partnerships and broader deployment of DecXpert.
- Penetrate India’s ₹1,000 crore digital X-ray market and enter the Southeast Asian diagnostic space.
- Diversify product offerings, including advanced AI modules for CT, MRI, PET-CT scans, and HPB diagnosis.
- Further develop self-learning AI capabilities to enhance accuracy and adaptability across diverse patient populations.
Conclusion:
Dectrocel’s ₹4 crore funding backed by BioAngels, PadUp Ventures, and Vinners marks a pivotal step in its mission to bring cutting-edge AI diagnostics to underserved communities. With proven accuracy and speed, a compelling backstory, and bold expansion plans, Dectrocel is well-positioned to revolutionize medical imaging and diagnosis in India and beyond.
