Bengaluru, NFAPost: Niramai Health Analytix, a deep-tech health startup known for its innovative AI and thermal-imaging-based breast cancer screening test, has announced receipt of research funding from CDC-UK for its new thermal-screening solution.
Niramai is an investee of Pi Ventures, a fund backed by CDC Group (“CDC”, the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor). Niramai FeverTest is a smart software that enables screening for COVID-19 symptoms in public places, using computer vision and AI to analyse and monitor crowd compliance to COVID-19 guidelines.
Analysing infrared and visual cameras across multiple hospitals, corporate offices and public places, the software offers an automated screening solution that can help control the community spread of Covid-19 – enhancing India’s preparedness to combat a third wave of the virus.
Niramai launched their FeverTest screening product last year to help identify likely infected people at entrances of workplaces, hospitals, educational institutions, residential communities and public places. These measures help to screen for symptoms of fever and respiratory illness before visitors enter public places, helping to control the spread of the virus.
Niramai FeverTest has useful features to help control the spread of Covid-19, including features that recognise and detect non-compliance to mask-wearing guidelines. The solution is being used by corporate sites of Morgan Stanley, Kotak Bank and multiple corporate parks of RMZ across India.
FeverTest is also deployed in two major railway stations of Bengaluru in partnership with South Western Railways, enabling Railway Protection Force personnel to seamlessly scan thousands of commuters for compliance to COVID-19 protective measures.
CDC Group South Asia Managing Director Srini Nagarajan said as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to ravage nations, one of the keys and persistent challenges that countries face has been tracking and controlling rapid community spread of the virus.
“Niramai FeverTest is a technology that will amplify the efforts to save lives, preserve public safety and reduce the economic impact of the pandemic in India. NIRAMAI’s innovative solutions will complement the national response to combating COVID-19 and we are pleased that the technology can support India in meeting the challenge head-on, bolstering the country’s steps toward bringing the pandemic under control,” said Srini Nagarajan.
Niramai Founder and CEO Geetha Manjunath said Niramai continues to help fight Covid using technology. “The financial support from CDC has enabled us to successfully pilot our AI-enabled COVID screening product at IT tech parks, schools and some hospitals across Indian cities,” said Geetha Manjunath.
Speaking of the other innovative efforts that Niramai is taking to tackle the Covid challenge, Geetha Manjunath added women can now avail NIRAMAI breast health screening in the comfort of their homes.
“We have also made a significant contribution to XraySetu, the WhatsApp chatbot for Chest Xray analysis, which was developed in collaboration with ARTPARK and the Indian Institute of Science. XraySetu is a free AI-based service to rural doctors that helps screen chest X-rays,” said Geetha Manjunath.
Niramai is a deep-tech startup offering a radiation-free, non-invasive, non-touch, breast cancer screening solution for hospitals and diagnostic centres. NIRAMAI also offers home breast cancer screening to provide screening services at home and FeverTest screening, an automated screening of large groups of people to detect likely COVID19, infected people, by checking for fever and associated respiratory diseases. NIRAMAI’s solution has led to 21 patent grants in the US, India, Singapore, China, Canada and their novel algorithms have also been peer-reviewed in international scientific conferences.
Niramai has won many recognitions, including the Gold prize in Hack Osaka 2019, Aegis Grahambell Award, Frost and Sullivan Award, selection to Google Launchpad, Philips Healthworks, Nvidia Inception, BIRAC WinER, Elevate 100, project support from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the CDC-United Kingdom. NIRAMAI is the only Indian company listed on the 2019 Top AI 100 startups in the world announced by CB Insights. NIRAMAI was also the winner of the National Startup Award 2020 in the Healthcare Diagnostics Category. NIRAMAI has raised a total of 7 Million USD from investors such as piVentures, Dream Incubator, Axilor Ventures, Ankur Capital, BeeNext and others.
