Healthtech Startup Zini.ai Raises Pre-Series A Funding From Solarus Group The funds will be used towards upgrading Zini's technological abilities, business development, and expanding into new markets

Zini.ai, an AI-powered multilingual virtual physician, a flagship product by Delhi-based Grainpad Pvt Ltd, on Thursday announced to have raised pre-Series A funding from Solarus Group, a London-based Venture Capital & Private Equity firm with a presence in England, Egypt, and India.

The funds will be used towards enhancing existing technology, new business development, and expanding into new geographies.

"We started Zini with an aim to make expert medical advice accessible to everyone and to bridge the gap in the doctor-patient ratio in India. Over the last three years, our conversational AI-powered multilingual virtual physician "Zini' has received an overwhelming response from hospitals, our customers, and the medical fraternity. We are pleased with the further validation of our product and business model from our investors. The new investment will accelerate our next phase of growth and enable us to strengthen our existing technology," said Dr. Rohit Sharma, chief executive officer and founder, Zini.ai.

Zini.ai is India's first AI-powered, voice based virtual physician designed by a team of experienced doctors and techies. Founded by Dr. Rohit Sharma in 2017, Zini provides genuine expert medical guidance and directs patients to seek timely medical help. Accessible through an app, Zini allows users to "Talk to Zini' about any medical symptom or health issues. With an Alexa-like experience, the app can evaluate over 950 health symptoms, more than 300 diseases, provide a detailed report, recommend the best course of action, and share details of nearby medical facilities that a patient can reach out to, the platform claims.

"We are excited to be investing in Zini.ai. The team has shown great commitment over the last several years in building a product that is solving a real-world problem. Zini's ability to discuss symptoms, diagnose accurately, and recommend the best course of action has the potential to help every player involved in the healthcare sector, from patients to healthcare professionals. We believe that the startup is solving a large unmet need in the market and it has the potential to become a defining brand in the category it operates in. We are happy to be a part of their growth story," added Tamer Soliman, chief executive officer, and director, Solarus Group.

As per a recent report, the current doctor-patient ratio currently stands at 1:1445, which is lower than the WHO recommendation of 1:1000. In government hospitals, there is 1 doctor for every 10,000 patients. There are PHCs with no doctors at all. Additionally, in rural areas, there are many practitioners who do not have the required medical license and degree to practice medicine. In spite of this, millions of patients continue to visit them due to the lack of access to qualified medical professionals. Existing technologies like Telemedicine do not solve the problem of poor doctor-patient ratio. They only shift the existing ratio from offline to online.

The lack of genuine medical advice at the right time can be detrimental for a patient. A virtual physician like Zini can address the gap in the doctor-patient ratio in India. Furthermore, Zini can also help gather structured data, which can promote research and help policymakers make data-driven decisions about their communities.

Zini currently works with 5 hospitals, over 10 Telehealth platforms, and has more than 15,000 Android users, thus validating its use case in an array of market segments.