Bridging Gaps

Timely diagnostic testing is often the key to living a longer and healthier life. And yet, across the world, 4 billion people on the planet lack access to reliable testing services.

Health disparities are shaped by multiple factors including but not limited to poverty, geographic location, race, religion, sexual orientation, linguistic barriers, and robustness of existing public infrastructure. These factors create seemingly insurmountable barriers for those who most desperately need access to care, especially those who are marginalized: for example, in rural areas of developing nations, only 5% of women receive testing services.

HealthCube has been dedicated to solving this gap, creating accessible diagnostic devices for patients across developing countries. Founded by the renowned infectious disease expert and economist Ramanan Laxminarayan, HealthCube’s product portfolio of 32 tests can evaluate for conditions like malaria and physiological indicators like blood pressure, urine, and blood sugar. Furthermore, these tests return results in 15 minutes. To date, 2.5 million tests have been administered to over 1 million patients.

“We are bringing diagnostics to people’s doorsteps, making sure it’s affordable,” says HealthCube CEO, Runam Mehta.

HealthCube underwent several exciting changes in 2021, beginning with a leadership transition. In December the company welcomed Mehta, the Chief Growth Officer, as the new CEO, with Laxminarayan remaining involved as Board Chair. A physiotherapist by training, Mehta has 15 years of experience in the healthcare space. Prior to HealthCube she drove strategic initiatives at Portea, India’s largest home healthcare company. During her time there she spearheaded India’s first and largest home isolation program for covid patients.

With the CEO and CTO both being women, these changes make HealthCube a women-led company with a women-majority board—an extremely rare feat in the healthtech sector where women comprise only 30% of leadership despite being 65% of the workforce. This achievement was recognized by the Begaluru Tech Summit, who awarded them a Top SME by DivHersity, a testament to their impact by accelerating female participation and advancement in the Indian workforce.

With the CEO and CTO both being women, these changes make HealthCube a women-led company with a women-majority board

“We don’t look at hiring through a gendered lens, but our positive work environment has led to a 40% female staff and we’re not just hiring them in junior positions, but across all levels of our organization,” explains Mehta.

We at SVLC are proud to support a company that is closing gaps on multiple fronts, both for their employees and the patients they serve. This year, HealthCube is hoping to build on the meaningful traction gained in 2021, expanding in India and additional emerging markets.