Besides investing in Deepak Sahni's stealth healthtech venture UN:BLOC , the cricketer has also joined the startup as a founder
The move underscores growing interest in AI-powered preventive healthtech platforms tackling chronic disease management beyond diagnostics.
UN:BLOC is currently operating in stealth and, according to sources, is building an AI-powered platform that offers end-to-end chronic disease care
Cricketer Yuvraj Singh has joined healthtech startup UN:BLOC, currently in stealth mode, as a founder and investor.
The startup was floated earlier this year by founder Deepak Sahni, who earlier founded at-home diagnostics provider Healthians.
“We’re not trying to build something loud. We’re trying to change how a patient is seen, not as someone to be managed for life, but as someone who can be understood at the root,” Sahni said in a statement.
Sources told Inc42 that the cricketer’s investment is likely part of the startup’s pre-launch funding round. UN:BLOC is also in discussions with a small group of founders, healthcare leaders and business executives to raise capital, with many expected to join its cap table in the coming weeks.
UN:BLOC refused to divulge details about the platform’s key offerings, technology and launch timeline.
People familiar with development told Inc42 that the Gurugram-based startup is building an AI-powered healthcare platform focused on chronic diseases. It is expected to offer an end-to-end care model, spanning early diagnosis, treatment and long-term disease management.
As per the sources, UN:BLOC is taking a new approach toward how chronic illnesses are managed by treating their root cause and reducing the need for life-long medication.
The development marks the second collaboration between Singh and Sahni after the cricketer first invested in Healthians in 2015 through his early stage investment fund, YouWeCan Ventures, which has backed startups like Wellversed, HRYO, JetSetGo, EduKart and Black White Orange Brands.
Sahni had earlier founded Healthians in 2014. The startup offers a nationwide network for doorstep diagnostic testing. He stepped down from day-to-day responsibilities at the startup in January this year, “to solve deeper problems in healthcare, support brilliant founders, and build new ventures with even more clarity and courage.”
While Healthians simplified access to diagnostic testing, his new venture appears to be targeting the much larger challenge of chronic disease management.
The development comes as AI and growing consumer awareness post-pandemic have unlocked a new phase in the Indian healthtech ecosystem. A new wave of startups are leveraging the technology to build AI-powered platforms offering clinical support, preventive healthcare and personalised treatment recommendations.
For instance, preventive healthcare intelligence platform CENT, founded by Practo’s cofounder Shashank ND, aims to detect life threatening diseases before symptoms appear through precision radiology. Similarly, Biopeak analyses biomarkers to detect risks early, map the body’s internal state and generate personalised insights based on an individual’s biology and lifestyle.
As a result, investors are making a beeline for the sector. In June, healthtech startup Mykare raised an additional $1 Mn, while AI-native healthtech platform SuperLiving also bagged $7 Mn in its Series A funding round led by Lightspeed. In the same vein, paediatric healthcare brand Hoola Health also secured $5 Mn in a round led by Peak XV’s Surge.
At the heart of all this is the homegrown healthtech market, which is projected to become a $37 Bn opportunity by 2030.
Source: Inc42 - Startups
