Lucknow-based health-tech startup Dectrocel has secured ₹4 crore in funding led by IAN (Indian Angel Network) Group-backed BioAngels, with participation from PadUp Ventures, Vinners, and key individual investors such as Nitin Zamre, Samir Kalia, and Mitesh Shah.

The fresh capital will power the company’s ambitious plans to scale its operations across India, expand globally, and launch new AI-driven diagnostic tools across CT, MRI, PET-CT, and HPB modules.

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Transforming Diagnostics With AI

At the heart of Dectrocel’s innovation is DecXpert, its flagship AI diagnostic platform. DecXpert is one of only three AI-based diagnostic tools approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) for clinical use in India, putting it in an exclusive league.

The platform currently delivers chest X-ray and CT scan interpretations with:

• 10x faster turnaround time compared to traditional methods.
• 98% accuracy, tackling the problem of diagnostic errors.

This is especially significant in a country like India, where the radiologist-to-patient ratio is 1:125,000. The shortage causes delays of up to 7–10 days for reports, with error rates reaching as high as 40%—a gap Dectrocel is determined to bridge.

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A Personal Tragedy Turned Into a Mission

Dectrocel’s journey began with a heartbreaking incident. A patient suffering from a persistent cough remained undiagnosed for months due to delayed X-ray interpretations. The disease later progressed to late-stage lung cancer, ultimately claiming the patient’s life.

For the founders, this was a turning point. They decided to build a solution that ensures no patient, regardless of location or income, is deprived of timely and accurate diagnosis.

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The Brains Behind Dectrocel

The startup was founded by three experts bringing together medical, AI, and data science expertise:

• Ankit Shukla – AI-in-medicine expert, University of Queensland; MS in Infectious Diseases, Duke Medical School (NUS, Singapore).
• Saumya Shukla – Doctorate in Public Health (SGPGIMS), MBA from NUS, and MS in Data Science from Harvard.
• Nikhil Mishra – IIT Kanpur researcher, specializing in AI and machine learning applications in medicine.

Together, they combine global academic expertise with deep on-ground healthcare insights, positioning Dectrocel to tackle one of India’s most pressing healthcare challenges.

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Scaling Ambitions

With the new funding, Dectrocel plans to:

1. Expand operations across India, targeting hospitals, diagnostic chains, and clinics.
2. Enhance its foundational multimodal AI technology to support more complex use cases.
3. Accelerate international expansion into markets where radiologist shortages are equally severe.
4. Launch advanced AI modules for CT, MRI, PET-CT, and HPB diagnostics, beyond chest X-rays.

The startup also aims to strengthen its R&D pipeline, focusing on building a self-learning AI system capable of improving accuracy and speed over time.

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Why This Matters

India’s healthcare system is grappling with an acute diagnostic bottleneck, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 cities where specialist radiologists are scarce. Delayed diagnoses often mean patients reach hospitals when conditions have already worsened.

By combining AI speed with human-level accuracy, Dectrocel’s solutions could significantly reduce waiting times, improve accuracy, and ultimately save countless lives.

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Looking Ahead

The funding announcement comes at a time when AI in healthcare is witnessing rapid adoption globally. India, with its population size and healthcare access challenges, is emerging as one of the most promising markets for AI-powered solutions.

With its regulatory approval, a strong founding team, and a product already showing real-world impact, Dectrocel is positioning itself not just as a startup, but as a pioneer in democratizing healthcare diagnostics.

As CEO Ankit Shukla put it, Dectrocel’s mission is simple yet powerful: “Every patient deserves expert-level diagnosis, no matter where they live.”

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