Qure.ai, a global leader in digital health innovation, has been awarded a grant from the Gates Foundation to expand its AI-driven diagnostic tools and improve health equity worldwide. The multimillion-dollar grant will fund the creation of a large, open-source, multi-modal database designed to advance research and development in disease prevention and early detection. This database will include anonymized clinical records, medical images such as chest X-rays, thoracic ultrasounds, and high-resolution CT scans, as well as cough and lung sound recordings, laboratory results, and other biological markers. The goal is to provide researchers and innovators with the resources needed to develop, test, and refine AI models that can improve healthcare outcomes globally.
Health Technology Insights: Mary Free Bed at Home Named Among Best Home Health Agencies 2026
The funding will specifically support the development of AI-enabled point-of-care ultrasound algorithms to detect tuberculosis and pneumonia, two of the leading infectious causes of death in low-resource regions. Both diseases are treatable when identified early, yet tuberculosis accounts for approximately 1.23 million deaths annually and pneumonia causes around 2 million deaths each year, including 700,000 children under the age of five. By applying AI to ultrasound imaging, Qure.ai aims to make early detection faster, more accessible, and more accurate, even in areas with limited medical personnel.
Health Technology Insights: Lucent Health Appoints Aadam Hussain as CEO After Rodewald Retires
Prashant Warier, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Qure.ai, said that over the past decade, the company has delivered AI-powered X-ray solutions to remote locations across sub-Saharan Africa, rural Southeast Asia, and even extreme environments such as Mount Everest. He explained that these solutions have reduced diagnostic turnaround times from two weeks to just one or two days without requiring a clinician on-site. Warier emphasized that the Gates Foundation grant will allow Qure.ai to expand these innovations and reach even more underserved populations.
Dr. Shibu Vijayan, Chief Medical Officer – Global Health at Qure.ai, highlighted the potential of combining AI and digital health tools to address healthcare gaps. He noted that AI-enabled diagnostics can bring high-quality care to clinics, healthcare workers, and patients anywhere in the world, regardless of location, effectively reaching areas that have historically been neglected.
Dr. Justy Antony Chiramal, Project Lead and Clinical Director of Global Health Innovation at Qure.ai, added that the grant reinforces the company’s commitment to tackling pneumonia, tuberculosis, and broader lung health issues in low- and middle-income countries. He stressed that a child dies from pneumonia every 43 seconds, a preventable loss that underscores the critical need for early detection and accessible diagnostics.
Qure.ai currently operates in over 105 countries, deploying AI solutions at more than 4,800 sites to support the identification and management of tuberculosis, lung cancer, and neurocritical conditions such as stroke. The Gates Foundation grant represents a major step in scaling these technologies to improve global health outcomes, particularly for the most vulnerable populations.
Health Technology Insights: Prescryptive and Ilant Health Expand Employer GLP-1 Access
To participate in our interviews, please write to our HealthTech Media Room at info@intentamplify.com
