In an exclusive interaction with MediaBrief, Nirav Hemani, Co-founder of Aabo, shares how the health-tech startup is transforming healthcare from a reactive system into a proactive, personalized experience. From the AI-powered AaboRing to accessible diagnostic tools like AaboScope, he discusses how Aabo is combining clinical rigor with intuitive design to make predictive healthcare affordable and available to all.
Hemani founded Aabo in 2020, right at the cusp of a global health crisis—a moment that would go on to shape both his vision and the company’s mission. “We saw two related gaps very clearly,” he says, “first, people only engage with healthcare when something goes wrong and second, huge friction in converting clinical data into simple, actionable insights for consumers. COVID-19 showed us that diagnosis often came too late, access was uneven, and general health literacy was alarmingly low.”
He continues, “We realized people typically engaged with healthcare only when something went wrong. That reactive model simply wasn’t sustainable. We saw an opportunity to make care proactive and continuous through technology. Our mission from day one has been to move healthcare using smart devices and AI to detect early signals, monitor health trends, and translate complex data into simple, actionable insights. In short, Aabo was built to make predictive, personal, and accessible care a reality for everyone, not a privilege for a few.”
Pivots that defined Aabo’s growth
Reflecting on the company’s evolution, Hemani notes that Aabo’s early years were defined by strategic pivots and partnerships. “Our initial years were marked by bold pivots and key collaborations that shaped our growth story,” he says. “We began with a focus on clinical diagnostic tools but quickly realized the need to bring medical-grade technology into consumer hands. The post-pandemic world demanded accessibility, and that inspired our shift to wearables.”
The launch of the AaboRing, he explains, marked a major inflection point. “The launch of the AaboRing marked our transition from reactive health tracking to predictive wellness. Around the same time, a strategic partnership with a leading medical institution helped validate our AI algorithms for cardiac risk screening, establishing both credibility and clinical confidence. Choosing a ring as our primary form factor was an engineering challenge that ultimately pushed us to achieve higher sensor fidelity, better ergonomics, and seamless usability across devices.”
Bringing together doctors and engineers—a delicate balance between clinical precision and user simplicity—has been a deliberate choice for Aabo. “That’s something we’ve been very intentional about from the beginning,” Hemani says. “Every Aabo product is co-created by clinicians, data scientists, and design specialists working together from day one. Clinical logic drives what happens under the hood, but the user interface is built around intuitive experiences and clear narratives, not technical jargon.”
He adds, “We also prioritize ‘explainability’. We don’t just show numbers; we explain what they mean, what actions users can take, and when professional care might be necessary. This philosophy ensures that while our devices maintain medical-grade precision, they remain approachable for everyday users.”
AaboRing: From fitness tracker to health companion
When asked how the AaboRing differentiates itself from existing wearables, Hemani emphasizes its clinical focus and accuracy. “Unlike typical fitness bands that focus on calories or step counts, the AaboRing tracks clinically relevant parameters like heart rate variability (HRV), SpO₂, temperature trends, and respiratory proxies. What sets it apart is its proprietary sensor stack paired with AI correction models that maintain accuracy even in motion or varied ambient conditions,” he explains.
He continues, “We’ve conducted extensive validation studies in hospital settings, benchmarking our readings against gold-standard medical devices. Its titanium form factor, compact design, and 24/7 comfort make it a true health companion.”
Accessibility, Hemani asserts, lies at the heart of Aabo’s mission—especially for India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 regions. “A major part of our mission is to make quality healthcare more accessible beyond urban centers. Devices like AaboScope and AaboOne are designed as point-of-care tools that can be operated by nurses, pharmacists, or frontline health workers,” he says. “These instruments bring screening capabilities like ear and throat imaging or cardiac monitoring closer to communities where specialists aren’t readily available.”
“AI-driven triaging helps identify cases that need urgent attention, reducing unnecessary referrals and wait times,” Hemani adds. “Add to that our local-language interfaces, offline functionality, and affordable distribution models and you have tools that genuinely empower primary care in India’s smaller towns and rural regions.”
Balancing AI innovation with ethical responsibility
On the delicate issue of bias in healthcare AI, Hemani is clear that inclusion and oversight are essential. “Bias in healthcare AI is a real and pressing concern, especially in a country as diverse as India,” he says. “Our models are trained on large, demographically representative datasets, ensuring inclusion across age, gender, and regional variations. We employ stratified validation to detect performance differences early and refine accordingly.”
“Beyond technical safeguards,” he continues, “our clinical advisory board actively reviews algorithmic outputs, stress-testing them for edge cases and contextual nuances. This continuous human oversight helps us strike a balance—AI that’s both scientifically rigorous and socially responsible.”
Personalization, another cornerstone of Aabo’s design philosophy, is built directly into its AI. “We’ve built personalization right into the core of our system,” Hemani explains. “During the first 7–14 days of use, our AI models establish a user’s individual baseline—essentially defining what ‘normal’ looks like for them. From there, the algorithms track changes and trends rather than relying on static thresholds.”
“This means alerts are context-aware: a heart rate or stress level that’s acceptable for one person might be a red flag for another,” he elaborates. “By tracking deviations within a user’s own physiological window, we reduce false alarms and surface insights that truly matter for that individual.”
Data Privacy and trust by design
On the matter of data privacy, Hemani emphasizes responsibility and transparency. “We treat health data with the utmost responsibility,” he says. “All user information is encrypted end-to-end—both at rest and in transit—and stored in segregated systems that prevent linkage to personally identifiable data. Users have full control over what they share and with whom. By default, any data used for research or algorithm training is anonymized and opt-in only.”
He adds, “We adhere to India’s DPDP Act and are working toward HIPAA-equivalent compliance for our international rollouts. Transparency and user consent remain central to our data philosophy.”
Integration with existing healthcare infrastructure, Hemani notes, is a critical enabler of adoption. “Integration is everything,” he asserts. “Our approach has been to meet healthcare providers where they are, not ask them to reinvent workflows. That’s why we’ve built open APIs for easy integration with hospital EMRs and telemedicine platforms.”
“The Aabo HealthBot, for instance, is already being used in outpatient departments to pre-screen patients—helping doctors save time while improving triage efficiency,” he says. “Adoption has been particularly strong in forward-thinking private networks and telehealth ecosystems, where time savings and data continuity translate directly into better care delivery.”
Educating, not advertising: Aabo’s communication ethos
On marketing and communication, Hemani explains that Aabo’s focus is on awareness, not advertising. “Our communication strategy is rooted in education and trust,” he says. “Being a healthcare brand, our goal isn’t to push products but to build awareness around proactive well-being. We’re digital-first, with a strong focus on platforms like Instagram and YouTube, where we collaborate with health-focused influencers and doctors to simplify complex concepts.”
“At the same time, partnerships with health-tech platforms, clinics, and local pharmacies help us reach users at credible touchpoints,” he adds. “For Tier 2 and Tier 3 regions, we prioritize vernacular content and on-ground activations such as health camps and community screenings. This multi-layered mix ensures both visibility and relevance across India’s diverse audiences.”
Affordability, Hemani underscores, is a non-negotiable principle. “Affordability is central to our product philosophy,” he says. “We follow a tiered pricing structure—keeping core diagnostic features accessible at a low one-time cost, while offering optional subscriptions for advanced analytics or specialist consultations. To expand access further, we partner with NBFCs and microfinance institutions to provide easy EMI options, particularly in rural and semi-urban markets.”
“Additionally,” he continues, “by building multifunctional devices that combine several diagnostic capabilities, we reduce the need for multiple separate tests—helping users and institutions achieve long-term cost efficiency.”
Ethics, he adds, are integral to Aabo’s design. “This is real and must be managed ethically,” Hemani says. “We mitigate harm by designing for actionable alerts (avoid noise), offering user education about what signals mean and when to seek care. Our alert systems are tiered—starting from ‘inform’ to ‘advise’ to ‘escalate’ so users understand context and urgency.”
“We avoid ‘doom notifications’ or excessive nudging that can cause unnecessary worry. Ethical design isn’t just a principle but embedded in how we build and communicate our insights,” he asserts.
The 2030 vision: Continuous, preventive, informed care
Looking ahead, Hemani paints an optimistic vision for the decade to come. “By 2030, healthcare in India will be decentralized, tech-enabled, and deeply personalized,” he says. “We’re already seeing the early signs—telemedicine, AI-led triaging, and home diagnostics are becoming mainstream. India, in many ways, is poised to leapfrog traditional infrastructure challenges through smart, scalable technology.”
He concludes, “Aabo’s vision is to be the invisible layer between you and your doctor, always on, always contextual. We want to enable continuous, preventive, and informed care that keeps people healthier, doctors better informed, and the system more efficient. Our goal is simple: make high-quality, proactive healthcare the default, not the exception.”
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