AI Health Companion Startup August AI Nets $3 Mn From Accel, Claypond

AI-based healthtech startup August AI announced the raise of $3 Mn (INR 26.6 Cr) in its seed funding round from Accel and Claypond Capital, which is the family office of Manipal group chairman Ranjan Pai.

The startup operates a “24/7 free AI health assistant” platform available on WhatsApp, Google Playstore and Apple App Store. It plans to utilise the fresh capital to scale the platform, accelerate product development and expand its medical knowledge base. 

Founded in 2022 by IIT-BHU alum Anuruddh Mishra, August AI’s platform helps users understand prescriptions and reports. Based on their submissions, the platform further helps users by providing free health guidance, personalised nutrition plans and medication reminders and personalised health insights to prevent future health issues. 

It leverages Azure OpenAI powered AI to analyse health queries by cross-referencing trusted medical sources and data. Further, it provides general guidance on symptoms, treatment options, and preventive care. The platform answers user queries in over 30 languages. Further, it claims to have over 35 Lakh active users, which includes 1 Lakh doctors.  

Important to note that August AI is the second such AI healthcare companion startup to be launched recently. Ex-BharatPe CTO Ankur Jain, along with Sanjay CV Reddy and Andy NG, cofounded Jivi in late 2023. The startup has also built an advanced AI conversational platform that helps patients independently diagnose their illness based on their symptoms. 

Meanwhile, Mishra founded August AI after an over two year stint as product lead for SuperShare. Earlier in 2016, he also cofounded Reimagine Giving, a startup platform connecting donors to projects.

August AI bids to fill in the knowledge gap in the healthcare ecosystem. Securing an appointment often takes weeks or months, and when patients finally arrive, they may only spend 2–4 hours waiting before a doctor sees them — and that too for a few rushed minutes. 

Studies in Indian hospitals have shown outpatient waiting times frequently exceeding one hour or more across registration, diagnostics, and consultation phases. This fragmented experience pushes many to Google their symptoms, second-guess prescriptions, or delay seeking care altogether — creating critical gaps in early detection, adherence, and outcomes.

“Think about how many times you’ve put off going to a doctor by a day or two. Now multiply that hesitation by the weeks-long wait times plaguing most healthcare systems. We’re breaking this cycle by creating an immediate, always-available health companion that gives people the clarity they need, when they need it—not weeks later,” Mishra notes. 

While the AI health companion startup bids to address the knowledge issue on a global scale, we have seen a plethora of new-age ventures emerge in recent times that bid to provide India-centric healthcare solutions. 

For instance, Superhealth, founded in 2023 by ex-Apollo Hospitals CRO Varun Dubey, Practo’s founding team member Manoj Kumar, and Apollo Hospitals’ CMO Alexander Kuruvilla, wants to fix the hospital experience in India. The startup bids to wait times and commissions, aiming to create a system that rewards medical outcomes over business incentives.

Another example is W Health Ventures’ incubated Reveal Healthtech, a 2023 founded startup that aims to optimise the existing healthcare infrastructure in the country. Backed by Leo Capital, the startup  offers healthcare and life sciences organisations services like specialised engineering, AI, data, and strategy services. 

Edited by Akshit Pushkarna