Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. Because they are often asymptomatic, they are also called “silent killers.” Accordingly, people in high-risk groups need constant monitoring.
To tackle this serious challenge, the Georgian startup BiteriumAI has created an innovative platform that, with the help of artificial intelligence, ensures the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The main goal of the startup is to use data analysis to inform patients about the risks of developing the disease and to provide them with personalized recommendations.
Medsсriptum spoke with Keti Bosikashvili, co-founder of BiteriumAI. She shares her experience—from being a developer to founding a successful startup. Keti also spoke about the difficulties that accompany the development of a startup in the healthcare sector and the important role that BiteriumAI will play in the medical field.
Interview with Keti Bosikashvili, Co-founder of BiteriumAI:
Arsen Sebiskveradze: Tell us your story. How did you get into the field of artificial intelligence and healthcare technology?
Keti Bosikashvili: My twin sister and I founded BiteriumAI. We have 25 years of experience in the technology field. This was a time when software engineers, especially women, were very rare in Tbilisi, but we were already working in this field.
For years, we worked as developers, software architects, technical directors, and startup CEOs in various industries. In the end, we decided to combine our experience for a single purpose and start our own company.
Our father had a huge influence on this path—a professor and researcher with many years of experience in the field of artificial intelligence. He worked for a giant company like IBM and was invited to Stanford. His advice and support helped us to contribute to the development of the most difficult and responsible field—the healthcare sector.
Arsen Sebiskveradze: Where did the idea for BiteriumAI come from, and what is the main problem you aim to solve?
Keti Bosikashvili: We decided to dedicate our experience and knowledge to a cause that would have real value for people. That’s why we decided to try our luck in the healthcare sector and focus on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
This choice was not accidental. Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death worldwide, surpassing diseases such as cancer and respiratory diseases. It is often called a “silent killer” because it is often asymptomatic and requires constant attention. These factors became our source of motivation.
Arsen Sebiskveradze: Compared to your competitors, what unique solution does BiteriumAI offer to the market, specifically in the field of cardiovascular disease prevention?
Keti Bosikashvili: Although there are strong competitors on the market, such as ChatGPT, Google Med-PaLM, and ClinicalBERT, our product offers a unique personalized approach to users. While these platforms only provide patients with general information about symptoms, BiteriumAI works in a completely different way.
With the help of our application, a patient can create a personal medical history based on up to 40 clinical symptoms. Based on this data, BiteriumAI determines the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and offers patients personalized recommendations. For example, it will provide you with advice on diet and lifestyle changes, tell you when to contact a doctor, or, if necessary, when to call an ambulance. The patient can also monitor their blood pressure and, for more control, see a forecast of their blood pressure for the next two weeks.
Most importantly, the continuous analysis of daily data allows the platform’s user to monitor their own health, receive timely personalized daily recommendations, and control risks. Ultimately, BiteriumAI gives the patient a sense of peace and security.
Arsen Sebiskveradze: How does your AI model work to speed up diagnosis and improve accuracy? What types of data do you use, and how do you ensure data security and confidentiality?
Keti Bosikashvili: The technological approach of BiteriumAI is unique. We have updated data preprocessing algorithms and expanded the neural network architecture, as a result of which we have achieved high accuracy even when the amount of data is limited.
Our team is working on experimental approaches, which include checking the platform’s compliance with the European Union’s AI Act and offering patients various, diverse ways of treating the disease.
As for security, our platform is based on the highest standards. The confidentiality of personal data is protected at both the infrastructure and processing levels.
Arsen Sebiskveradze: How does BiteriumAI’s SaaS technology solution ensure improved service delivery for healthcare providers?
Keti Bosikashvili: BiteriumAI’s SaaS solution is currently at the Proof of Concept level, which means that it is based on the general needs and requirements of healthcare providers. Specifically, it provides doctors and clinics with real-time access to patient information and possible signals to provide timely assistance, choose the right treatment, which is crucial for preventing complications. With correct and timely diagnostics, time and finances are saved, and most importantly, people’s lives can be saved.
As for the BiteriumAI mobile application, it is intended only for the patient or the person who controls their health. Anyone can download it from the Apple Store and Google Store.
Arsen Sebiskveradze: Tell us about the BiteriumAI team. What kind of experienced people do you bring together?
Keti Bosikashvili: Our team is made up of highly qualified professionals. The technical part is led by a technical team with vast experience. In addition, we work with professors, researchers, and PhD doctors who ensure the accuracy of medical data. The team also has a European market expert who helps us identify real needs and problems, which makes our technological solution even more effective.
Arsen Sebiskveradze: The development of a startup is often associated with serious challenges. What was the biggest obstacle in the process of founding or developing BiteriumAI, and how did you overcome the difficulties?
Keti Bosikashvili: The path of a startup is impossible without difficulties. Currently, our main challenges are:
- Finances and time. Research and development of artificial intelligence require large investments and time.
- Data collection. It is of crucial importance to obtain correct and unbiased data, in which our doctors help us.
- AI regulations. Meeting the requirements of regulations such as the European Union’s AI Act is an important stage.
However, all in all, the biggest obstacle is still obtaining funding. Since our work is long-term and complex, attracting investors requires special effort. Despite this, we believe that our project is of great importance to society.
Arsen Sebiskveradze: What is BiteriumAI’s long-term vision, and what future innovations do you plan in the field of cardiovascular disease prevention and healthcare technology in general?
Keti Bosikashvili: Our main advantage is our innovative artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. They have very high accuracy and, at the same time, work effectively even with a relatively small amount of data. This allows our models to achieve the same accuracy that other popular models achieve with 100 times more data. The startup’s future plans include adding an AI validation structure and predicting chronic diseases. Also, we are actively working to enter the European international market.
Arsen Sebiskveradze: What plans do you have to ensure the financial sustainability of the startup? What is BiteriumAI’s strategy in this direction?
Keti Bosikashvili: From the start of the project until now, the startup has been mainly funded by the founders. We have also received an EBRD grant. However, we have reached the stage where we need pre-seed stage funding for further development and to maintain the viability of the product in order to fully improve our product and gain a strong foothold in the market.
Arsen Sebiskveradze: What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs who are planning to start a startup in the healthcare technology field?
Keti Bosikashvili: First, it is necessary for startups to precisely define the requirements and functions of their product. They must then undergo clinical validation to ensure that their solution is effective. Another important piece of advice is to clearly state what they do, for whom, and why they do it. The product must be valuable to both the end-user (the patient) and their business clients. Therefore, it is desirable that they cooperate with representatives of the healthcare sector from the very beginning.
