Gabify Raises $175,000 to Scale AI-Powered Early Detection for Autism and ADHD in Children
When Sahil Chopra lost a close friend to suicide after years of bullying due to a speech disorder, the grief stayed with him for years . Years later, his wife Prachi Sood—a senior speech therapist with over a decade of experience at Max Hospital, Fortis, and Mom’s Belief—began sharing stories of children waiting months for screenings and parents unaware that help was even needed . These converging experiences led the couple to found Gabify in 2024.
Now, just over a year into its journey, the Delhi-based healthtech startup has raised $175,000 (approximately ₹1.4 crore) in a pre-seed funding round led by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV) . The company also secured an additional ₹25 lakh under the Nidhi Seed Support Scheme from GH Raisoni Technology Business Incubator Foundation (GHRTBI), a government-backed initiative supporting early-stage innovation .
The fresh capital will be deployed across clinical validation, technology enhancement, and team expansion—key priorities aimed at accelerating growth and building a sustainable revenue model .
The Technology: Gaby, the AI-Powered Virtual Therapist
Gabify’s core offering is ‘Gaby’, an AI-powered virtual therapist designed to screen and support children from as young as eight months . The platform uses a multi-modal approach, integrating three types of analysis to evaluate a child’s development:
- Speech recognition (voice analysis)
- Facial analysis (expression tracking)
- Eye tracking (behavioral monitoring)
The system evaluates children across 189 clinically validated parameters aligned with DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale) frameworks . It tracks specific markers including:
- Vocabulary use and response time
- Motor behaviour and muscle movement
- Eye contact and gaze patterns
- Social responsiveness and reactions
The screening process is simple. Caregivers record their child’s speech and behaviour using a mobile phone, following guided prompts on the platform. Gaby’s AI then analyses these recordings and generates a report. Crucially, the platform employs a human-in-the-loop (HITL) approach, ensuring that clinicians review and validate AI outputs for accuracy .
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Screening Cost | Starting at ₹499 |
| Therapy Programme | 100 sessions for ₹50,000 |
| Assessment Time Reduction | Up to 70% (from 45-60 minutes to 5-10 minutes) |
| Reported Accuracy | ~90% (based on internal research) |
| Children Impacted (to date) | 2,500+ |
| Partner Schools/Clinics | 35 preschools, 15 healthcare institutions |
Why This Matters: A $2.5 Billion Market Opportunity
India’s neurodevelopmental healthcare gap is staggering. The country has approximately one qualified speech therapist for every 10,000 people . A study conducted in rural Karnataka found a prevalence rate of 4.29% for neurodevelopmental conditions among school-going children . More concerningly, Sahil Chopra claims that autism prevalence in India has risen from 1 in 100 children pre-COVID to approximately 1 in 30 children post-COVID .
The market opportunity is substantial. The India speech therapy services market, valued at $1.33 billion in 2023, is projected to reach $2.56 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 9.8% . Gabify’s model—combining AI screening with therapy management—addresses a critical gap in early intervention infrastructure.
Ankur Mittal, Co-founder of Inflection Point Ventures, explained the investment rationale: “Addressing neurodevelopmental challenges at an early stage plays a critical role in shaping a child’s future, yet it remains one of the most underserved areas in the healthcare ecosystem. Gabify is tackling this gap through a strong blend of clinical validation and AI-led innovation, enabling faster and more accurate identification of developmental conditions” .
The Team: Built by Autistic Innovators
One of Gabify’s most distinctive features is its commitment to inclusive hiring. The platform’s AI model, Neurolens, was built with significant contributions from autistic innovators—including Vasyl Leshchuk (CTO), Seymour Verdi, Kanak Kadulkar, and Aniket Gupta—who brought their lived experience of neurodiversity into the product .
Leshchuk, a Ukrainian technologist with a career spanning telecommunications, finance, and education, joined the founding team in late 2024. His commitment to the mission is deeply personal: he lost his 13-year-old son to a neurological condition and was searching for a mission-driven venture where his skills could make a difference .
The founding team also includes Prachi Sood, a senior speech therapist with over eight years of clinical experience across leading hospitals, who leads the therapy division . Gabify currently employs four full-time RCI-certified therapists and has a total team of about 15 members .
Go-to-Market Strategy and Traction
Gabify operates on a B2B-first model, partnering with schools, hospitals, clinics, and NGOs to deploy its platform . The company has already:
- Partnered with 35 preschools and 15 healthcare institutions, including the British International School
- Completed over 2,500 screenings in just four months
- Been adopted by more than 75 therapists, clinics, and institutions
- Gained recognition as one of the Top 10 startups under DreamDeal (an initiative led by Anupam Mittal)
- Received accolades at UNDP Youth Co:Lab and other national and global platforms
The company is also engaging with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to gain recognition as a certified care platform and onboard internationally-certified therapists for its global expansion plans .
The Road Ahead: One Million Children by 2028
Gabify has set an ambitious goal: to impact one million children by 2028 through a mix of B2B, B2C, and CSR-led deployments . The startup’s expansion roadmap includes:
- Geographic Expansion: Pilots planned in the UK, Canada, Australia, and the Middle East, particularly targeting immigrant populations facing similar access barriers
- Product Enhancement: New features including interactive games, avatar-based therapy, and cognitive development modules
- Public Health Integration: Plans to integrate AI-screening tools into public health programmes such as Anganwadis and government-run immunisation clinics
- Language Expansion: The model currently supports English and major Indian language groups, with additional Indian languages actively being added
Sahil Chopra, Founder & CEO of Gabify, articulated the company’s vision: “Our goal with Gabify is to ensure that no child is left behind simply due to delayed diagnosis or lack of access. We are building technology that empowers clinicians, supports parents, and gives every child a fair chance at early intervention and a better future” .
The Final Word
Gabify’s $175,000 pre-seed funding round is more than just a financial milestone. It is a validation of a deeply personal mission to bridge India’s neurodevelopmental healthcare gap. By combining clinically validated AI with a human-in-the-loop approach and inclusive hiring practices, the startup is building a platform that could fundamentally change how developmental conditions are identified and managed in India.
The market opportunity is substantial. The need is urgent. And with the backing of Inflection Point Ventures and a team driven by lived experience, Gabify is well-positioned to scale its vision.
As Chopra notes, “We want early screenings to be as routine as height and weight checks—because the sooner we act, the better the outcomes”
