In India, delayed diagnosis of Autism, ADHD, and other developmental conditions often causes children to miss critical early intervention windows. Gabify is changing this through AI-assisted developmental screening validated with institutions like AIIMS and ICMR. In this exclusive interview, co-founders Sahiel Chopra, Vasyl Leshchuk, and Prachi Sood share the vision behind building scalable, accessible early screening solutions for India.
Tackling Late Diagnosis with Empathy and Tech
Gabify’s “Neurolens” screens via speech and behavior data, while “Connect” boosts therapist productivity. Traditional assessments take days; Gabify delivers insights instantly, complementing but does not replace human expertise.
“AI helps therapists in saving time so that they focus on therapy,” says Prachi Sood, a clinician who joined after witnessing a misdiagnosis of heartbreak.
Sahiel Chopra explains how “Gaby listens and observes like a trained therapist. It evaluates how a child speaks, where they look, how they react, and builds an evolving profile based on objective markers rather than subjective feedback.”
Personal Drives Fuel Relentless Innovation
Each founder brought a unique perspective to Gabify’s journey. Sahiel’s entrepreneurial experience shaped the platform’s market vision, while Vasyl’s personal experiences drove the development of culturally adaptive AI models for higher screening accuracy. Prachi played a key role in the clinical validation process, helping achieve over 90% reliability in developmental screening outcomes.
Starting with a small bootstrapped team and interns, the founders focused on building a clinically strong product before scaling operations. Their work has since received support through funding of over ₹1 crore from IP Ventures and Government of India initiatives.
“Experimentation is everything in health-tech,” says Sahiel Chopra. “First build the technology, then validate it rigorously, and only after that focus on scaling and marketing.”
Credibility, Access, and Rural Reach
Through comparative validation studies conducted with institutions like AIIMS and ICMR, Gabify has built strong clinical credibility in AI-assisted developmental screening. Focused on awareness, accessibility, and affordability, the platform is designed to work even in low-connectivity environments, enabling screenings across anganwadis, schools, and underserved rural communities. Gabify is also collaborating with institutions aligned with India’s National Education Policy to encourage routine early developmental screening.
“We’re working to democratize early intervention for every child, regardless of geography or income,” says Vasyl Leshchuk. Addressing concerns around AI adoption in therapy spaces, Prachi Sood adds, “When therapists see improved efficiency, better outcomes, and the ability to support more children effectively, the value becomes clear.”
Vision: Impacting 1 Million Lives, Then IPO
Over the next 5–10 years, Gabify aims to screen more than one million children, helping reduce stigma around neurodevelopmental conditions while enabling earlier support and better developmental outcomes. With a vision of becoming India’s first assistive health-tech unicorn, the company continues to focus on one mission: ensuring that no child is left behind.
“Therapists will always remain at the center of care,” says Sahiel Chopra. “AI’s role is to simplify observations, process data faster, and help professionals focus more on therapy and impact.” Through its human-centric approach, Gabify is demonstrating how technology can make early intervention more accessible, scalable, and effective — unlocking every child’s potential, one step at a time.
Interview By : Sejal Thakur
