Qure.ai Announces Appointment of Amit Kakar and Charles-Antoine Janssen to its Board of Directors

Qure.ai, one of the leading health tech firms using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for medical imaging diagnostics, has announced the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors. Joining the team at the helm are Dr. Amit Kakar MD, from Novo Holdings and Mr. Charles-Antoine Janssen, Chief Investment Officer, HealthQuad. The announcement comes on the heels of Qure.ai’s $40 million funding round led by Novo Holding and HealthQuad in March 2022. They have also appointed Mr. Navjeewan Khosla, Principal, Novo Holdings and Mr. Ajay MahipalMahipal, Director, HealthQuad, as Board Observers.  

Dr. Amit Kakar is Senior Partner, Head of Novo Holdings Asia, and a healthcare professional with over 30 years of experience across key verticals including Medical Technology, R&D, Manufacturing, Pharma Retail, Drug Discovery, Clinical Research, Biotech, Hospitals and Diagnostic Centers, Primary and Specialty Care Centers, among others. His diverse experience also encompasses investing, operational and management roles across health-tech companies. He is currently part of the Board of Directors of Singapore-based life science company, ESCO, and telemedicine portal – Doctor Anywhere. As a senior partner, Dr. Kakar’s invaluable expertise can help Qure scale global markets. 

Novo Holdings is a world-leading healthcare and life sciences investor with a focus on creating long-term, sustainable value. Headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with offices in San Francisco, Boston, London and Singapore, Novo Holdings has a portfolio of more than 150 companies.  

Dr. Amit Kakar, Senior Partner, Head of Novo Holdings Asia said, “I am passionate about diagnostic imaging which is being transformed by machine learning and real-world data. Qure is in the forefront of that change in providing affordable and accessible healthcare to patients across the globe. I am looking forward to working closely with the team and my fellow board members on this next exciting phase of Qure.ai’s journey.”  

Commenting on the occasion, Navjeewan Khosla , Principal, Novo Holdings said that; “We are very excited to partner with Prashant and his team at Qure.ai. Healthcare innovation, especially for developing economies, is a critical aspect that can help rewrite the current narrative. With technological intervention and intelligent solutions, we believe that quality healthcare can be made acessible and affordable to all. Qure.ai’s vision for its future is in perfect agreement with that and I look forward to working together to achieve new heights of success for all of us.” 

Charles-Antoine Janssen is the Chief Investment Officer at HealthQuad and the Co-Founder & Managing Partner at KOIS S.A., a global impact investing firm. HealthQuad is a joint venture between KOIS S.A. and Quadria Capital, with an exclusive focus on the Indian health-tech market. Charles-Antoine has over 26 years of industry experience and is a well-versed impact investor focused on healthcare access. His vision to nurture innovative models that can transform healthcare, is in perfect alignment with Qure’s vision to use AI and make quality healthcare accessible to all. Charles-Antoine serves on the board of Medikabazaar, THB, Lilac Insights, TC4AI, Regency Hospitals, GoJob, the Climate School and Potential Project, and on the Advisory Board of Lighthouse (India PE fund) and Quadria (Asia healthcare PE fund). He is also a member of the board and audit committee of UCB, as well as a board member of Tubize (UCB’s listed reference shareholder). 

HealthQuad is India’s leading digital health-focused venture capital fund, with assets under management of USD 200 Mn across two funds. Its focus is to nurture innovative models which radically improve healthcare access and affordability by leveraging technology. 

Charles-Antoine Janssen, Chief Investment Officer, HealthQuad said; “India’s healthcare market is at an inflection point, with digital healthcare solutions front-ending the disruption. Technology-led healthcare is the most promising sunrise sector in the country, forecasted to race ahead at a CAGR of 26 per cent to $21bn by 2025. We are focused on partnering with innovators who can help bridge gaps in the access to quality healthcare for rural and semi-urban communities without adding to their financial burden. Qure.ai is an ideal springboard to take our vision to the next level with their AI-powered imaging technologies, that impact 4 mn lives annually and are deployed across the public health spectrum in 50+ countries. I am looking forward to being part of Qure’s next phase of growth to make quality healthcare an affordable reality for all.” 

Commenting on his new position as Board Observer, Ajay Mahipal, Director, HealthQuad said that; “It is the need of the hour to foster innovations that can radically change the means in which quality healthcare is made accessible to all. We at HealthQuad are particular to partner with companies and innovators who are making a difference and we could not be happier to welcome Qure.ai to our midst. I am elated to be part of Qure, a company that has been continuously scaling up and addressing the accessibility and affordability quotient for healthcare through its innovative products. It will be an honor to be part of the esteemed board of directors and weigh in on Qure’s global growth roadmap.” 

Qure.ai is poised for accelerated global growth and foray into new markets. The new members of the board will be crucial in guiding the organization in scaling up aggressively. They will also be instrumental in extending and strengthening Qure.ai's global reach, especially in the US and European markets, and intensifying product development for critical care and community diagnostics.    

Commenting on the new appointments, Prashant Warier, CEO and Founder, Qure.ai said that “We are delighted to welcome Dr Amit and Mr. Charles-Antoine to our esteemed board of directors. We are equally elated to have Mr. Navjeevan Khosla and Mr. Ajay Mahipal join us with their unique perspectives, stemming from their extensive experience in the healthcare industry. They have joined us at a key/crucial juncture in our company’s growth. We strongly believe that their collective experience in leading global health-tech companies will be a great advantage to Qure, as we gear up for massive global growth. We are excited to have newer perspectives added to our board of directors and is looking forward to making quality healthcare accessible to all.” 

Dr. Amit Kakar and Charles-Antoine Janssen join Anandamoy Roychowdhary of Sequoia India, Ryan Collins of MassMutual Ventures, and Srikanth Velamakanni, and Satish Raman from Fractal Analytics Private Limited alongside Prashant Warier, CEO and Founder, Qure.ai. The new appointments are effective immediately.