Yudara Kularathne: D*ck Pics for Science, Child Emergency Doctor to AI Founder & Model Training vs. Regulatory Affairs - E523

BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech: Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand & Malaysia Startups, Founders & Venture Capital VC (English)

Yudara Kularathne, CEO & Cofounder of HeHealth, and Jeremy Au discussed:

1. D*ck Pics for Science: Yudara described the progress of HeHealth, an AI-powered men’s health app launched in 2022. The app helps users detect sexually transmitted infections (STIs) by analyzing images. Within two weeks of its release, the app received over 20,000 downloads globally, including from countries like Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Yudara recounted a case where a user with monkeypox contributed 150 detailed images documenting his condition over two weeks to help improve the app’s diagnostic accuracy. This approach leveraged community contributions to create robust, annotated datasets while adhering to ethical guidelines.

2. Child Emergency Doctor to AI Founder: Yudara reflected on his journey from managing over 10,000 cases as a pediatric emergency doctor to founding HeHealth. During his time at Sengkang General Hospital, he built a dedicated pediatric emergency department with support from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted hospital workflows and inspired him to address healthcare gaps. He cited a personal encounter in 2019, when a friend mistakenly believed he had HIV and considered suicide, as the moment that fueled his commitment to bridging stigma-driven healthcare disparities through technology.

3. Model Training vs. Regulatory Affairs: Yudara emphasized the balance between building AI models and navigating regulations. HeHealth used incremental data collection and synthetic data to improve accuracy and reduce biases, particularly for underrepresented groups. In 2023, HeHealth faced a $50 million FTC lawsuit in the U.S., citing privacy concerns about sensitive user data. Using AI tools for legal strategy and transparent communication, Yudara successfully resolved the case within two months. He highlighted how innovation often outpaces regulation and the importance of proactive collaboration with regulators to mitigate risks.

Jeremy and Yudara also talked about the role of synthetic data in addressing racial biases in AI healthcare tools and the challenges of scaling health tech in emerging markets.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/yudara-kularathne

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