Six years ago, Valentina Agudelo discovered the alarming disparity in breast cancer survival rates between Latin America and developed countries while doing research for a university startup competition. In her native Colombia and other parts of the continent, women die at higher rates from cancer later in life. detection.
She found that although breast cancer is highly treatable when diagnosed early, many Latin American countries have large rural populations and lack access to mammography and other diagnostic tools.
So Agudelo (pictured above) and two of her best friends decided to create a theoretical portable device that could detect breast cancer early.
“This idea stuck with me,” Agudelo told TechCrunch. “We couldn't let go of the problems we identified.”
Shortly after the contest ended, Agudelo founded Salva Health and began developing the company's first product, Giulietta. Giulietta is a small device that measures tissue density with electrodes attached to each breast and provides results to your phone, tablet, or computer within minutes.
Since then, Agudelo has graduated from college, interned at PepsiCo, worked at Colombian health tech startup Don Doctor, and earned an MBA from INSEAD. Although it was difficult to make ends meet, Salva always remained her main focus.
Image credit:Salva Health
Salva Health partnered with Grupo Sura, a leading Colombian insurance company, to conduct a clinical trial and develop an AI model that can predict breast cancer risk.
The company currently has 13 employees and is close to receiving approval from Colombia's INVIMA, the regulatory agency equivalent to the FDA.
Giulietta is not a replacement for mammography. This is a screening tool designed to detect abnormalities and assess the likelihood of malignancy. “With that information, insurance companies can prioritize women and get them the right diagnosis,” Agudelo says.
Salva, a TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 Startup Battlefield finalist, plans to begin distributing Julieta across Latin America after receiving permission from INVIMA. Mr. Agudelo explained that other countries in the region are also expected to recognize recognition of INVIMA under their trade treaties.
The company also plans to ask the FDA to approve INVIMA. Agudelo said the U.S. doesn't have a huge shortage of mammography machines or rural populations, but testing some women with Giulietta instead could lead to significant cost savings for health insurance. He said there is.
Image credit:Salva Health
“And we want to start gaining approval and recognition in other countries, especially in emerging markets like Africa and India,” she said.
Instead of selling Giulietta to clinics, Salva plans to provide the device for free and bill health insurers for each test.
Agudelo said they chose the hardware-as-a-service business model because they wanted to maintain control of their devices and data and be able to make improvements as needed.
But Salva doesn't plan to limit it to just breast cancer screening. “We are currently searching for solutions for early signs of diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” Agudelo said. “Our focus is on detecting these conditions early and ensuring that patients receive appropriate diagnosis and treatment at a fraction of the cost.”