Mahesh Pratapneni

Category winner: Start-up

Harbinger of affordable and accessible genomic testing

MedGenome, which Mahesh Pratapneni co-founded in 2013, was born from the ambition to make personalized healthcare more affordable and accessible in India. Today, MedGenome is a market leader for genomic diagnostics, research and data across South Asia.

Mahesh believes that genomic sequencing will anchor the future of medicine – not only to drive access to care, but to develop an ecosystem that is more reflective of the consumers. Today, the company offers more than 1,300 genetic testing services and has a presence in over 250 locations South Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa. Mahesh’s team is responsible for industry-shaping breakthroughs and discoveries, including India’s first polygenic risk score-based test used to assess the genetic risk of developing heart disease. Under his leadership, MedGenome has evolved from a genomics testing operation into a revolutionary digital-first company improving healthcare access and affordability for emerging consumer markets.

MedGenome has raised a total of US$185.5 million (including US$50 million in August 2022), which the company invested in new initiatives. In FY22, the company reported 37% revenue growth. In an increasingly competitive landscape, Mahesh is committed to maintaining MedGenome’s market leadership position and EBITDA positive by FY23.

Empowered by his team at MedGenome, Mahesh went on to launch a non-profit organization, the GenomeAsia 100K Project, focused on sequencing and analyzing 100,000 Asian individuals’ genomes. Mahesh embodies the delicate balance of a customer-first mentality and investor-driven business leader while also possessing a keen understanding of the science and the financial fundamentals that are critical to the success of any groundbreaking start-up.