November - 202019malaria complications for both adults and children. The Daru Labs diagnostic solution is comprised of three parts. The first is an easy-to-use, robust, and affordable diagnostic tool that leverages proven technology, coupled with proprietary optical innovations. The second part of the Daru Labs diagnostic solution is a low-cost consumable microfluidic chip, which is designed to satisfy the need for the express delivery of a blood sample-based malaria-anemia combined diagnosis. And finally, the solution offers a mobile phone app, creating the first broad patient medical record service in Sub-Saharan Africa for cloud-storage of patient and diagnosis data. "After collecting the blood sample, it is passed through the microfluidic chip that separates out infected blood cells. Data from that patient's blood is then stored and secured on the vendor's mobile phone, following an analysis of the blood by our algorithm to produce binary and easily interpreted results," Eugene Brozgol, CTO at Daru Labs, summarizes the company's diagnosis solution. Daru Labs is leveraging technologies that have already proven effective in Western markets and is translating them into simple and effective solutions for Africa.Unlike many companies we see in the diagnostics space, Daru Labs let the needs of its customers inform the solution they developed. Rather than building a technology and seeing where it might fit, the company invested significantly in surveying relevant parties, understanding the patients' requirements, and building relationships with people in the ecosystem before developing the solution and growth plan. With the travel ban across the globe due to COVID 19, Daru Labs hired analysts in Nigeria to meet representative customers in person to survey vendors and patients on their needs and price sensitivities. This is why the cost of per-test diagnostic equipment, data analysis and cloud storage are well under the known willingness-to-pay for existing low-quality diagnostics in Nigeria. Given the acute shortage of healthcare professionals in Africa, and especially in Nigeria (42,000 doctors for 200,000,000 people), the company's diagnostic tool is highly instructional and requires very minimal expertise to carry out a successful diagnostic procedure. Mitch Kurylowicz, CEO at Daru Labs, says, "Our diagnostic solution is built for less-than-favorable working conditions that require no medical knowledge for the vendor and no trip to the lab or wait time for the patient." Additionally, the transition from drawing blood to seeing the result on the patient's smartphone requires very little engagement from the vendor. The company boasts a very proficient and geographically diverse team of professionals from Nigeria, Israel, and Canada. The core team of Daru Labs comprises Dr. Obichi Obiajunwa, a medical doctor and public health expert in Nigeria; Dr. Irena Bronstein Berger, a double Ph.D. in Biology and Biophysics; and Eugene Brozgol, a former army commander turned physicist. The team is led by Mitch Kurylowicz, a social entrepreneur who has been traveling to Africa since the age of nine and is a recipient of the Mandela Family's Legacy Award for his work in the continent's commercial and non-profit landscapes. The company is currently focused on solving the diagnostic challenges for malaria and anemia in Nigeria and has plans to expand to other Sub-Saharan African countries soon. "Africa has seen great success stories in telecommunications, energy and finance. Daru Labs believes that healthcare in Africa is the next leapfrog opportunity to see exponential returns, with us at the forefront. Daru Labs was built to create high financial and impact multiples for Africa and sees no reason to sacrifice on either type of return," concludes Kurylowicz. Dr. Obichi Obiajunwa
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