After earning an MBA from INSEAD in France and growing multiple startups into thriving ventures, Sandeep Akkaraju, a physicist and engineer from India, stepped away from Silicon Valley and spent a year backpacking through Saharan and sub-Saharan Africa.
It was there, immersed in communities far removed from tech hubs and venture capital, that he encountered what would ultimately inspire his latest venture: Exo Imaging.
In a 2020 interview, Akkaraju shared a core philosophy he lives by: “For the greater good: I am inspired by the bold and those who break the mold like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., John Lennon and John Stuart Mill. Taking risks and standing up for the greater good are a big part of my philosophy.”
Notably, it was his travels, not the degrees or entrepreneurial success, that helped root this principle into something real. As he moved through rural Africa, Akkaraju witnessed a stark contrast between the world of technological advancement and the daily realities of underserved communities. Innovation, he realized, meant little if it didn’t reach the people who needed it most.
He also learned a staggering fact. Approximately 75% of the world’s population lacks access to medical imaging. That reality shaped his next mission: to build technology that removes the barriers preventing people from receiving critical diagnostic care.
He soon developed a concept for a handheld, high-performance ultrasound device capable of delivering hospital-grade imaging at a fraction of the cost. Paired with AI-powered software and intuitive workflow tools, the technology would enable clinicians to scan, interpret, and manage images from anywhere, whether in an urban emergency room or a remote village clinic.
His solution can be compared to an iPhone camera replacing an entire photography studio, with its full, professional-grade functionality intact. It shrinks something large, expensive, and specialized into something portable, affordable, and easy to use. Traditional ultrasound machines can cost between $40,000 and $200,000 and often require bulky hardware, trained technicians, and centralized facilities. Akkaraju’s innovation makes medical imaging tools cheaper, smaller, and radically more accessible.
In his words, “We’re providing a product that can service every body, every time, with a single device at the price of a modern laptop.”
It’s a life-saving, cost-cutting solution shaped by his travels and a simple but powerful principle: building for the greater good.
