Shekhar Gupta, Kan MyAnIML CEO
Kansas City startup MyAniML entered the Spring 2022 cohort of the PAX Momentum incubator and two weeks ago started a study with the USDA.
“This cohort is very dedicated to sales and marketing,” MyAniML CEO Shekhar Gupta told the 4thEst8. “We need to figure out how our product will fit (customer pain points) and the only way to find out is to ask a customer probing questions to find their motivation to buy our product.”
The PAX incubator is an eight week program focusing on scaling their revenue growth. Gupta joins 11 other founders from startups across the country.
MyAniML uses digital imagery and machine learning for the early detection of a variety of animal diseases — starting with pinkeye. The startup partnered with Texas A&M last spring for greater animal trials of the technology, after proving the concept at small cattle lots in the Kansas City area.
USDA
“Last fall I missed a grant deadline, but they were impressed with what I presented to them,” Gupta said, of the USDA. “They did a test where they induced pain in some of their calves and sent me the pictures… my system was able to pick up the stress in the calf… they went back and did an internal proposal and we started to build up a data set.”
Gupta says the USDA study is building out a picture data set for a variety of diseases in the bovine industry and in the next few months he expects the USDA to publish a white paper with findings from their research using his product.
Founded in February, 2021 the Overland Park, KS company was inducted into TechStars-KC in June. TechStars Managing Director Maria Flynn tells the 4thEst8 it invested $120K in MyAnIML in the form of a convertible note. CrunchBase says there was a seed round for an undisclosed amount in October, 2021 led by PAX Momentum with an unnamed angel investor participating, with a total lifetime raise of $295,000.
Links:
PAX Momentum Spring 2022 cohort
On the 4thEst8:
EXCLUSIVE: Agtech startup proves tech; partners with Texas A&M
Techstars KC Spring 2021 cohort
Caught Schmoozing at Techstars Kansas City
