Nigeria’s Med Mind has developed a user-friendly chatbot providing treatment recommendations and insights into drug-to-drug interactions. It is an early-stage company situated in Eastern Nigeria and established by Nigerian students.
In 2023, Ernest Akabueze, a Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence engineer who recently completed his studies in Electrical Engineering at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, founded Med Mind. In a conversation with Technext, Ernest outlined the primary objective of his startup, emphasizing the necessity of providing current and relevant health and medical information to people throughout Nigeria and Africa.
Ernest co-founded Med Mind with Samuel Onwuka, a Data Scientist currently in the 300-level of his studies. The duo’s vision is to leverage AI solutions to bridge the information gap in the healthcare sector across Nigeria and the entire African continent.
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Med Mind Emerges Victorious in UNN Hackathon
Med Mind achieved recognition by winning the Bioprocess Engineering Machine Learning Interoperable Hackathon hosted by the University of Nigeria Nsukka. The hackathon focused on building solutions in bioprocess engineering using Machine Learning models, with a specific emphasis on demonstrating model interoperability.
To address the lack of access to health and medical information in Nigeria and Africa, Med Mind developed a user-friendly chatbot. This chatbot provides treatment recommendations, information on drug-to-drug interactions, disease prediction, drug dosage optimization, and answers to general health-related questions. The model was implemented using Langchain as the framework, and large language models such as OpenAI and Wolfram Alpha, along with Wikipedia and DuckDuckGo, were utilized for accurate responses.
Ernest expressed the significance of the hackathon victory as a springboard for Med Mind, propelling the young startup toward bringing its product to market, expanding its team, and delivering excellent services. The team aims to create a functioning minimum viable product (MVP) through user interactions and feedback, progressing to the seed-raising phases.
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Expansion and Funding Strategies in Focus
Currently, at the MVP stage, the Med Mind chatbot project has a working model and a basic User Interface (UI). The team envisions incorporating additional features, such as real-time access to medical professionals in critical cases, geolocation of hospitals/pharmacies/clinics, and more, as the project evolves.
Looking ahead, Ernest disclosed that Med Mind plans to obtain licenses and permissions for launching the product, establish a unique brand identity, refine the UI/UX, and assemble a diverse team to contribute to various aspects of the project. However, the team recognizes the need for funding to actualize these plans and is open to potential early-stage investors, venture capitalists, and business mentors to support the business aspects of the startup.
