What happens when people can’t access trusted, personal healthcare—especially in remote or low-resource areas, or where healthcare is too expensive? They’re often left without the support they need, facing confusion, delays, and serious health risks. Healthcare professionals, too, are challenged by weak systems, low patient engagement, and a lack of reliable data.
In response, today’s healthcare leaders are seeking to deploy smarter, more human-centered solutions. They’re not just using AI to save time—they’re creating tools that deeply understand individual needs, work across cultures and languages, and give patients real control over their health.
One such leader is Dr. Michael Wilkinson, Founder and CEO of Inavya Ventures, who is driving meaningful change through AVATR AI—a pioneering platform at the intersection of ethics, AI technology, and accessibility.
AVATR AI powers “synthetic experts” that hospitals configure to deliver highly personalized, context-aware advice via WhatsApp—so once you leave care, your hospital-controlled AIs can answer questions by text or voice, guide you through your treatment plan, conduct routine activites for you, and help you stay healthy outside of hospital. Built in partnership with Microsoft, the AVATR AI-driven personal companions ensure continuity of care whenever and herever you are.
Inspired by personal experience, Michael leads with a strong focus on trust, ethics, science and user empowerment. His role spans innovation, strategic partnerships, and ensuring that every product decision remains rooted in human values.
Under his leadership, Inavya has reached major milestones: recognition by Microsoft’s ISV Success Program, selection as a Top 10 Global Healthcare Innovation, deployment with hospitals globally, and successful clinical trials demonstrating high levels of patient engagement. The company has also secured significant Innovate UK funding and collaborated on global initiatives to build accessible digital health systems for underserved populations.
With features in Forbes, CEO Insight, and contributions to WHO AI policy, Dr. Michael Wilkinson is helping shape a future where inclusive, culturally relevant healthcare is not a luxury—but a universal right, powered by AI technology and grounded in empathy.
A Personal Loss That Sparked a Vision
The idea for AVATR AI was inspired by a personal loss in Dr. Michael Wilkinson‘s life—his brother, who lived with diabetes. Despite the challenges, his brother lived much longer than expected, not because of special resources or access, but because he had something rare: agency. He made clear decisions and lived life on his terms.
That sense of control reflected a kind of resilience and intelligence that left a lasting impact. As technology, especially AI, began to advance, Dr. Michael Wilkinson started to think—what if more people could have access to that kind of clarity and independence through technology? This thought led to the creation of AVATR AI to help individuals live with the same level of insight, agency, and freedom as his brother had.
A Vision Rooted in Philosophy
AVATR AI reimagines the quantified self as an AI-powered personal healthcare companion. When you leave the hospital, you’re paired with a “synthetic doctor” accessible via WhatsApp through our Synthetic Experts-as-a-Service—just send a voice note or text in any major language, and receive instant, personalized guidance on your care plan, medication reminders, lifestyle advice, and more.
This seamless experience was designed and orchistrated Dr Jaspal Sahota—creator of the AVATR Agentic AI system—who holds a Ph.D. in formal Indian logic and an Oxford (Balliol) joint-honours degree in Physics and Philosophy. Jaspal brings to bear his deep knowledge with classical Sanskrit works such as the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad in shaping AVATR AI.
Combining his expertise in philisophy, advanced mathematics and AI programming, Dr Sahota collaborates with Microsoft and Meta to deliver this novel service to potentially reach over 3 billion WhatsApp users worldwide, merging classical insight and leading-edge AI technology to support your health and well-being outside the hospital.
Trust Matters in Healthcare
Drawing on his years of clinical practice, Dr. Michael Wilkinson recognized early on that trust is the linchpin of effective healthcare—and building AVATR AI crystallized what that really means. In this field, cutting-edge AI alone won’t move the needle; you need systems that clinicians, patients, and regulators all have confidence in.
To earn that trust, AVATR AI was designed to be fully transparent, rigorously science-based, and explainable at every turn. Inavya engaged stakeholders from day one, co-developed and validated claims through real-world demonstrators, and let evidence be the voice of reasoned clinical decision-making and procurement.
A New Kind of Healthcare Expert
The core mission of AVATR AI is to enable hospitals to create and manage teams of synthetic healthcare experts that help their patients take control of their health and stay well. AVATR AI is built to understand each individual in their full context—considering their specific time, place,and personal situation.
What sets it apart:
- Built on Sanskrit philosophy
- Uses proprietary agentic AI
- Hospital clinicians have full control of their Avatr AI synthetic experts
- Robust data security and privacy
- Blends semantic reasoning, behavioral science, and contextual awareness to perform functions to benefit patients and clinicians
- Mirrors how humans think, adapt, make decisions and perform tasks
- Functions as a meaningful partner
This aligns with a broader shift happening in healthcare—from reactive systems to proactive, personalized ecosystems. AI is enabling continuous decision support, with the quantified self centering care around the individual and remote care becoming the norm.
AVATR AI’s unique value is in bringing this support directly into people’s hands using WhatsApp, a platform used by over 3 billion people globally.
Through its partnership with HealthSum, it’s also building:
- A secure micro-cloud infrastructure
- A distributed ledger system
- Tools to serve underserved communities across the globe
These innovations ensure expert, trustworthy healthcare is accessible, adaptive, and culturally relevant.
Quote
“Across the world, clinical teams rise to challenges greater than the systems meant to support them. This daily reality is what I witnessed—and what ignited my journey. At HealthSum and Inavya, we believe in a new era of care: where technology empowers practitioners, patients are seen as partners, and personalised, safe, connected healthcare is available—anytime, anywhere.”
— Dr Fredrik Lindberg, Founder and CEO of HealthSum AS (Norway/Switzerland)
Global Acclaim
Dr. Michael Wilkinson has played a key role in advancing digital health through:
- Research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
- Leading multiple Innovate UK projects in UK and global markets
- Speaking at SelectUSA and participating in global fieldwork supporting UN policy
- Collaborating with Microsoft on ethical AI and digital inclusion
- Publishing papers on agentic AI and the quantified self
- Government appointments, e.g. Assistant Director of Strategy for British Cabinet Office and Invited Expert to the European Commission
- Clinical appointments, e.g. Rush Presbyterian St Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago
Real-World Impact
CEO Insight featured Dr. Michael Wilkinson on its cover, recognizing his leadership in pioneering synthetic healthcare experts through Inavya. Forbes also spotlighted the company’s innovative AI solutions, transforming access to care. A powerful example of AVATR AI’s real-world impact comes from Peru, where it supported health workers and patients in remote regions with limited internet access.
Using WhatsApp and a secure micro-cloud system developed with HealthSum AS—based in Norway and Switzerland—AVATR AI created personalized digital identities that captured each patient’s language, behaviors, and local context. This enabled early clinical trial enrollment, personalized care, and improved continuity—all directly through mobile devices. The result was increased patient engagement, digital access, and participation in health research.
This success has been shared with UN health teams and NGOs as a model for responsible AI deployment in underserved communities. Building on this momentum, Inavya is now expanding into regions across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, ensuring AVATR AI’s culturally sensitive and accessible healthcare support reaches those who need it most.
Implementation in Eight Countries
AVATR AI plans to soon launch TRL-8 validation program across eight countries: Norway, Switzerland, Brazil, Peru, USA, India, Ghana, and Singapore. This 18-month program aims to test the platform’s real-world use, clinical impact, and readiness for wider adoption. So far, AVATR AI has shown faster onboarding, better patient engagement, and strong adaptability in multilingual and low-resource settings. It is expected to reach TRL-9 by the third quarter of 2027, providing a clear route-map as a scalable and essential solution for the future of inclusive, patient-centered healthcare.
Reaching Underserved Communities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America
Inavya’s partnership with Microsoft supports the deployment of Agentic AI technology through Azure and the Microsoft Marketplace. As the company expands into regions across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, it is developing a secure micro-cloud and distributed ledger system to ensure digital healthcare access in even the most remote areas.
Designed to function in low-connectivity environments, these innovations help bridge the digital divide. Delivered through widely used platforms like WhatsApp, AVATR AI brings synthetic healthcare experts directly into users’ hands—making personalized, culturally relevant support more accessible, adaptable, and equitable for communities everywhere.
Secure, Location-Specific Data Handling
From the start, AVATR AI was designed with a strong focus on ethics and privacy. The platform follows a privacy-by-design approach, using secure, region-specific data handling and strong encryption to protect user information. It complies with GDPR and other national regulations, working closely with regulators in each country.
The AI system is built to be explainable and auditable, ensuring transparency. Patients are informed about how their data is used and have full control over it. AVATR AI also includes built-in consent frameworks on widely used platforms like WhatsApp, making it easy for people to engage on their terms.
Local Language, Culture and Context Matter
Dr. Michael Wilkinson shares that early constructive criticism played a valuable role in improving AVATR AI. During initial testing, healthcare workers noted that although the AI was accurate, it lacked cultural sensitivity. This honest feedback led the team to enhance the semantic model by including local expressions, idioms, and behavioral patterns.
It was a strong reminder that intelligence needs to be both generalised and specifuc to enable meaningful connection. These changes made AVATR AI not just smarter, but more human-centered and culturally aware. The experience also influenced how the team now trains synthetic experts to better understand and support diverse communities around the world.
A Mission with Meaning
Inavya is built on values of originality, responsibility, and a deep respect for the human condition, with all its complexity. The team is motivated not just by the technology itself, but by the purpose behind it. There’s a strong balance between thoughtful reflection and scientific discipline, with space given for creative thinking. Even when working under pressure, integrity and curiosity remain a priority.
While the challenges are significant, the work is approached with humility and care. Everyone on the team understands that this isn’t just about AI—it’s about changing healthcare in a way that honors each individual’s story.
“When you create with purpose and trust, the future comes to meet you.”— Dr. Michael Wilkinson
Solving Real Problems, Not Chasing Trends
Dr. Michael Wilkinson shares a message for future healthcare innovators: real progress begins with empathy—not just ideas. It’s about truly understanding the lives of patients, doctors, and health workers.
He encourages entrepreneurs to:
- Stay close to real problems
- Avoid getting swept up in VC hyper-growth cycles. With AI, small teams with limited budgets can deliver significant impact at scale
- Think deeply, act with purpose
- Surround yourselves with highly intelligent people who challenge constructively and advance at pace a shared vision
He believes the future of healthcare won’t be led by technology alone, but by those who create with meaning, humility, and trust.
Dr. Michael Wilkinson’s 5 Powerful Business Lessons
- Start with Real Problems: True innovation begins with empathy—understanding the real needs of people, not chasing trends.
- Purpose Drives Impact: Build with meaning, not just tech. Align your mission with values that matter.
- Trust Must be Earned: In healthcare, trust is earned by grounding product development in excellent science.
- Listen and Improve: Constructive criticism is a gift. Use it to make your product smarter and more human.
- People Make the Difference: Surround yourself with intelligent team-players who challenge constructively to co-develop a shared vision.
