Albert Einstein once said – “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” Kalyan Sivasailam, Co-founder & CEO of the 5C network, exemplified it very well. In 2015, when his close friend Sayed Ahmed hospitalised due to hypertension, waiting for two days to get an MRI report was extremely frustrating for them. At the same time, they both were exploring opportunities to set up a business in the healthcare sector. When Syed was hospitalised, they realised the significance of radiologists and the need to get diagnosis reports quicker. That’s how the idea of founding the 5C Network clicked into Kalyan’s mind. In Kalyan’s words, “If it’s not timely or accurate, the value of the diagnosis is lost.”
In 2016, Kalyan, along with his friend Syed, founded 5C Network, which is a cloud platform. It linked approximately 200 hospitals and diagnostic centres to 100 specialist radiologists. This connection enables on-demand diagnosis of X-ray, CT, and MRI scans. Hence, their startup made it possible to provide timely, accurate, and clinically relevant diagnoses, regardless of location, 24/7. This ensured that radiologists could earn consistently while hospitals benefited from the reliability and availability provided by the startup.
In October 2016, the company got its first client – CSI (Church of South India) Hospital in Mysore. Since then, 5C Network has been handling more than 1000 scans in a day. Shortly, the company received its seed funding from IIM Ahmedabad, Unitus Ventures and Axilor Venture
As India’s leading diagnostic platform, 5C Network acquired Krayen, a reputed AI-based data science company based in Tamilnadu, as a move under its strategic expansion. In December 2023, the company established its Research and Development Centre, Neocortex, in Coimbatore. This base is considered to become the nerve centre for engineering and AI teams of the 5C Network. This is a significant move by the company to position itself at the forefront of healthcare innovation.
Kalyan highlights the significance of this move: “Neocortex marks a pivotal moment for 5C Network, blending advanced AI with healthcare innovation. In Coimbatore’s heart, we’re not just opening a centre; we’re igniting a revolution in diagnostics, setting new standards in accuracy and efficiency. This is where the future of healthcare begins.” said Kalyan Sivasailam, CEO and Co-Founder of 5C Network.”
Before 5C Network, Kalyan founded the ‘Healthizen Initiative’, which is the official grievance redressal app of the Health Department, Government of Karnataka, focusing on preventive healthcare through clean and safe public amenities. The app allows citizens to flag issues plaguing them, which are geotagged and then followed up with the concerned authorities and corrected. Before this, he worked with Tata Communications as an intern.
Kalyan started his professional career in the core of Coimbatore and did his schooling at National Public Schools in its different regions. Then, he joined the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka, to pursue his Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science in 2010. After completing his bachelor’s degree, he joined the National Law School of India University for a postgraduate degree in intellectual property rights law.
As an entrepreneur, Kalyan and his friend and 5C Network’s co-founder Syed built the Uber of Radiologists. With his vision, problem-solving ability, and zeal to innovate the healthcare industry, he made India’s first diagnostics network that made radiodiagnosis more accessible, affordable, and accurate through technology. He is the visionary who thought to connect 5 stakeholders of Radiodiagnosis: The Doctor, the Radiologist, the Patient, the Technologist and the Hospital.
