Shark Tank India 4: Aman Gupta questions revolutionary health tech claiming they can predict cancer, ‘...genuine hoga ya nahi?’

Aman Gupta and other Sharks were skeptical after a startup on Shark Tank India 4 claimed its genetic test could predict cancer decades in advance.

By Shaibalina Choudhury

Updated on Mar 02, 2025 | 05:38 PM IST | 18.5K

(PC: Hotstar)

Shark Tank India 4 recently featured a health-tech startup that made a bold claim- it could predict cancer and heart ailments years in advance. The founders of SugarStrings.ai, a company started by Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy Ravuri, Dhaneesh Jameson, and Tony Jose, pitched their DNA-based preventive health screening test, which they claimed used machine learning to detect potential diseases caused by genetic defects. The team asked for ₹1 crore in exchange for 2.5% equity, valuing their company at ₹40 crore. However, their pitch left the sharks skeptical.

The founders claimed that their test had a higher accuracy than other similar products in the market, which usually have a 40% success rate. However, the specific accuracy of their own test was muted in the episode. They also revealed that 32 units of their product had been sold in the last six months, and in four cases, their test had predicted a cancer diagnosis.

Azhar Iqubal, one of the sharks, was visibly stunned when he heard their claim and asked, “You are saying you can predict cancer?” The team affirmed, but when questioned about the scientific validation of their product, they admitted that there was no way to verify their predictions unless the diagnosed individuals actually developed the disease in the future.

While the idea of early disease prediction sounded promising, Aman Gupta and Vineeta Singh pointed out serious flaws in the business model. Aman Gupta noted that in a country like India, where many people don’t even have insurance, spending ₹58,000 on a test with unproven efficacy seemed impractical. “Samajh nahi aa raha ki yeh genuine hoga ya nahi hoga” (I don’t know if this is genuine or not), he remarked.

The Shark Tank India 4 panelist also raised an ethical concern— what would happen if the test incorrectly diagnosed someone with a high risk of cancer? “Meri toh zindagi kharab ho jayegi” (My life will be over), he said, imagining himself in such a situation. Vineeta agreed that while the cost wasn’t outrageous, the lack of scientific proof made it a risky investment.

Ritesh Agarwal felt the product was still in its early stages, while Azhar Iqubal argued that a test with such claims should be backed by globally recognized research. He noted that the founders had no published scientific papers to support their claims, which further fueled doubts.

On the other hand, Kunal Bahl acknowledged that the concept was innovative, but he wasn’t convinced it could be turned into a successful business just yet. Despite their confidence, the founders of SugarStrings.ai failed to convince the sharks about the reliability of their test. With no solid proof and ethical concerns about how the test results could impact people's lives, none of the Sharks made an offer.