Interview: Shailja Mittal & Amit Singhi, Co -Founders of Qurex, a New Delhi-based healthtech startup

An interview with Shailja Mittal & Amit Singhi, Co -Founders of Qurex, a New Delhi-based healthtech startup

In our engaging interview with Shailja Mittal and Amit Singhi, the dynamic founders of Qurex, we explore their groundbreaking approach to sexual wellness/healthcare.

As a New Delhi-based healthtech startup, Qurex is at the forefront of making mental health support both accessible and affordable. Mittal and Singhi share their vision of transforming sexual wellness/healthcare through innovative technology and compassionate care, reflecting their commitment to creating a more inclusive and supportive healthcare environment.

Shailja, Amit, can you share what inspired you both to start Qurex?

Amit: With over 9 years in healthcare, including 4.5 years at a generic health company, I observed a critical gap in sexual healthcare. Many people had concerns, but due to stigma and fear of judgment, they often didn’t complete their treatment journey. This insight made me think about creating a safe space to address these issues.

Shailja: The catalyst for Qurex came from my personal experience. A close friend’s divorce due to unresolved sexual dysfunction, despite 1.5 years of seeking help, highlighted the urgent need for effective and accessible sexual healthcare.

When I shared my thoughts on tackling these issues with Amit, it felt like the perfect alignment of his professional insights and my personal motivation. This combination made it clear that it was time to make a significant impact in the sexual health space.

Together, Qurex emerged from this fusion of expertise and commitment. We aim to create a judgment-free environment where individuals can seek help for their sexual health concerns without fear or shame.

What are the key features of Qurex’s solutions that differentiate them from existing options in the market?

Qurex’s unique value lies in our holistic approach to sexual wellness. We recognize that sexual health issues are complex and often rooted in both physical and psychological factors. Unlike platforms offering one-dimensional solutions, we conduct a thorough root cause analysis for each patient.

Our integrated approach combines medical treatment with therapy, addressing issues comprehensively. For example, in cases of erectile dysfunction caused by performance anxiety, we don’t just prescribe supplements but also provide targeted therapy. This strategy allows us to:

• Identify underlying causes
• Treat physical symptoms
• Address psychological factors

By tackling root causes rather than just symptoms, we ensure more effective, long-lasting results, setting Qurex apart in the field of sexual healthcare. Insights from top experts like Dr. Anita Shyam, Dr. VS Karthikeyan, and Dr. Priyank Kothari revealed that effective sexual health treatment requires both medical and therapeutic support.

Previous solutions have fallen short due to three key challenges: lack of awareness, authenticity, and anonymity.

   Qurex addresses these challenges head-on by:

• Educating through digital content to raise awareness.
• Providing authentic treatment by certified professionals, quantified with renowned scales.
• Ensuring anonymity through our pan-India online clinic.

Our comprehensive solution allows users to consult certified sexologists and therapists online, receive personalized treatment plans, and have medications delivered discreetly. The platform ensures complete confidentiality, enabling individuals to seek help without fear of judgment.

What are some innovative features or approaches within your platform that you are particularly excited about?

Innovative Features and Approaches at Qurex:

• Sexual Health Index (SHI): At Qurex, we are pioneering the SHI, which we believe is the future of sexual wellness. SHI aims to become a standardized metric akin to health yardsticks like HbA1c for diabetes or BMI for general health. By democratizing SHI, we empower individuals to have a clear, quantifiable understanding of their sexual health.
• Over time, SHI will help people measure and track their sexual well-being just like they track weight or blood sugar levels, making sexual health assessments as routine as general health check-ups.

   – AI Interventions in Three Phases:

     – Phase 1: Currently leveraging AI to address informational concerns around sexual health, focusing on educating users, answering FAQs, and providing accurate information to remove stigma and create awareness.

     – Phase 2: Implementing SHI to assess potential sexual health dysfunctions. Users will receive personalized insights based on their SHI score, making sexual health management proactive and accessible.

     – Phase 3:With over 3,000+ hours of consultations monthly, we are gathering invaluable data. By next year, we aim to scale to 60,000+ hours annually, fueling our generative AI.

This will transform it into an AI therapist capable of delivering personalized, evidence-based recommendations, making sexual healthcare more effective and accessible in the long term.

How do you ensure the privacy and security of users’ personal health information on your platform?

At Qurex, we prioritize user privacy and data security with the highest standards. All user data is stored on HIPAA-compliant servers, ensuring protection with industry-leading encryption and security protocols.

We approach consultations sensitively, hiring only professionals with Masters in Psychology, ensuring that even during Discovery Calls—where intimate concerns are shared—users are speaking with trained, compassionate professionals.

To further ensure privacy, we strictly use User IDs in internal communications, meaning personal details like names or phone numbers are never disclosed beyond those directly involved in the user’s care.

This guarantees anonymity and confidentiality at every step of the user journey, keeping the trust of our users at the forefront.

What strategies have you implemented to ensure affordability and accessibility for your target audience?

At Qurex, our approach focuses on addressing the root causes of sexual health issues. This ensures that users receive the correct treatment without being pushed toward unnecessary medications, reducing the likelihood of treatment gaps and eliminating side effects.

As a healthcare company, efficacy is our priority, and we are committed to providing solutions that truly work for our users.

To ensure affordability, we’ve implemented four key strategies:

• Flexible Pricing for Treatment Plans: We offer a range of plans tailored to different needs and budgets, ensuring that users can access sexual wellness support without financial strain, whether they require a one-time consultation or comprehensive long-term care.

• Affordable Discovery Calls: Priced at just INR 190, these calls provide a low-cost way to speak with a therapist and understand concerns before committing to a full treatment plan. This ensures no one feels pressured into paying upfront for something they may not need.

• Telehealth and Online Consultations: By operating fully online, we make sexual wellness care accessible from anywhere, eliminating the high costs of clinic visits and ensuring privacy. Our services are discreet, ensuring complete anonymity and peace of mind for users.

Renewal and Refill Options: We offer ongoing care through flexible renewal and medication refill services, helping users maintain their treatment without disruption or financial strain.

Shailja Mittal and Amit Singhi’s innovative efforts with Qurex are setting new standards in mental health care. Their dedication to affordability and accessibility highlights a transformative shift in how sexual wellness/healthcare is approached and delivered.

By making crucial support more attainable, Mittal and Singhi are not just advancing healthtech but also fostering a more compassionate and equitable landscape for mental health solutions.

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