India-Based Prenatal Diagnostics Startup Founded by BTI Alumnus Wins Top Honors at PanIIT Bangalore Summit

An India-based health technology startup co-founded by Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) alumnus Pedro Rodrigues has been named the top startup at the PanIIT Bangalore Summit 2026, earning the event's coveted "Golden Ticket" to appear on Bharat Ke Super Founders, an Amazon series highlighting India's leading deep-tech startups.

The company, PrecizionIQ, is developing novel, non-invasive diagnostics for fetal chromosomal abnormalities with a mission to make early prenatal testing more accurate, affordable, and accessible. The technology is designed to expand access to early prenatal screening, particularly in regions where advanced diagnostic testing remains costly or difficult to obtain. 

For Rodrigues, a former postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Frank Schroeder at BTI, the recognition represents the culmination of years of scientific research, mentorship, and entrepreneurship.

“At PrecizionIQ we’re building the world’s first at-home pregnancy risk test,” said Rodrigues. “Every line of code, every lab iteration, every late call comes back to that single image: someone, somewhere, getting answers earlier.”

Founded by scientists and entrepreneurs, PrecizionIQ combines expertise in metabolomics, biomarker discovery, analytical chemistry, and data science to address longstanding challenges in prenatal care.

Its technology uses high-resolution mass spectrometry and AI-enhanced biomarker discovery to identify chromosomal abnormalities through subtle changes in maternal metabolism. According to the company, the platform aims to detect conditions such as Down, Edwards, Patau, Turner, and Klinefelter syndromes as early as six weeks into pregnancy using a simple blood or urine sample.

The company's broader mission is rooted in accessibility. Current prenatal diagnostic methods can be invasive, expensive, difficult to access, or unavailable in many regions. PrecizionIQ aims to provide earlier, non-invasive testing that can be scaled across both urban and rural healthcare systems.

“Families often face anxiety from unclear results,” the company states on its website. “We believe science should bring clarity and peace of mind.”

While PrecizionIQ is an independent company, its origins are connected to a scientific ecosystem that has long fostered innovation and entrepreneurship.

The scientific expertise behind the company was developed in part through the research experience Rodrigues gained during his time at the Boyce Thompson Institute, where he conducted postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Frank Schroeder. BTI's culture of curiosity-driven discovery and mentorship helped shape the scientific foundation that would later contribute to the company's creation.

The company is also advised by former BTI employee Murli Manohar and former BTI faculty member and emeritus faculty member Daniel Klessig, highlighting the enduring connections among members of the BTI community.

“BTI has always been a place where innovative thinking is encouraged,” said Manohar, who has served as advisor for the past two years while helping build the company’s scientific and operational foundation. “This company reflects the kind of interdisciplinary problem-solving and entrepreneurial spirit that institutions like BTI help nurture.”

“At BTI as president (2000-2004), professor and emeritus professor I had the great privilege of hiring and mentoring excellent scientists, including Murli Manohar,” said Klessig. “Murli joined my research group as a postdoctoral fellow in 2014. Together we co-found with Frank Schroeder Ascribe Bioscience in 2017, where Murli served as CTO and I as senior advisor and angel investor. The partnership continues with the creation of PrecizionIQ.”

Since its founding more than a century ago, the Boyce Thompson Institute has served as a launchpad for scientific discovery, innovation, and entrepreneurship. From advancing plant science and training future researchers to fostering startups and technology development, BTI's influence often extends well beyond academic research.

From its earliest days under founder William Boyce Thompson to today's researchers, students, postdoctoral scholars, and alumni, the Institute has cultivated environments where ambitious ideas can flourish. Through companies such as PrecizionIQ, that impact is now helping shape the future of global health innovation.

PrecizionIQ expects to launch its first product in 2027.