Devika Gholap is clear about her goal. She wants to change how cancer is diagnosed. Along with her father, Abhi Gholap, she is building tools that aim to replace traditional microscopes with digital pathology scanners.

At 27, Gholap is the co-founder and chief product officer of OptraScan, a Pune-based company working in cancer diagnostics. The focus is simple. Make diagnosis faster, easier to share and more affordable.

A Personal Reason to Build

The idea behind OptraScan is personal. Gholap’s grandmother was diagnosed with cancer and later passed away. During her treatment, the family faced long delays in diagnosis. Reports moved slowly between doctors and labs. Opinions differed.

That experience stayed with Gholap. She saw how time lost during diagnosis could affect care.

She decided to work on the problem at its root.

Moving Beyond the Microscope

Traditional pathology relies on microscopes. Pathologists examine glass slides manually. The process works, but it has limits. Slides cannot be shared easily. Reports take time. Seeking a second opinion often means physical transport of samples.

OptraScan’s scanners digitise pathology slides. Once scanned, images can be stored, archived and shared in real time. Pathologists can review cases remotely. Teams can collaborate faster.

Gholap says these features help doctors reach decisions sooner.

What the Technology Does

OptraScan’s digital scanners capture high-resolution images from biopsy slides and other samples. The system supports storage, reporting and remote access.

This matters in cancer care, where delays can change outcomes.

The company’s current focus includes breast, prostate, lung and cervical cancers. The team is adding more areas over time.

Gholap says the aim is not only speed, but consistency. Digital records reduce the risk of lost or damaged samples.

Built for Access and Cost

One of OptraScan’s key choices is design. The scanners have a small footprint and are lightweight. They fit into labs with limited space.

Cost is another focus. Gholap says OptraScan’s devices cost far less than similar global products. This matters in regions where labs struggle with budgets and access.

She believes affordability plays a direct role in public health. Lower costs allow more labs to adopt digital tools.

Education and Product Focus

Gholap studied biomedical engineering. Her training shaped how she approaches product design. She works on reducing friction in the diagnosis workflow.

She focuses on cutting transport time, lowering contamination risk and making the process smooth for labs and doctors.

She says OptraScan is the only Indian company working at this scale in digital pathology.

Funding and Growth

OptraScan was founded in 2016. In 2024, the company raised $30 million from Molbio Diagnostics. This brought total funding to $40 million.

The funds support product development and wider deployment. The company continues to expand its reach in India and abroad.

Industry Perspective

Dr Nitin Salunke, president and CEO of Supira Medical, says Gholap brings balance to leadership and execution. He points to her focus on access and scale.

He notes that her work at OptraScan aligns with a wider need to bring advanced healthcare tools to more people.

A Long-Term View on Cancer Care

Gholap sees digital pathology as a foundation, not an end. Faster diagnosis can support better treatment planning. It can also help doctors collaborate across cities and countries.

She believes this shift can help reduce gaps between urban and rural healthcare.

For Gholap, the mission remains steady. Replace slow tools. Reduce delays. Make diagnosis easier to share.

At 27, she is building systems meant to last decades.

Her work reflects a quiet change in healthcare. One that moves diagnosis from glass slides to digital screens, with speed and access at the centre.

FAQs

Q1. Who is Devika Gholap?
Devika Gholap is an Indian healthtech entrepreneur and the co-founder and chief product officer of OptraScan.

Q2. What does OptraScan do?
OptraScan builds digital pathology scanners that convert microscope slides into digital images.

Q3. Why is digital pathology important in cancer diagnosis?
It allows faster review, easy sharing of reports and quicker second opinions.

Q4. How much funding has OptraScan raised?
OptraScan has raised a total of $40 million since its founding.