This article is based on our conversation with Laura Velásquez, Co-founder and President of Arkangel AI, where she shared how personal loss became purpose, how AI can bring healthcare to underserved communities, and why mindset—not technology—is the biggest barrier to innovation in Latin America
Key Takeaways
- Start with what you have
Arkangel’s AI works with paper records and messy data to detect disease early—proving you don’t need perfect systems to save lives.
- Bias in healthcare AI is real
Most models are trained on white male data. Arkangel builds adaptable AI using real-time, contextual data to serve diverse populations— especially women.
- Mindset is the real barrier
Latin America’s biggest challenge isn’t tech—it’s resistance to change. Arkangel’s success shows progress is possible when institutions stay open to innovation.
From Potential to Impact: Can AI Guarantee Basic Healthcare in LATAM?
In the U.S., AI predicts sepsis before symptoms appear and personalizes cancer treatments.
In Latin America? A mother walks six hours to a clinic with no doctor. A suspicious lump waits eight months for a mammogram. A diabetic patient dies because insulin arrived after their amputated limb became infected.
This isn’t just inefficiency—it’s systemic collapse:
- 1.8 doctors per 1,000 people (vs. 2.6 in the U.S.)(Health System Tracker)
- 43% of diagnoses are delayed or incorrect (BJM Journals)
- Over 300,000 deaths each year from preventable causes (PAHO)
And behind these statistics are personal tragedies.
Laura Velásquez, co-founder and president of Arkangel AI, lost multiple loved ones—not because of a lack of care, but because the system didn’t act in time.
“It wasn’t that doctors didn’t care. They just didn’t have the right data at the right time to intervene.” – Laura
Grief became fuel. That pain became her mission.
Today, Laura leads Arkangel AI with a single focus: building medical tools that work in the real-world conditions of Latin America—messy data, overstretched doctors, and fragmented systems—so no one else has to lose family to silence or delay.
Diagnosing the Invisible
Arkangel’s technology focuses on early detection and decision support. Their AI-powered agents scan unstructured health data—PDFs, scans, handwritten notes—to detect conditions like pediatric leukemia, rare diseases, or chronic kidney disease before symptoms appear.
In some hospitals, their tools have made workflows 12x more efficient.
One standout innovation is MedSearch: a conversational agent that delivers real-time, evidence-based answers to complex medical questions. Unlike static databases, it connects directly to trusted literature online, allowing doctors to find relevant information faster and more confidently.
Early results speak for themselves:
- 79% faster response time
- 34% fewer searches
- High reported confidence and likelihood of daily use among healthcare providers
In settings where every minute matters and every misstep can be fatal, that speed and reliability could save lives.
Building for the Underserved
Arkangel doesn’t rely on biased historical data—most of which is drawn from white, male populations. Instead, their models adapt to the population they’re serving, using real time context and pattern recognition.
That’s especially critical in women’s health, where underrepresentation leads to mistreatment, misdiagnosis, and costly delays:
- Only 1% of drug pipelines and 2% of medtech approvals (outside oncology) focus on
women(McKinsey) - Women suffer 2x more adverse drug reactions (NIH)
- They spend 25% more time in poor health than men (World Economic Forum)
“Most healthcare AI is built on data from white men. That doesn’t represent us. We have to create the data that doesn’t yet exist.” – Laura
Tech Isn’t the Barrier—Mindset Is
For Laura, the hardest part of bringing AI to Latin American healthcare isn’t the technology—it’s the fear of change.
“There’s still fear—not of AI, but of trying something new.” – Laura
In countries where paper records are still the norm, AI might seem out of place. But Arkangel shows that innovation doesn’t have to wait for ideal conditions. By designing tools that work with the resources available, they turn today’s constraints into tomorrow’s breakthroughs.
And it’s working: Arkangel is now deployed in 300+ hospitals and expanding across the region.
And it’s working: Arkangel is now deployed in 300+ hospitals and expanding across the region.
Built with Purpose: Alternova’s Role
When Arkangel needed help building infrastructure that could scale, integrate, and adapt, they partnered with Alternova. The goal: create a flexible API system capable of supporting multiple AI models, with robust security and cloud deployment.
“They needed dynamic endpoints, usage tracking, client-side deployment, and strong code protection. We built a custom CLI to automate setup, secured the codebase with Docker and PyArmor, and delivered it all early.” – Ricardo Velasquez, CEO and Co-founder, Alternova
It was one of those rare projects where engineering, healthcare, and mission aligned perfectly.
What the Future Needs
Laura Velásquez isn’t just building faster tools—she’s building fairer systems. She’s ensuring that AI doesn’t just optimize the future of medicine, but also redefines who it serves.
If AI is the future of healthcare, founders like Laura are making sure that future is inclusive, equitable, and deeply human.
In Latin America, access isn’t a luxury. It’s a crisis. And AI—when guided by compassion, context, and courage—might just be how we fix it.
Alternova’s Takeaways
1. Momentum Matters More Than Perfection
Arkangel’s model of acting on minimum viable data reflects a powerful truth: progress doesn’t wait for perfect datasets. It starts with what’s available—solving real problems, delivering impact, and building momentum one step at a time.
2. Tech That Adapts to Reality Creates the Deepest Impact
Arkangel’s tools don’t require ideal conditions—they adapt to fragmented systems, messy data, and real-world constraints. By designing for the environments that most need innovation, they prove that tech built for reality—not just theory—can drive truly inclusive healthcare.
3. Partnerships Work When Missions Align
At Alternova, we seek partners who share our purpose—not just our plans. With Arkangel, we aligned on a mission: using AI to advance health equity. Together, we turned constraints into drivers of smarter, more inclusive innovation
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