The AI-powered transplant surgery venture was one of five Tufts-affiliated startups selected to pitch at the state’s leading life sciences innovation showcase
ClAIrVuEx is founded on research led by School of Engineering Associate Professor Srivalleesha Mallidi, shown (above at center) with CEO Avijit Paul. Mallidi is the company’s chief scientific officer.
Tufts startup ClAIrVuE took home the Audience Choice Award at the 19th annual Massachusetts Life Sciences Innovation (MALSI) Day, the state’s premier showcase for emerging life sciences ventures.
This year, five Tufts-affiliated startups joined 23 other companies in the Startup Pitch Showcase, where spinouts presented their technologies to industry leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs, as part of a competition for two $2,000 awards.
ClAIrVuE is developing a first-of-its-kind decision-intelligence platform for organ transplant surgery, beginning with kidney transplantation. Its AI technology provides surgeons with real-time guidance, safety alerts, and prediction of delayed graft function.
ClAIrVuE is founded on research led by Srivalleesha Mallidi, associate professor of biomedical engineering at the Tufts School of Engineering, who serves as the company’s chief scientific officer. The company’s CEO is Avijit Paul, a lead graduate research assistant in Mallidi’s lab.
ClAIrVuE credited the innovation ecosystem fostered by the Tufts Commercialization team for its support in helping the startup achieve this latest recognition. ClAIrVuE was an FY26 recipient of a Tufts Launchpad | Accelerator award for its AI-driven photoacoustic imaging for real-time deep tissue diagnostics.
The other Tufts ventures at MALSI Day 2026 were:
- Nexilis: Developer of sensor-integrated smart textiles for continuous wound monitoring, recovery, and rehab (Principal investigator: Sameer Sonkusale)
- SilkMed: Developer of a spray-on silk matrix dressing for deep partial-thickness burns—the surgical “tipping point” that accounts for roughly 70% of burn hospitalizations (Principal investigator: David Kaplan)
- Tetraxis Therapeutics: Developer of chemically synthesized peptide “tetra-agonists” that unlock a new axis of metabolic control for obesity and related conditions (Principal investigator: Krishna Kumar)
- VitalSens: Developer of an at-home saliva-based hormone sensing system for perimenopause (Principal investigator: Sameer Sonkusale)
Now in its 19th year, MALSI Day is the state’s signature event for life sciences, convened by MassVentures, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, BioLabs, LabCentral, and The Engine, in partnership with Tufts and other major entities linked to the life sciences startup ecosystem across the Commonwealth. Startups are selected through a competitive review process focused on promising academic spinouts and emerging life sciences ventures based in the Bay State.
Tufts has long been well represented at MALSI Day. In 2025, Tufts spinout Microvitality won the Audience Choice Award for its ingestible sampling capsule technology, which offers unprecedented access to the gastrointestinal tract.
