“Singapore has been a great launchpad, owing to its structured safety frameworks”

The increasing prevalence of occupational injuries and illnesses is one of the primary factors fueling the growth of the occupational health market, valued at $5.45 billion in 2025, across the globe. With the Asia Pacific (APAC) region occupying the third-largest share in this market, after the US and Europe, we see a number of companies deploying technologies to unlock tremendous opportunities within the occupational health sector. Singapore-based startup TacnIQ AI is one such example, taking a proactive approach to address the health risks associated with workplace management, through technology. Their flagship product Backy is an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered wearable designed to prevent musculoskeletal injuries in physically demanding jobs. It delivers posture feedback in real time to workers, helping reduce back strain and injury risks. In an exclusive interview with BioSpectrum Asia, TacnIQ's Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Aashish Mehta, shares how the company is navigating product development, adoption challenges, and regulatory compliance as it expands into global markets. Edited excerpts-

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What are TacnIQ AI's current and future milestones – in terms of product development, launches, partnerships, and global expansion?

Over the past year, we've moved quickly, from concept to pilot to production. Backy is already live with partners like DHL, where it's helping reduce posture-related strain and injury risk by over 65 per cent. We're also working with hospitals to test applications in clinical and eldercare environments. In parallel, we've partnered with the British Standards Institution (BSI) to contribute to emerging digital safety standards.

Looking ahead, we're focused on scaling and evolving the technology. The next version of Backy will feature smarter AI agents that can not only detect unsafe posture but also automatically generate safety guidance and reduce manual reporting.

Geographically, we're expanding beyond Southeast Asia to Europe and North America, especially in logistics, aged care, and manufacturing. We're also working to integrate Backy with insurers and enterprise EHS (Environmental Health and Safety) software so that it becomes a core part of workplace wellness and safety ecosystems, not just a standalone device.

Are you planning to raise more funds this year or next? Please share details.