A patent pending app combining Bayesian methods and artificial intelligence, developed by an Auckland psychiatrist to support adults with lifelong focus, organisation and emotional regulation difficulties, has been selected for the DHF startup arena in Melbourne.

Dr Sidhesh Phaldessai told Pulse+IT his BAYA E AI app was accepted for DHF26 Startup Arena within three weeks of its release, after early review identified its global scalability.

The app is designed to capture the users “lifetime lived experience” with executive function issues, in the comfort of their home, using what Dr Phaldessai described as a “narrative-driven process supported by a Bayesian analytical approach. This is very much like a clever diary.”

The tool is intended as a non-medical aid (not SAMD) that does not replace professional diagnosis or treatment but aims to support self-awareness and pattern recognition, offering self-help resources and a space to “visualise systems that work,” essentially working “like a bridge for moving to a state of self-awareness and self-discovery.”

Dr Phaldessai said the app’s narrative-based structure allowed users to input, structure and reflect on their life journey in a narrative form, which is then analysed using a Bayesian process developed from his background in mathematics, physics and psychiatry.

The Bayesian system and AI allows precise narrative capture and does not output diagnosis or likelihood of a condition. The system is designed to be auditable and private (data sovereignty), as data is not shared with a third party.

Dr Phaldessai said the narrative approach allowed the tool to scale globally across languages and cultural contexts.

He said that the idea was hatched when he was trying to capture his own lived experience with executive dysfunction.

“I noticed I was struggling because there is so much moral judgment attached to these genuine difficulties and of course I kept losing my self reflection notes!”

Dr Phaldessai has filed a patent for the method, having developed the technology over a six-month period with a small IT team and with his own resources while working full time.

He currently runs a private psychiatry clinic and delivered RNZCGP-approved training webinars on adult ADHD to more than 1,000 general practitioners and nurse practitioners in New Zealand between October and December last year, with further sessions ongoing. 

He said one condition among many associated with executive function issues is adult ADHD, noting that in New Zealand and Australia, waitlists can span several years and assessment costs often exceed NZ$1,000.

“There is clear evidence that early diagnosis of neurodivergence can change lives – but frontline systems remain unequipped to handle the scale of demand,” Dr Phaldessai said.

He said he has also had further discussions with consumer-focused health information provider Healthify, noting “there is direct benefit to the community in Aotearoa.”

He said the Digital Health Festival selection marked a step toward international expansion, with plans to scale the technology globally following consumer and clinician feedback and the Melbourne showcase.

“The tech has already received exceptional feedback from senior clinicians and was validated by its fast-track selection for DHF. We are now preparing to scale this technology globally.”

The BAYA E AI app is currently available in New Zealand only.