Pleasanton, Calif. – – September 30, 2026 -- Healthcare Triangle, Inc. (Nasdaq: HCTI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Malaysia's AI World Sdn. Bhd. to form a joint venture deploying AI-enabled humanoid nursing robots across North American hospitals, with HCTI taking a 70% ownership stake against AI World's 30%.
Joint venture targets toileting and hygiene care, among the most physically demanding nursing tasks
The proposed venture would hold intellectual property and distribution rights for the robots in North America. The machines are designed to assist with patient toileting and related cleaning and hygiene work under clinical supervision, tasks HCTI says are both physically taxing for staff and sensitive for patients.
HCTI plans to leverage 140-plus hospital relationships for market entry
HCTI is expected to lead funding, manufacturing arrangements, sales and distribution, using its existing hospital and healthcare-provider network to bring the robots to market once regulatory clearances are secured. AI World will supply technical know-how, technology transfer, manufacturing support and ongoing engineering and software support.
Nursing shortage projections underpin demand for automation
The World Health Organization estimates a global shortfall of 4.5 million nurses by 2030. In the U.S., the Health Resources and Services Administration projects an 8% shortage of registered nurses by 2028, a gap the companies cite as a driver for hospital automation adoption.
Market for robotic nurse assistants projected to nearly triple by 2033
Grand View Research estimates robotic nurse assistants accounted for roughly 39% of a global market of approximately $1.5 billion in 2025, or about $585 million in North America. The global market is projected to reach approximately $4.4 billion by 2033, a compound annual growth rate of 14.7%.
Parties plan clinical validation and pilot deployments before commercial rollout
The companies intend to pursue required regulatory approvals and conduct clinical validation, including pilot deployments with hospital clients, before any commercial launch. Privacy and data security, including HIPAA compliance, will be built into the program.
Suresh Venkatachari, Founder of Healthcare Triangle, said hospitals face intense pressure from staffing shortages and clinician burnout, with toileting and hygiene care forming a heavy part of that workload, and that the company's hospital relationships provide a direct path to pilot and deploy the technology responsibly.
MOU remains non-binding pending definitive agreements
The MOU is non-binding except for certain exclusivity and confidentiality provisions. Formation of the joint venture depends on due diligence, negotiation of definitive agreements, board and regulatory approvals, with the parties expecting to negotiate final terms over the coming months. There is no assurance a definitive agreement will be reached or that the robots will be successfully developed, approved or commercialized.