Rohan Relan is the founder of ScribbleVet, an AI scribe tool that helps veterinarians reclaim
their time. With deep experience in technology, artificial intelligence, and startup management
and growth, he shares insights on using great ideas to solve real problems in the marketplace.
What inspired you to start ScribbleVet, and what problem were you hoping to solve?
I’ve been in tech since 2006—mostly at startups, with some time at Google after they acquired my last company. That was around 2014, and I was lucky to be there during the early days of this AI wave. After leaving, I spent nearly a decade deep in AI before launching ScribbleVet.
The spark came from my dog, Potato. She’s had a lot of health issues, and over five years I ended up at the vet more than 50 times. Through that, I saw firsthand how much administrative burden veterinarians carry. ScribbleVet exists to fix that—by using AI to eliminate time-consuming note-taking and admin work, so veterinarians can focus on practicing medicine.
Potato, incidentally, is ScribbleVet’s mascot, so her story stays with the mission of the company.
What makes ScribbleVet different from other veterinary dictation tools or note apps?
We’re not just another speech-to-text layer. We built a true AI scribe that understands veterinary medicine (vet med) deeply. It filters out idle chit-chat during a veterinary exam, captures the electronic medical record structure accurately, and even drafts follow-up emails in pet-owner-friendly language. It’s seamless, fast, and designed from the ground up for veterinarians.
We go beyond just notes. ScribbleVet draws visual dental charts, writes client summaries, and directs phone call transcription—all with zero extra effort. We’re obsessed with reducing friction so the vet can stay fully present in the appointment.
What kind of impact has ScribbleVet had so far?
Thousands of veterinarians in multiple countries use ScribbleVet every day. Most save 2–3 hours per day. Instead of writing their medical notes and updating patient files in their car or late at night, they get everything done during the workday—in about 20 minutes total.
But it’s not just about time saved. Vets are more present in appointments. They listen better. They communicate more clearly. One of the most consistent pieces of feedback we hear is, “I have better quality of life and quality of care.”
Why focus exclusively on veterinary medicine?
Because it’s underserved—and the need is massive. Most tech tools are built for human medicine, and when they try to adapt to vet med, they miss the nuances. We wanted to go deep, not wide. That’s why we built specialized AI models trained specifically for veterinary terminology, medications, workflows, and communication styles—the kind of precision veterinarians covet.
What’s your vision for ScribbleVet over the next 1–2 years?
Our goal is simple: let veterinarians focus on medicine, not paperwork. We are continually launching new features that eliminate busywork from a veterinarian’s day, such as a recent integration that pulls trusted veterinary medical content into the ScribbleVet application to support diagnostic and treatment decisions confidently and efficiently.
We want to turn multi-click tasks into one-click experiences—or no-click at all. ScribbleVet will quietly handle the admin, so veterinarians can do their jobs.
What’s your outlook on AI in clinical settings?
It’s inevitable. The gains are too large to ignore. We’ve seen the transformation firsthand in vet med, and we know it’s coming to every clinical vertical. The real opportunity is in building tools that respect the clinician’s time and expertise. AI should amplify that—not get in the way.
And long-term, it will raise the standard of care. Because when every vet has a second brain helping them remember histories, catch patterns, and streamline tasks, the quality and consistency of care improves system-wide.
What advice would you give to founders building AI-powered tools for professionals?
Start with the problem. Then stay close to the user. Too many AI tools are built by people chasing the hype rather than solving something that matters. If you’re not in the room, watching what users are struggling with, you’re probably building the wrong thing.
Also: workflow wins. You don’t need general intelligence. You need to remove pain points and save people time. That’s where the value is.
