Amil
Khanzada

Professor, University of Fukui
Founder & CEO, Virufy

I build AI that works in the real world: medical AI, tourism and data analytics, behavioral nudges and information security. I bring people together across Japan, the US and the Middle East.

Virufy Google Scholar LinkedIn
Amil Khanzada

About

Between Japan
and Silicon Valley.

I’m a Specially Appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Fukui’s Regional Revitalization Headquarters. I teach entrepreneurship and AI and work with local governments across Hokuriku.

I’ve been Founder and CEO of virufy.org since 2020.

My 15+ years in tech and AI include leading engineering teams in Silicon Valley and Tokyo at VMware Pivotal Greenplum and HP Enterprise, and serving as Technical Lead at MIT Sandbox.

Fluent in Japanese and Urdu/Hindi. One Young World Japan Ambassador and Eiheiji Town Evolution Ambassador.

Education

Amil Khanzada at the University of Fukui degree ceremony
Degree conferment, University of Fukui.
Amil Khanzada with Sabae Mayor Katsuhisa Sasaki and visiting researchers
With Sabae Mayor Katsuhisa Sasaki and JST Sakura Science researchers.

Expertise

  • Medical AI

    Screening respiratory health from sound on an ordinary phone.

  • Tourism and data analytics

    Forecasting visitor demand across Fukui with local governments.

    Live dashboard

  • Behavioral nudges

    Getting people to share data at scale, without paying them.

  • Information security

    Security analytics for Fortune 500 clients and Japanese megabanks at HP Enterprise.

  • Bridging Japan and the world

    Connecting universities, governments and companies across Japan, Silicon Valley, the Gulf and South Asia.

    JST Sakura Science · LEAP 2025 · One Young World
Amil Khanzada showing the Fukui tourism dashboard to Governor Ishida
Showing our tourism dashboard to Fukui Governor Ishida at the Fukui Industrial AI/AX Consortium kickoff.

Virufy

A global health
AI nonprofit.

As CEO, I lead a 501(c)(3) with more than 1,300 volunteers and 60+ partner universities. Our work spans clinical studies in five countries and two patents in the US and Japan.

virufy.org

Teaching

The city is the classroom.

At the University of Fukui, I teach entrepreneurship, AI-powered social informatics and management of technology. Students work in the field with mayors and tourism boards. In 2026, I hosted young researchers from four countries through the JST Sakura Science Program.

  • Nudges and data
  • Medical AI
  • AI for regions
  • Global teams
Amil Khanzada lecturing at the University of Fukui
Workshop, University of Fukui.

Selected
publications

Full list on Google Scholar, University of Fukui and ORCID.

Milestones