The Startup Mahakumbh 2024, spearheaded by prominent industry organizations like ASSOCHAM, Nasscom, Bootstrap Incubation & Advisory Foundation, TiE, and the Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association, marked a pioneering initiative. This visionary event aimed to unify key stakeholders in India’s startup ecosystem, showcasing the nation as a global hub of innovation.2,000 startups, more than 100 unicorns, 300 incubators, and 3,000 delegates from 23 nations converged at the event. It stood out as an unprecedented gathering in India’s entrepreneurial landscape, both in terms of its magnitude and intellectual leadership.
Numerous healthtech startups played an active role, showcasing pioneering solutions and technologies with the aim of revolutionizing healthcare delivery. Their participation added vibrancy to the event’s ecosystem, featuring an array of innovations ranging from telemedicine platforms to AI-driven diagnostics.Healthcare startups based in India are helping people access better healthcare using technology in India. They’re solving problems like not having enough doctors and low rankings for healthcare. These startups make healthcare easier to get, cheaper, and better quality. During the pandemic, they started offering online appointments and helped with programs like the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. Even though they don’t have a lot of money, they keep coming up with new ideas and creating jobs, which helps make healthcare in India better.Let’s take a look at some healthtech startups from India.
Akumen Artificial Intelligence
Based in Manipur, Akumen Artificial Intelligence is a homegrown startup that specializes in developing market-driven products tailored for individuals with disabilities. Using advanced technologies like ML, AI, and Computer Vision, they develop easily operable products tailored for the specially abled community. One of their notable innovations is smart wearable glasses designed specifically for the visually impaired. These glasses, powered by AI, feature an inbuilt camera, speaker, microphone, and sensors. Through a sophisticated AI/ML pipeline, they interpret visual data captured by the camera and transform it into auditory output, aiding navigation, object detection, currency identification, facial recognition, and text reading from images. Affordable and inclusive, they prioritize incorporating local Indian languages, ensuring accessibility across diverse communities nationwide. Akumen AI gained recognition through their participation in the Startup Mahakumbh event Chosen among six startups out of 1500 contenders nationwide, they got to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, showcasing their innovative use of technology for social impact.
Dentist on Wheels
Dentist on Wheels is an innovative initiative founded by Ishaant Karoli in 2019, aiming to bring dental care directly to people’s doorsteps through expert dentists.Their expert dentists are available 24/7, providing high-quality dental services at the patient’s doorstep. Through their website or mobile app, patients can easily book appointments, select the desired service, and choose a convenient time and location. Dentist On Wheels confirms appointments promptly and sends reminders to ensure no missed visits. Upon confirmation, patients provide their medical/dental history via SMS, ensuring personalized care during appointments.They have transformed the traditional dental clinic model by offering accessible, efficient, and personalized dental care services, leaving a significant mark on the industry.
Helo Health
Helo Health, a new-age startup, prioritizes “diagnostics for all” through collaboration with practitioners, entrepreneurs, and health workers. Their innovative medical device conducts 51 tests, aiming to revolutionize healthcare accessibility. With cutting-edge design, automation, and machine learning, Helo Health delivers comprehensive solutions, fostering wellness and safety. Their flagship product is a portable diagnostics solution providing instant results within minutes. Utilizing self-service technology, system integration, and machine learning, Helo Health seeks to transform healthcare and wellness solutions for businesses and organizations.
Innaccel Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
Innaccel Technologies, based in Bengaluru, India, is on a mission to create innovative medical devices for global markets. They have a unique approach, using smart methods to find and solve important health problems. One of their focuses is on identifying and validating unmet clinical needs in India using the Stanford Biodesign method. This method helps them understand the most critical issues in healthcare.Their notable products include FETAL LITE, an AI-powered fetal monitoring system enhancing pregnancy and labor management, and VAPCARE, an intelligent automation system for oral hygiene in ventilated patients
Janitri Innovations Pvt. Ltd.
Janitri Innovations Private Limited, founded in 2016 and headquartered in Jaipur, Rajasthan, is dedicated to enhancing maternal and neonatal care during childbirth. They focus on developing sustainable, affordable, and user-friendly vital monitoring devices and software for the entire 1000-day journey of pregnancy, labor, and newborn care. Their medical-grade monitoring solutions include fetal, maternal, and newborn monitoring devices, supported by clinical research and patented technology to ensure accuracy and safety.
Lisners
Lisners, developed by Brightlanes Technologies Private Limited, is a Mental Health and Wellness App based in India. It aims to normalize mental health issues, providing insights, guidance, and professional support seamlessly integrated with technology and psychology. Lisners empowers users to find expert guidance from a range of professionals and emphasizes holistic well-being on their journey toward mental wellness.
Plenome
Plenome, a Chennai-based startup founded in 2023, specializes in providing blockchain-based solutions for healthcare services. Founded by Anirudh Varna, Prabhu Rajagopal, and two others, the company offers the Blocktrack application for appointment booking, IoT, electronic health records, clinical data management, and healthcare insurance calculation, alongside a smart card for teleconsultation and lab services. Operating in the B2B HealthTech market segment, Plenome stands out with its blockchain integration, comprehensive suite of services, focus on B2B clients, innovation in telemedicine, local market understanding, and founders’ expertise in technology and healthcare. Despite not raising funding rounds yet, Plenome has differentiated itself and carved a unique space in the competitive HealthTech industry.
There were numerous notable companies and budding startups like Neodocs, Nadipulse Prognostics Pvt Ltd, Orbislives Services Private Limited, Unino Healthcare Private Limited, and others that participated in Startup Mahakumbh making significant contributions.
Catalyzing Healthcare Innovation
Startup Mahakumbh serves as a crucial gathering where startups connect with investors, experts, and policymakers. These meetings lead to partnerships, investments, and sharing of ideas, driving progress in the sector. By focusing on local healthcare issues, startups develop solutions that make healthcare more accessible and relevant to everyone. This ensures that innovations meet the diverse needs of communities.
The ripple effects of this innovation extend beyond the healthcare realm, contributing significantly to job creation and economic growth. A flourishing startup ecosystem not only generates employment opportunities but also fosters a culture of creativity and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, successful homegrown healthtech companies bolster India’s global competitiveness, positioning the country as a beacon of healthcare innovation on the world stage.
