Anant National University and India Accelerator host Swaastha Healthcare Demo Day for start-ups

Anant National University, in partnership with India Accelerator, organised the inaugural Swaastha Healthcare Accelerator Demo Day, focusing on supporting healthcare and allied-domain start-ups across India. The event featured start-ups with deployed or deployment-ready solutions and aimed to create an ecosystem of collaboration among entrepreneurs, mentors, industry leaders, and investors.

The Demo Day, part of the Swaastha initiative launched earlier this year, provided a platform for selected start-ups to present their solutions to potential investors. M Nagarajan, IAS, Collector and District Magistrate of Mehsana, attended the event as the Chief Guest.

The event attracted a group of 20 investors, including Jatin Lal, Head of Mergers and Acquisitions at Piramal Pharma, alongside representatives from India Accelerator, Cognoscent Ventures, ICICI Bank, IDFC, Shurup, angel investors, and incubation centres.

From 180 applications submitted to the Swaastha programme, eight start-ups were selected to pitch their innovative solutions. These included initiatives focused on foetal, maternal, and newborn health monitoring, animal-free alternatives, anaemia prevention, technology-driven healthcare delivery, precision tools for IVF treatment, AI-powered rehabilitation, sleep and emotional health solutions, and affordable medical equipment rental. The start-ups also presented their funding requirements to the investors.

India Accelerator committed ₹53 lakh in funding for the start-up Janitri. Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed with Genesis Biotech, Helyxon, and Cosmo Ecosystem Care to support their business scaling efforts. Students from Anant National University will collaborate with the start-ups, contributing their expertise in design. The Swaastha Healthcare Coffee Table Book was also launched during the event.

M Nagarajan, IAS, praised the initiative, stating, “The Swaastha Accelerator Programme is a textbook example of execution and should be replicated by others in the ecosystem.”

Dr Anunaya Chaubey, Provost of Anant National University, highlighted the impact of start-ups, saying, “All communities across the world need people who can solve problems and create jobs, and that is precisely what these start-ups represent.”

Munish Bhatia, Co-Founder of India Accelerator, remarked, “We are proud to have been part of this groundbreaking programme that unites academia, acceleration, and industry. By supporting these start-ups, we aim to create a thriving healthcare ecosystem for innovation.”

Since its inception, Swaastha has conducted 30 mentorship sessions featuring industry speakers to provide guidance to participating start-ups. The programme focuses on connecting start-ups with industry professionals and clinical trial support to enhance their ability to scale innovative healthcare solutions.