Grand Challenge - Healthcare
The Grand Challenge is aimed at supporting early-stage innovators to upscale from the R&D phase to developing workable prototypes and Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) for the Healthcare sector. 20 shortlisted innovators will be invited to attend a 2-week bootcamp. Of the 20 innovators, 4 will be supported in development of MVP(s)/ prototypes. The Grand Challenge is a part of the XR Startup Program, a collaboration between Meta and MeitY Startup Hub, and will be run and managed by Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT, IIT Delhi).
Applications are now closed
Meet the XR Startups & Innovators
- Harikrishnan M
- Wriddhi Hazra
- KRISHNA GUPTA
- Xeuron.ai
- Dr. Catherine Subhashini
- BattleX - Doctor
- SimoneFx Reality Labs Pvt. Ltd.
- Shashank Choudhary - CTXR
- Merkel Haptic Systems Pvt Ltd
- JCI-XR India (HiTime Plus OPC Private Limited)
- Convai Innovations Pvt. Ltd.
- NeuroLeap
- Physiopop LLP
- CogXR Labs Private Limited
- Rachit Pankaj Lalla - Padhai Karli
- RH RADEL TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS PRIVATE LIMITED
- Bhuvaneswari Lanka
- MetaCognito Health Labs
- Inion VR Technologies
- MIND KRAFT TECHNOLOGIES
Problem statements
The applications should propose ideas or solutions that leverage XR technologies for:
- Digital twinning of a healthcare facility, medical devices & human body i.e. virtual organs, genomic medicine, customize drug treatment, personalized health information, etc.
- Telemedicine & Surgical planning e.g. remote guidance, advance diagnosis
- Relieving the symptoms of mental disorders and fears e.g. anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, depression, etc.
- Guidance system for surgery, medical training, surgical simulation & rehearsal platform e.g. neurosurgical procedures
- Visualizing and interacting with the organs and tissue of a specific patient
Why should you apply?
1. Top 20 shortlisted innovators will receive the following benefits:
Opportunity to attend the bootcamp
Shortlist grant of ₹ 50,000 on successful completion of the bootcamp
2. Top 4 innovators out of the bootcamp will receive the following benefits:
Grant of ₹ 20,00,000 to be utilized solely for conversion of solution/ idea/ proof of concept to MVP/ prototype
Mentorship by industry experts and researchers
Access to a network of potential strategic partners and investors
Opportunity to participate and present at demo days and various industry events
Access to technology and infrastructure support
Eligibility
- Students studying at a university in India
- Entrepreneurs, working professionals, faculty or researchers based in India
- Aspiring Indian startups at the ideation stage or at pre-MVP/ prototype stage
Key target outcomes
- Development of workable MVP(s)/ prototypes
- Partnership/ customer connects
- Investor introductions
Program timeline
Application Start Date
August 2022
Application End Date
October 2022
Announcement of Top 20 Shortlisted Applicants
January 2023
Bootcamp
January 2023
Announcement of Top 4 Final Applicants
February 2023
Commencement of 6-month Program
March 2023
Demo Days
August 2023
Note: Dates/ timelines are subject to change. Kindly check this site regularly for the latest information.
Mentors
Knowledge partners
Ecosystem partners
Frequently Asked Questions
Eligible innovators can click here to submit the application form. They will need to provide information such as the description of solution/ idea/ proof of concept, how it addresses problem statements among other things. For reference, a copy of the application form can be downloaded from here. Applicants can submit only 1 application.
Innovators working on Extended Reality (XR) technologies in the gaming and entertainment sector and who fulfill the eligibility criteria mentioned above and detailed in the program terms and conditions available here may apply. All finalists (whether individual or startups) will be required to pursue their solution/idea with full dedication and commitment, and form a business entity for developing and marketing their solution/ idea before the conclusion of the program.
The terms and conditions of the Grand Challenge can be found here.
FITT will establish a 3-member panel to evaluate and shortlist the applications. The applications will then be discussed with the steering committee established by Meta in collaboration with MSH. The shortlisted applicants will be informed by FITT.
The selection will be based on the following criteria:
- Alignment of the proposed solution with the problem statement
- Uniqueness, originality and innovativeness of the proposed solution
- Effectiveness and practicability of the proposed solution
- Potential of the proposed solution to become a business opportunity at scale
In the event of a tie in the selection, the application with the highest score in the uniqueness, originality, and innovativeness of the proposed solution criterion will be considered.
20 innovators will be selected for the bootcamp. During the bootcamp, they will be required to pitch their proposal/ solution and will receive the shortlist grant. 4 innovators will be selected out of the bootcamp and provided with the program benefits mentioned above. To avail the benefits, the innovators must attend, participate, and complete the 6-month program.
The bootcamp will help the top 20 shortlisted innovators assess their ideas, evaluate market opportunity, establish unique value propositions, and hone an initial startup business plan. After completing the bootcamp, the shortlisted innovators will have to pitch their idea/ solution to the panel formed by FITT. The bootcamp will help shortlisted innovators make a Go/ No-Go decision about their startup ideas.
Individuals may participate collectively in a group of up to 4. Individuals may only participate 1 time in the program as an individual/ part of a team/ employee of a startup. Requirements set forth in T&Cs are applicable to each individual member of a team. Shortlist grant and program benefits will be given to the individual who applies to the program. For further details, refer to T&Cs.
Depending on your focus area, you can apply to only 1 implementation partner under the XR Startup Program. For further details, refer to T&Cs.
For further information, drop an email to tidefitt@gmail.com
All the program benefits mentioned on this page above shall be made available to the selected startups by FITT. For further details, refer to T&Cs.
About FITT
Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) at IIT Delhi has been the vanguard of knowledge transfer activities from academia since its inception in 1992. This techno-commercial organization from academia is counted amongst the successful such organizations. FITT provides superior program management services and is steadily increasing its operational landscape. The varied roles of FITT can be seen in enabling innovations and technopreneurship, business partnerships, technology development, consultancy, collaborative R&D, technology commercialization, development programs, and corporate memberships among others. These roles are necessitated by the key agenda of the foundation to showcase the institute’s “intellectual ware” to the industry, thereby unlocking its knowledge base and inculcating industrial relevance in teaching and research at IIT Delhi.