MedySeva Wins DHN Innovation Challenge 2024

Bangalore, India, October 09th, 2024: The DHN Innovation Challenge 2024 wrapped up recently with a successful showcase of healthcare innovations that address pressing issues in the sector.

Organized by Digital Health News (DHN) in partnership with IIIT-Bangalore, 100X.VC and ScaleHealthTech, the event focused on leveraging technology to improve India’s patient care and healthcare delivery. Ninth Dimension was the program partner for this year’s challenge, which drew participation from leading innovators and startups nationwide. The event was supported by startup Karnataka and K-tech.

Over 200 startups participated in this year’s challenge, with 14 shortlisted for the pitch stage. Five finalists were selected to present at the demo day, showcasing groundbreaking healthcare solutions that address critical challenges in India’s healthcare system.

Meet the Judges
Our esteemed panel of judges represents a convergence of global and Indian expertise, bringing a wealth of experience from the forefront of healthcare and technology. These distinguished leaders critically evaluated and guided the next wave of transformative digital health innovations:

● Dr. Lakshmi Jaganathan – CEO, Innovation Centre, IIIT-B; EVP, COMET Foundation

● Mr. Feby Abraham – EVP, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Memorial Hermann Health System, Houston, TX

● Dr. Girish Kulkarni – Chairperson, CHIME India; Principal Consultant (Digital) at NIMHANS; CISO, IIIT-Bangalore

● Vishnu Saxena – Founder and CEO, DHN and ScaleHealthTech

● Sanjay Mehta – Founder and Partner, 100X.VC

● Dr. Ganesh Hiregoudar – Director, TSB OTE Engineering, Dell Technologies

Karnataka Health Minister Highlights Role of Innovation

Chief guest of the event, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao praised the innovation challenge initiative, saying, “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Debabrata Das, director of IIIT-B, and Mr. Saxena from DHN, along with everyone participating in this hackathon. Your innovative ideas have the potential to make a real impact in the healthcare and medtech sectors. While not every idea will succeed, those that do can significantly improve health outcomes, services, and care delivery”.

He acknowledged the participants’ efforts, noting, “The goal is to scale these solutions, reduce costs, and help many people—especially in a country like India, where we face massive-scale challenges. Technology, such as AI and tele-ICUs, is already playing a vital role in bridging gaps in specialist care, and it’s exciting to see what new ideas will emerge from initiatives like this.”

MedySeva Takes the Win

The top prize went to MedySeva, a startup offering telemedicine services focused on providing affordable healthcare access to underserved rural communities. Their platform connects patients in remote areas with qualified medical professionals, improving access to essential health services in regions lacking adequate medical infrastructure.

The runners-up were MicroHeal, developing an innovative, clinically validated protocol combining Drug + DTx to improve patient outcomes for chronic gut conditions, and Marbles Health, a startup focused on mental health support through an AI-driven platform.

Two other notable finalists were Janitri, which provides maternal health monitoring solutions, and Moss.ai, a company working on AI-driven clinical decision support tools for doctors by facilitating voice-to-text clinical note-taking with support in several Indian languages.

Key Remarks from Event Partners

Vishnu Saxena, Founder of DHN, praised the quality of ideas and solutions presented, stating, “Innovation knows no boundaries, and it requires great courage to launch a startup. Our primary aim is to scale solutions and reduce costs, particularly in India, where we face substantial challenges. Technologies like AI and tele-ICUs play a pivotal role in bridging gaps in specialist care. It is exciting to anticipate the new ideas that will emerge from initiatives like this, as meaningful partnerships will shape the future of healthcare.”

Professor Debabrata Das, Director of IIIT-Bangalore, reflected on the significance of technology in healthcare and highlighted how healthcare and technology must work together. He said, “The healthcare startup ecosystem in India is rapidly evolving and driven by a rising demand for accessible, affordable, and quality solutions. Today, we have around 7 to 10% of startups in the health sector, with over 7,000 health tech startups thriving across the country. The Centre has played a vital role in creating technological solutions for healthcare and fostering collaboration within the clinical community.”

The event marked another milestone in India’s healthcare journey, bringing together startups, healthcare leaders, and innovators to collaborate on shaping the future of healthtech.