16 Assistive Technology startups receive seed grants worth ₹78.5 Lakhs at the EMPOWER 2024 Pitch Day

Thiruvananthapuram, October 18, 2024:

India is a startup nation, and assistive technology is a globally growing market. For the first time, there was a pitch day at the premiere Indian assistive technology conference, EMPOWER 2024, a landmark move to accelerate innovation and inclusion in the AT sector. Held at the National Institute for Speech and Hearing (NISH) in Kerala, the team behind ATTVARAN accelerator brought together 28 startups with a shared mission of advancing assistive technologies for people with disabilities and the elderly. 

The Attvaran accelerator is a collaborative initiative between the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub), University College London (UCL), IIT Delhi and IIT Madras. Its mission is to empower early-stage innovators and entrepreneurs to develop affordable AT solutions for people with disabilities and the elderly in India and globally. UCL and IIT Delhi have long-standing research collaborations on accelerating disability innovations, which have led to the formation of the Attvaran partnership. The UK Foreign Commonwealth Development Office funds the project as part of the AT2030 programme and collaborations with India, leading AT innovation for the region. Ventures joining Attvaran receive expert technical assistance alongside ecosystem support for partnerships from Indaa to Africa and the UK.

Thryve Mobility demonstrate the lightness of their wheelchair. 

What made this initiative stand out at EMPOWER 2024 was the dual-track approach. An Angel / VC round, where we brought together 16 investors to critically assess 14 ventures and invest in the future of AT. Supported by the Kerala Medical Technology Consortium (KMTC) and Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), sixteen angel and VC investors attended the Angel and VC pitch track. This was complemented by conversations with KMTC to connect to the manufacturing opportunities in the region.

Second, the Attvaran partnership joined with the National Centre for the Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) to deliver a pitch day for earlier stage ventures. The Mphasis Foundation facilitated grant Funding, and 16 ventures received ₹78.5 Lakhs ($93k) between them. The Attvaran partners match this in technical assistance.  The jury panel included industry experts: Pradeep Gupta, Chairman of Cybermedia Group and NCPEDP Chair; Saurabh Bajpayi, Deputy General Manager of SIDBI; Dr. Ravinder Singh, Senior Scientist at ICMR; Ganesh Nayek, Director at STPI; and Prof. Catherine Holloway, Co-founder and Academic Director of the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub). 

Prof Holloway testing a prototype of a new education as a service tactile graphic pad for visually impaired users  -  uDot Braille Tech

Seed grant winners

The Seed Grant winners include diverse startups focusing on innovative assistive technologies. These include new powered mobility solutions, upcoming smart glasses and a refreshable tactile display system. These startups, driven by a deep understanding of the challenges faced by people with disabilities, are creating cutting-edge solutions to improve accessibility. The seed grants empower ventures to take their products to the next level, expanding their reach and impact on society. 

Grants supported a number of promising ventures including:

• Ai.gnosis:  a pioneering healthcare ​startup dedicated to revolutionizing early autism detection in India.
• Thryv Mobility: accessible and sustainable transportation solutions for people with disabilities.
• uDot Braille Tech Pvt Ltd: making education equitable for the visually impaired by developing a dynamic tactile interface.
• Aural App: Building literacy platforms for deaf and hard of hearing people.
• Cognitii (Neurodiverge Labs Private Limited): Personalized special needs learning solutions
  
• Dextroware Devices: Helps people with various conditions use computers without the need for a mouse or any pointing device. 
  
• Grailmaker Innovations Private Limited: A smartphone and QR-based solution designed to improve accessibility in public spaces such as offices, schools, and art galleries for individuals with visual impairments by offering audio descriptions.
  
• Iwayplus Pvt Ltd.: Providing Digital Access to Urban Public Spaces - Compact and Scalable Solution
  
• Ksham Innovation Private Limited: Transforming hearing care in India to meet and exceed global standards
  
• MULTIFLY LIFESTYLE PRIVATE LIMITED: Creating adaptive clothing that combines fashion with functionality, empowering individuals with disabilities to dress with ease, independence, and dignity.
  
• Panoculon Labs Pvt. Ltd.: Environment perception systems to help people and machines better understand the world around them.
  
• Phonologix Health Solutions Pvt Ltd: making speech therapy and early intervention accessible to ensure every child gets an equal opportunity to overcome their speech, language and communication challenges.
  
• The Able Company (BeyondBarrier Products Pvt. Ltd.): Innovative and affordable adaptive products.
• True Assistive Technology: Assistive tech products of International standards that enable disability inclusion
• UpliftiQ: accessible, quality courses and workshops, fostering skills and confidence that empower individual freedom.
  
• Wheel Ease Solutions: Clip Ease is a revolutionary electric kit designed to enhance the mobility experience of wheelchair users

Prof. Catherine Holloway added, "EMPOWER combined with ATTVARAN bring together the best research and innovation practices. The standard of ventures was exceptional, and I look forward to working with many of them as they develop.” 

Prof. Balakrishnan said, “I was excited to see investors through ATTVARAN participating in EMPOWER. This has introduced a new dimension to EMPOWER and the ecosystem—clearly, this has the potential to facilitate scaling up of innovations presented in the conference.”

Dr Tigmanshu Bhatnagar said, “The investors' feedback is that startups addressed very impactful problems, and most are totally investable. The mentors and guest speakers on the Attvaran program have been exceptional and essential to the venture's success.”

Panoculon Labs, part of the IITM Research Park and the Attvaran cohort, won a 5 lakh grant from the Mphasis Foundation.

More details

Global Disability Innovation (GDI) Hub accelerates ideas into impact for a more just world - for disabled people, and all people. We are a world leading delivery and practice centre, an Academic Research Centre at UCL (University College London) and the first WHO Global Collaborating Centre on Assistive Technology (AT). We work in 40+ countries, with a reach of more than 37 million people since 2016, GDI Hub develops homegrown technologies alongside new knowledge and research. In collaboration with global partners we deliver accelerators and market shaping initiatives - building ecosystems with a focus on low-and middle-income countries. 

The UK Aid-funded AT2030 programme tests ‘what works’ to improve access to life-changing Assistive Technology (AT) for all.  Operational in 40+ countries and working with more than 70 global delivery partners, AT2030 creates deep community leadership and engagement to generating new evidence & insights, we answer critical research questions and develop foundational methodologies, addressing intersectional challenges and research and evidence gaps. 

From incubating future tech inspired solutions to venture acceleration, we bring effective solutions to market by testing new mechanisms and ambitious scaling pathways, while strengthening systems to make inclusion a reality. We embed disability innovation into national policy landscapes, stimulating demand, activating country pilots and creating enabling markets environment in Low-and Middle- Income Countries.

NCAHT (National Center for Assistive Health Technologies) at IIT Delhi aims at advancing Assistive Technology Research, Development and Access by focusing on Innovation, Capacity Building, Outreach, Dissemination and Experiential Centres for AT. NCAHT has Saksham, TTK Centre for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2) at IIT Madras and National Institute for Speech and Hearing Impairment (NISH) as its partners and Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) as funding body.