The Pfizer INDovation Program boosts six health start-ups with cumulative grant worth Rs 1.5 Cr

The programme aims to accelerate the development of six Indian innovations to improve the ease of access to diagnostics and treatment monitoring

Pfizer in collaboration with NIPER-Ahmedabad, the Department of Pharmaceuticals, NITI Aayog and Social Alpha, announced the six winners of the NIPER-A edition of Pfizer’s flagship INDovation program for healthcare start-ups.

Since the launch of the partnership in February 2024, Pfizer has received applications from over 200 start-ups across the country focusing on solutions for timely screening and cost-effective diagnostic tools. The shortlisting criteria to decide the final six included the potential impact of

the product/solution, level of technological innovation, uniqueness of the value proposition, competitive advantage, financial and operational scalability, and clarity on the future roadmap.

The winning start-ups will receive a grant of Rs 25 lakhs each from Pfizer, while NIPER-Ahmedabad will provide comprehensive incubation support that will help accelerate their lab-to-market journey.

The winners include Aarca Research, Babycue, Biolockey Healthworks, Brela Innovations, RNT Health Insights and Utopic Tech.

Dr Arunish Chawla, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals said, "Encouraging indigenous innovation in healthcare is not merely a priority, but a responsibility shared by all who are a part of this ecosystem. Our support for this collaboration between Pfizer and NIPER-A highlights the potential of start-ups bringing innovations that can advance the delivery of healthcare in the country."

Meenakshi Nevatia, MD, Pfizer said, “At Pfizer, we are deeply committed to fostering innovations and breakthroughs that improve patients’ lives. With grants from Pfizer and incubation support from our programme partners, I am confident that these start-ups will get the full support to rapidly bring their groundbreaking ideas to the market and deliver the promise of making a significant difference in healthcare delivery in our country.”

Dr Shailendra Saraf, Director NIPER-Ahmedabad, said, “Through our collaboration with Pfizer, we will offer program acceleration support to help these start-ups scale their solutions effectively thus enabling to develop a strong healthcare ecosystem in India.”

"These six start-ups chosen through the Pfizer INDovation programme exemplify the ingenuity and resilience needed to bridge critical healthcare gaps in diagnostics and treatment,” said Manoj Kumar, Founder, Social Alpha. “By providing comprehensive support, from grants to mentorship to market acceleration, we aim to amplify their potential to create diagnostic solutions that are both accessible and impactful, particularly for communities in need."