Fortis Healthcare and IHH Healthcare have recognised three innovative Indian startups developing solutions in Tele-ICU, AI-assisted cancer detection and CAR-T therapy through their inaugural healthcare accelerator programme.
Mumbai/New Delhi: Healthcare innovation in India received a boost with the conclusion of the inaugural IHH Catalyst | Fortis India Edition, an accelerator programme that recognised three startups working in critical care, artificial intelligence and cancer treatment after a 12-week mentorship and clinical validation programme.
The programme, jointly conducted by IHH Healthcare and Fortis Healthcare, drew 195 applications from across the country, with 10 healthcare startups shortlisted for clinical mentoring, operational refinement and pilot validation within the Fortis hospital network before presenting their innovations before an independent jury.
Tele-ICU platform wins top honour
The top award went to eNext ICU, whose Tele-ICU platform enables round-the-clock remote monitoring of critically ill patients by specialist intensivists. The model is designed to address the shortage of intensive care specialists, particularly in Tier-II and Tier-III cities, while also providing simulation-based training for doctors and nurses. According to organisers, the platform has demonstrated improved clinical outcomes during validation.
AI for cancer detection
The first runner-up, RNT Health Insights, showcased an AI-assisted medical device aimed at improving the early detection of upper gastrointestinal cancers during routine endoscopy procedures. The technology provides real-time decision support to clinicians, helping identify subtle lesions that might otherwise be overlooked and improving diagnostic accuracy.
Faster CAR-T therapy
The second runner-up, Cartogene Therapeutics, is developing indigenous CAR-T cell therapy for blood cancers with a significantly reduced treatment timeline of around 8 to 10 days, potentially making advanced cancer treatment more accessible and affordable for Indian patients.
Beyond awards: Bridging the gap between innovation and hospitals
Unlike conventional startup competitions, the programme focused on helping startups move beyond proof-of-concept by providing access to clinicians, hospital infrastructure, regulatory guidance and commercialisation support. The selected startups worked alongside Fortis specialists to validate clinical use cases and assess real-world implementation.
The inaugural cohort represented innovations across five healthcare domains, including patient care workflows, preventive and predictive healthcare, chronic disease management, multidisciplinary care and oncology. Besides the three winners, the cohort included CarePal Money, Tatvacare, MicroHeal, Nalagenetics, Sunfox Technologies, Kubo Care and Cureous Labs.
Growing healthcare innovation ecosystem
India has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing healthcare startup ecosystems, although many innovations struggle to move beyond pilot projects into mainstream hospital adoption. Industry experts believe structured accelerator programmes that combine clinical mentorship with healthcare infrastructure could help bridge this gap by enabling startups to validate technologies before wider deployment.
Following the India edition, IHH Healthcare plans to expand the Catalyst programme to other markets, with the next regional edition scheduled to be held in Hong Kong.
