Pfizer to fund six startups through INDovation program for healthcare

In collaboration with the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (NIPER)-Ahmedabad, the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), NITI Aayog, and Social Alpha, Pfizer has announced six winners of the NIPER-A edition of its flagship INDovation program for healthcare startups.

Since the launch of this partnership in February 2024, Pfizer has received applications from over 200 startups across the country, focusing on solutions for timely screening and cost-effective diagnostic tools.

The criteria for selecting the final six included the potential impact of the product or solution, level of technological innovation, uniqueness of the value proposition, competitive advantage, financial and operational scalability, and clarity of the future roadmap.

Each winning startup will receive a grant of Rs 25 lakh from Pfizer, while NIPER-Ahmedabad will provide comprehensive incubation support to help accelerate their lab-to-market journey. According to the DoP, these six startups are the first to secure funding and are also approved for support in pre-clinical and clinical studies.

The winners include Aarca Research, Babycue, Biolockey Healthworks, Brela Innovations, RNT Health Insights, and Utopic Tech. Pfizer aims to provide these startups with full support to bring their groundbreaking ideas to market, delivering on the promise of making a significant difference in healthcare delivery across the country.