ISB DLabs’ I-HEAL empowers startups to deliver scalable healthcare for all

The third cohort of the I‑HEALaccelerator program—supported by healthtech unicorn CitiusTech—has successfully concluded, driving advancements in digital health and healthcare accessibility. 15 high-impact startups joined the program, carefully selected for their transformative healthcare solutions. These startups span diverse thematic areas, including digital health, women and children, healthcare disease diagnostics, healthcare management and infrastructure, and the geriatric population.

Participating startups gained access to ISB’s extensive network of mentors, investors, and industry leaders, along with unique opportunities to collaborate with hospitals and investor partners. From AI-powered diagnostics to innovative health infrastructure solutions, I-HEAL (Healthcare Entrepreneurship and Acceleration Lab) is empowering the next wave of healthcare disruptors with the tools, mentorship, and access they need in digital health, diagnostics, and care delivery.

Why I-HEAL was born

The inspiration behind I-HEAL stems from a commitment to accelerating innovation within India’s healthcare landscape by empowering early-stage startups addressing critical healthcare challenges. At the core of this initiative is ISB’s DLabs, which is dedicated to fostering high-impact entrepreneurial ecosystems. Through various programs and courses, ISB has consistently supported healthcare innovation, with I-HEALemerging as a key platform to fuel the growth of healthcare entrepreneurs.

Serving as a launchpad, I-HEAL brings together domain experts, industry mentors, investors, and healthcare institutions to support startups focused on digital health, diagnostics, and care delivery. The program aligns closely with ISB I-Venture’s broader mission of nurturing innovation across sectors through mentorship, partnerships, and real-world impact.

Healthcare has been chosen as a key focus sector because of its urgent need for transformation in access, affordability, and quality of care in India. “The pandemic accelerated interest in digital health, but systemic issues like fragmented infrastructure, lack of clinical validation partners, and regulatory complexities still limit startup success,” says Saumya Kumar, Director, ISB I-Venture.

One of the unique challenges in building a healthcare-focused accelerator in India has been securing hospital partnerships for clinical trials and real-world testing, which is critical for credibility and scaling. Additionally, aligning deep tech healthcare solutions with real clinical workflows has proven complex but necessary for long-term impact.

Program timeline and structure

I-HEAL runs over a structured 12-week period:

• Call for applications (October–November): Startups are invited to apply during this period, and showcase their innovative solutions in the healthcare domain.
• Screening and onboarding: Applicants are evaluated based on key criteria including a minimum technology readiness level of 5, the novelty of their innovation, scalability potential, and the strength of the founding team.
• Acceleration phase: Selected startups undergo an intensive program comprising targeted mentorship sprints, three digital training sessions, Strategy Day with expert-led guidance, investment bootcamp to sharpen fundraising skills, and a healthcare conclave for industry networking and collaboration.
• Demo Day: The program culminates in a pitch event where startups present to investors, healthcare leaders, and ecosystem stakeholders.

Startups are chosen for I-HEAL based on problem relevance, innovation, scalability, founder team commitment, and readiness for clinical validation or early market entry.

How startups benefit

Besides a deep need-based mentorship, the startups stand to gain from strategic introductions to hospitals and corporates and exclusive investor networking opportunities that will help secure funding and business collaborations. They will get access to leading hospitals and healthcare institutions for real-world validation and pilot studies, ensuring their solutions are market-ready and clinically viable.

The program’s hospital partners—Max Institute of Healthcare Management, Yenepoya Technology Incubator, KIMS Hospitals, Continental Hospitals, GIMS Startup Centre for Medical Innovation, and Tata Memorial Centre—provide clinical infrastructure, access to practitioners and patients, and pilot implementation opportunities for startups to validate their solutions in real-world healthcare settings​.

Success stories from I-HEAL

Several startups that have emerged from I-HEAL exemplify the accelerator’s commitment to advancing healthcare across diagnostics, AI-driven therapeutics, and accessible home care solutions.

The Healthcare Conclave convened innovators, investors, and healthcare leaders to explore transformative solutions shaping the future of health. Startups got a chance to showcase their products to 1200+ attendees including startup enthusiasts, students, investors, and experts.

To further fuel innovation, I-HEAL hosted HackFest, receiving over 71 applications. Ten promising teams were shortlisted to develop solutions based on real-world problem statements provided by hospital partners. This innovation sprint brought together startups and tech enthusiasts to solve real-world healthcare challenges using data, design, and technology. The top 3 winning teams were awarded prize money of up to Rs 2.25 lakh.

For instance, Remap Intelligence is revolutionizing neurorehabilitation through home-based therapy tools that bring clinical care directly to patients’ homes. Onward Assist offers AI-powered diagnostic solutions to support oncologists with faster, more accurate cancer pathology insights.

In this edition, I-HEAL has facilitated over 100 investment meetings, supported 15 startups, and trained 170 healthcare professionals.

The road ahead

As the program is set to continue to evolve in line with India’s healthcare priorities​, Mr. Kumar says they plan to expand I-HEAL both geographically and thematically. “Our potential next steps include introducing more startups every year; adding focus areas like mental health, elder care, and preventive health; deepening engagement and innovation by fueling the innovators to build reliable and real-world solutions through HackFest and Bootcamps; and enhancing international partnerships for global validation,” he says.

The future of Indian healthcare lies in personalized, tech-enabled, and affordable care, driven by data and AI. Accelerators like I-HEAL are essential in this transformation, acting as translators between innovation and impact, helping early-stage startups navigate clinical, regulatory, and market challenges. Their role is only set to grow in shaping inclusive, patient-centric healthcare systems for the country​.