Health Cohort · January 2027

From innovation to healthier lives.

A 3-month accelerator for BITSian healthcare founders with an early product or an active pilot.

Applications open15 Nov
Apply by15 Dec
Selection7–15 Jan
Cohort starts20 Jan
Focus areas
Digital Health & AIMedTechWomen’s HealthMental HealthPreventive & Chronic CareDiagnostics

What you get

Support from Alumni-led Accelerator: BITS Pilani Startup Hub, Bengaluru

13-month programmeClear milestones, from problem to fundraising readiness.
2CoachingA cohort coach, plus a one-to-one coach for your startup.
3Expert networkMeet BITSian founders and healthcare experts.
4Industry and pilotsIntroductions to partners and pilots. Outcomes depend on fit.
5Investor exposurePitch to investors. Investment is not guaranteed.
6Startup Hub supportPossible access to workspace, interns and cloud credits, plus AI-based progress tracking.

The three months

Tailored to each startup.

M1Month 1: UnderstandReview your model, product and users. Agree on milestones.
M2Month 2: ValidateTest with customers or pilots. Meet experts, partners and founders.
M3Month 3: Plan aheadSharpen your model and pitch. Leave with a clear roadmap.

Who can apply

Your startup should tick all four.

  • At least one founder is a BITS Pilani alumnus/alumna with meaningful equity
  • You have an early product or an active pilot (no idea-stage startups)
  • You are solving a clear healthcare problem for a clear set of people
  • Your founders can commit to the full three months

How selection works

Apply by 15 December. Final criteria and interview format will be shared.

1ApplyFill in the form below by 15 December. Ten short sections, saved as you go.
2InterviewTalk with the selection committee about your problem, evidence and team.
3SelectionDecisions between 7 and 15 January. The cohort starts on 20 January in Bengaluru.

What the committee looks at

Importance of the problemTeam and founder fitEvidence of needWhat makes you differentPotential to scaleReady to benefit

Selection committee

Swathi KulkarniMD, Konovo
Co-Founder Elda Health, Nua (Lagom Labs)
Vibhav JoshiCo-founder & Director, Product, InnAccel
Anirban RoyFaculty-in-Charge, BGIIES, BITS Goa
Mridula GoelFounding Lead, BITS Pilani Startup Hub, Bengaluru
A healthcare founder/operatorTo be confirmed
Two investor representativesTo be confirmed
Do you take equity or IP?

IP stays with the startup. Any programme terms are stated in the offer to selected teams.

Can we attend remotely?

The cohort runs in Bengaluru. Founders should be ready to take part actively for three months.

Apply · Applications close 15 December

Apply to Vitalize

Ten short sections. Your answers save in this browser as you go. Questions: connect.blr@bits-pilani.ac.in

Read-only preview of the application form, all sections. To fill it in, open this file in Chrome or Safari.

01 / 10

Startup and primary contact

Who is applying and how to reach you.

Leave blank if not yet incorporated.
Month and year.
02 / 10

Founding team

Name · role · full-time or part-time · LinkedIn. One row per person.
03 / 10  Scored separately

The healthcare problem

This is not a pitch. We are reading for the significance of the problem, how well you understand the people in it, and whether your approach is different for a reason.

Explain it simply. A reader outside your field should understand what it does.
Up to 250 words0 / 250 words
Patient, clinician, hospital, employer, insurer, government scheme. In healthcare these are usually different people. Name them.
Up to 150 words0 / 150 words
Name the products, services or workarounds people use today, and say what they do well.
Up to 150 words0 / 150 words
Field observation, data from a pilot, a policy shift, a failure you witnessed first-hand.
Up to 200 words0 / 200 words
Price, what the payer compares it to, margin, recurring revenue, and the scale you believe is reachable in five years.
Up to 200 words0 / 200 words
04 / 10  Scored separately

Stage and evidence

How far along you are and what evidence you have that it works and that people want it. Numbers, not adjectives.

Users, sites, patients served, revenue, retention, outcomes measured, letters of intent. Say what is very important that has not been validated yet.
Up to 250 words0 / 250 words
Sensitivity, adherence, time saved, cost per case, outcome change; study design and n where you have it.
Up to 200 words0 / 200 words
Consent, where data lives, who can access it, DPDP compliance. Do not include any patient-level data in this application.
Up to 100 words0 / 100 words
05 / 10

How the team operates

Short, direct answers are fine.

Name each key person and what they own.
Up to 100 words0 / 100 words
Up to 100 words0 / 100 words
06 / 10

Capital and runway

Planning information only. Amounts are not assessed as a measure of ambition.

Equity, grants and convertible notes. Enter 0 if none.
07 / 10  Scored separately

What you hope to achieve through Vitalize

Where support is most needed, and what success looks like at the end of three months.

Pick up to 3.
Pick up to 30 selected
Up to 150 words0 / 150 words
One or two measurable outcomes.
Up to 100 words0 / 100 words
Up to 100 words0 / 100 words
08 / 10

Commitment and availability

Vitalize runs three months from 20 January 2027.

Up to 100 words0 / 100 words
09 / 10

Documents, links and video

Attach what you already have. Nothing here needs to be made for this application.

PDF up to 15 MB, or a link.
No file chosen
A pilot report, study protocol, outcomes summary or product documentation.
No file chosen
Show the product or pilot and say what you want to achieve through Vitalize. Production quality is not assessed.
No file chosen
10 / 10

Final confirmations

Review

Review and submit

Some sections still need answers. Open a section to finish it.

01Startup and primary contactnot started
02Founding teamnot started
03The healthcare problemnot started
04Stage and evidencenot started
05How the team operatesnot started
06Capital and runwaynot started
07What you hope to achieve through Vitalizenot started
08Commitment and availabilitynot started
09Documents, links and videonot started
10Final confirmationsnot started
When every section is complete, Save and submit locks your answers, downloads your application file, and opens an email to connect.blr@bits-pilani.ac.in with the subject Vitalize application — [startup name]. Attach the downloaded file plus your deck, test report and video.
Submit is enabled once all sections show "complete".

01 Startup and primary contact

Startup name
Not answered
Focus area
Not answered
Type of legal entity
Not answered
Company registration number (CIN / LLPIN)
Not answered
DPIIT Startup India recognised?
Not answered
Date operations began
Not answered
City where the team is based
Not answered
Website
Not answered
Primary contact — full name
Not answered
Primary contact — role
Not answered
Primary contact — email
Not answered
Primary contact — mobile
Not answered

02 Founding team

Founders and key team members
Not answered
BITS Pilani alumnus/alumna founder — name, campus, roll number
Not answered
Total team size today (incl. founders, employees, interns)
Not answered

03 The healthcare problem

The product or pilot. What have you built?
Not answered
Who uses it, who pays for it, and who decides?
Not answered
What differentiates your approach, and what are the existing alternatives?
Not answered
The insight. What have you seen, measured or learned that gives you conviction?
Not answered
The business. How does this become a meaningful and sustainable company?
Not answered

04 Stage and evidence

Current stage
Not answered
What exists today?
Not answered
Traction and validation to date
Not answered
Evidence that it works. What have you measured, against what baseline, and in what setting?
Not answered
Ethics and data
Not answered
How is patient or user health data handled?
Not answered
Regulatory pathway that applies
Not answered

05 How the team operates

Team roles and responsibilities. Who does what?
Not answered
Team qualifications. What are the key members' qualifications and relevant experience?
Not answered

06 Capital and runway

Total external funding raised to date (INR)
Not answered
Sources
Not answered
Runway at current burn (months)
Not answered
Amount you intend to raise in the next 12 months (INR)
Not answered

07 What you hope to achieve through Vitalize

Where is support most needed?
Not answered
Support sought. What specifically would you draw on from coaches, the network and partners?
Not answered
What does success look like at the end of month 3?
Not answered
Which introductions would make the biggest difference, and why?
Not answered

08 Commitment and availability

Can the founding team commit to the full three-month programme from 20 January?
Not answered
Presence in Bengaluru during the cohort
Not answered
How many founders are full-time on the startup?
Not answered
Any constraints we should know about: other programmes, travel, academic or clinical commitments
Not answered
Are you currently in, committed to, or awaiting a decision from another incubator, accelerator or grant programme?
Not answered

09 Documents, links and video

Pitch deck or startup overview
Not answered
Evidence document
Not answered
Video of up to 90 seconds
Not answered
Public links
Not answered

10 Final confirmations

We understand Vitalize is a 3-month health cohort for startups with an early product or active pilot, and at least one of our founders is a BITS Pilani alumnus/alumna with a meaningful equity stake.
Not answered
The information in this application is accurate and was written by the founding team.
Not answered
We have not included any patient-level or personally identifiable health data in this application.
Not answered
We understand that all intellectual property created by the startup remains with the startup.
Not answered
We consent to our application being read by the Vitalize selection committee, coaches and programme partners for selection and programme administration.
Not answered