Bengaluru, July 13, 2022 – Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) announced the twelve finalists of the Qualcomm® Design in India Challenge 2022. Organized in collaboration with NASSCOM and Startup India, Qualcomm Design in India Challenge received close to 145 applications across industries. Through the program, each finalist will receive a grant of up to INR 3.2 lakh along with mentorship and access to Qualcomm Innovation Labs to help them build out their prototypes for various commercial use cases and applications. The finalists will also qualify to receive incentives for patent-filing, and business development opportunities from Qualcomm Technologies’ global sales and business teams.
The 12 finalists were selected from 24 startups that went through a virtual, rigorous selection process in June by a jury comprising of senior executives from within and outside Qualcomm India. The external jurors included Navratan Katariya, Director at NASSCOM CoE-IoT Bangalore, Dr. Tamaswati Ghosh, CEO, IITM Incubation Cell, Anurag Vibhuti, Executive Director at TCOE, and Suryaprakash Konanuru, CTO of Ideaspring Capital.
Launched in 2016 and in its seventh edition now, the program has incubated 77 startups representing Smart Infra (32%), Healthtech (25%), Robotics and Drones (13%), Automotive (8%), and several other verticals. With 5 exits via M&A and USD 165Mn funds raised, 25+ commercial products, and 300+ domestic and international patent filings broadly in the areas of IoT and electronics technologies, the Qualcomm Design in India Challenge continues to encourage local innovation and facilitate Indian hardware startups with the latest technologies. In line with the ‘Digital India’ initiative, the program focuses strongly on enabling these startups to develop innovative products and protect their intellectual property (IP). The Qualcomm Design in India Challenge is equity-free and offers the following benefits to its finalists:
- Grants: All shortlisted startups will receive an initial grant of INR 1.6 lakh at the beginning of the incubation period. A mid-cycle review will be held five months into the incubation, and the startups that meet the review requirements will receive an additional grant of INR 1.6 lakh. This will be followed by a jury pitching session in March 2023, where one winner and two runners-up will receive grants amounting to INR 65 lakhs, INR 50 lakhs, and INR 35 lakhs, respectively.
- Patent filing incentives: Each shortlisted startup will be eligible for reimbursement of up to INR 1.6 lakh for a full utility patent application filed with either the US PTO or India PTO in respect of the proposal for the Qualcomm Design in India Challenge and during the incubation phase of the program. This incentive is limited to two patent applications per startup.
- Opportunity to be incubated at NASSCOM CoE for IoT: At its discretion, Qualcomm India can recommend up to three shortlisted startups to be given a combined total of 30 seat months at a NASSCOM CoE for IoT at no cost to them without having to go through the standard application process.
- Accelerator services: Accelerator services including diagnostic assessments, workshop interventions on scaling parameters like operations, customers, etc., and seeking investments will be offered to all shortlisted startups, at no additional cost, through a partner.
- Benefits offered by MathWorks®: Through our association with MathWorks, all startups will be eligible to receive a host of benefits such as to access 12 months of free software and avail of up to 10 licenses based on their team size and requirements and receive full technical support and training at no additional charge.
- Engagement opportunities and relationship-building opportunities with the Government: The program offers opportunities for the finalists to engage with senior members of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
- Participation at industry events: Select startups will be given the opportunity to participate in relevant industry events either hosted by Qualcomm India or where Qualcomm India participates.
- Access to Innovation Commercialization Fund: Launched in 2019, the Innovation Commercialization Fund (ICF) will be utilized by the Qualcomm Design in India Challenge alumni startups to reimburse expenses incurred towards taking the product commercially.
Sudeepto Roy, Vice President, Engineering, Qualcomm Incorporated, said, “Qualcomm has been instrumental in the evolution of wireless technologies and working with ecosystem partners to advance mobile communication across the world. Mobile technologies are one of the key drivers of the innovation and digital transformation we are seeing across industries today. We believe strongly in the power of collaboration in enabling digital transformation and furthering innovation. It is with this intention that programs like Qualcomm Design in India Challenge were created to mentor and enable innovators with the tools and technologies and to solve the challenges of the future. With the support of organizations like Startup India and NASSCOM, we hope to nurture the immense entrepreneurial spirit in India.”
Rajen Vagadia, Vice President, Qualcomm India Private Limited and President, Qualcomm India & SAARC, said, “India has a thriving start-up ecosystem driven by enormous tech talent and a dynamic business environment. With the recent initiatives by the government to further made in India technologies, and focus on digital transformation, coupled with the adoption of 5G, we see even greater scope for innovations by Indian companies. Through the Qualcomm Design in India Challenge, we are committed to utilizing our expertise and established technologies in supporting these budding companies looking to build the tech solutions of tomorrow across smart infrastructure, industrial automation, wearables, and medical technology.”
The finalists of the Qualcomm Design in India Challenge 2022 come from diverse areas such as robotics, drone technology, and medical technology. The finalists and their respective solutions are as follows:
- Aerobiosys Innovations Private Limited: Building innovative products for patients with respiratory illness and providing access to affordable quality healthcare
- EyeROV (IROV) Technologies Private Limited: An underwater robotics company developing unmanned autonomous surface vehicles to be deployed in dams, rivers, and lakes
- React Labs Private Limited: A smart, connected, a self-cleaning home cooking appliance for Indian homes featuring 10 different functions
- AI (OPC) Pvt. Ltd.: A novel AyurDoc System integrated with conversational Artificial Intelligence, computer vision, and digital health sensors for first of its kind data-driven Deep Ayurveda Phenotyping
- Newndra Innovations Private Limited: An IoT-connected exoskeleton for industrial workers to ensure safety and productivity while reducing musculoskeletal disorder and fatigue
- TeraLumen Solutions Pvt. Ltd.: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence-enabled Terahertz System for accurate cancer margin detection
- Brainalive Research Pvt. Ltd.: A BCI Neuro-rehabilitative system for stroke-induced chronic disability
- Sparcolife Digital Healthcare Technologies Private Limited: “VYLI/20” – a bispectral camera for detecting and diagnosing mental health conditions
- Coratia Technologies Pvt. Ltd.: Artificial Intelligence-based underwater vehicle for inspecting submerged infrastructures
- TechEagle Innovations Private Limited: An AI/5G enabled on-demand drone delivery airline aimed at saving and improving lives
- FleetRF Private Limited: An airborne imaging and intelligence system set to transform the future of aerial operations
- Niral Networks Private Limited: A curated, disaggregated and open private 5G and edge platform for enterprises utilizing robots for industrial automation
Click here for more information on the Qualcomm Design in India Challenge
Qualcomm is the world’s leading wireless technology innovator and the driving force behind the development, launch, and expansion of 5G. When we connected the phone to the internet, the mobile revolution was born. Today, our foundational technologies enable the mobile ecosystem and are found in every 3G, 4G, and 5G smartphone. We bring the benefits of mobile to new industries, including automotive, the internet of things, and computing, and are leading the way to a world where everything and everyone can communicate and interact seamlessly.
Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our engineering, research, and development functions, and substantially all of our products and services businesses, including our QCT semiconductor business.
