Activities - Innovation Centre

Start-up Founder’s Felicitation Ceremony 2025

The Innovation Centre, MAHE hosted the Start-up Founder’s Felicitation Ceremony on 22 November 2025 at the Senate Hall, EDU Building. Mr. Bikram Singh Bedi, Vice President – Asia Pacific Strategic Initiatives at Google Cloud, and Lt. Gen. (Dr.) M. D. Venkatesh, Vice Chancellor, MAHE graced the ocassion.

A group of exceptional student founders who have demonstrated outstanding entrepreneurial achievements were honoured. Their startups have secured prestigious national and international recognitions, including major competition wins, NIDHI-EIR and NIDHI-PRAYAS grants, incubation support from leading innovation centres, and selections in top deep-tech lists. They have developed impactful products across domains such as semiconductors, HealthTech, AI-driven systems, manufacturing technology, and consumer wellness—while generating employment, revenue, and real-world market traction.

These young innovators reflect MAHE’s strong startup culture and its commitment to nurturing technology-driven ventures. The felicitation event will celebrate their success and inspire future innovators across the university.

Lifeathon 2.0 Launch and Phase 0:   Fostering Interdisciplinary Innovation

On July 18, 2025, Lifeathon 2.0 was launched at Dr. TMA Pai Hall 3, KMC Manipal, marking the start of a collaborative innovation journey at MAHE. The launch, attended by over 250 participants, featured the unveiling of the Lifeathon video, a symbolic sapling planting, and felicitations for Lifeathon 2024 winners. Following the ceremony, Phase 0 began, where 68 problem statements in health sciences were presented by teams of 2–4 members to mentors from MAHE’s incubation ecosystem. Participants received personalized guidance, constructive feedback, and evaluations to refine their ideas for real-world impact. Over 1,500 visitors engaged with the exhibition across two days, fostering networking, interdisciplinary collaboration, and ongoing Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for team participation. Lifeathon 2.0 Phase 0 successfully set the foundation for solution development, prototyping, and implementation, reflecting MAHE’s commitment to impactful, cross-disciplinary innovation.

Lifeathon 2.0 – Phase 1

Phase 1 of Lifeathon 2.0 was held on 30–31 July 2025 at MIT Manipal, bringing together students, clinicians, researchers, and faculty for interdisciplinary collaboration. A total of 78 posters, including internal and industry-submitted problem statements, were exhibited. With over 1,500 visitors, the event facilitated active discussions, expert feedback, and multiple Expressions of Interest (EOIs), helping teams begin forming cross-functional collaborations. Phase 1 successfully set the stage for solution development and prototype exploration.

Lifeathon 2.0 – Phase 2

Phase 2 of Lifeathon 2.0 took place on 23 October 2025 at KMC Manipal, where 45 interdisciplinary teams presented their healthcare solutions to expert reviewers from clinical, technical, and industry backgrounds. The MAHE IPTTO supported teams with patent filing guidance, while participants also engaged in discussions with Lifeathon 2024 winners and TAPMI’s Business Clinic. Phase 2 strengthened idea refinement, IP readiness, and entrepreneurial thinking, further advancing teams toward prototype and implementation stages.

Startup Yoga: Promoting Entrepreneurial Well-being at MAHE

On February 1, 2025, the Innovation Centre, MAHE, in collaboration with the Yoga Department of KMC, hosted Startup Yoga, a unique initiative emphasizing the importance of mental and physical well-being for aspiring entrepreneurs. The event, attended by student founders, E-Cell members, and faculty, was graced by dignitaries including Dr. Raviraja N S, COO, MAHE, Cdr Dr. Anil Rana, Director MIT, and Dr. Somashekara Bhat, Joint Director MIT. Participants engaged in guided yoga sessions, mindfulness exercises, and Gait Analysis led by David Saldanha (Aion Health Solutions) and Biobreath Health Solutions, promoting holistic health alongside entrepreneurial resilience. Startup Yoga highlighted MAHE’s commitment to nurturing not only innovative minds but also physically and mentally strong entrepreneurs, setting an energizing tone for the upcoming Manipal Entrepreneurship Summit (MES) 2025.

SoftLaunch 2025: Bridging Academia and Startup Innovation

SoftLaunch 2025, organized by Finova in collaboration with the Innovation Centre, MAHE, was held as a two-day experiential event designed to immerse students in rapid prototyping, pitching, and entrepreneurial execution. Conducted with over 200 participants across 50+ teams, the event offered hands-on exposure to AI-assisted coding, low-code/no-code MVP development, and startup ideation techniques like Design Thinking and the Lean Startup Canvas. Industry mentors guided participants through multiple rounds, providing real-time feedback on feasibility, market potential, and scalability, while a ₹30,000 prize pool recognized the top five teams. SoftLaunch successfully bridged the gap between classroom learning and real-world startup practices, fostering innovation, problem-solving, and entrepreneurial mindset among students, and establishing a strong platform for future industry-academia collaboration.

Innovation and Design Thinking Boot Camp

On December 27, 2024, MIT Manipal, in collaboration with the Innovation Centre, MAHE, organized an engaging Boot Camp on Innovation and Design Thinking for NCC students from various districts. The event brought together around 90 participants, encouraging creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving. Students were grouped into 10 teams, each identifying key real-world issues and designing posters that showcased innovative solutions. The highlight of the boot camp was a pitching session before Mr. Mohammad Zuber, Chief Innovation Officer of the Innovation Centre, and the NCC Officer, where students presented their ideas and received valuable feedback. The top three teams were awarded for their exceptional presentations. The event provided a hands-on platform for participants to explore design thinking principles, fostering an innovative mindset and collaborative spirit.

Super Acceleration Boot Camp: Building Investment-Ready Startups

From December 16, 2024, to January 29, 2025, the MAHE Incubation Centre, in collaboration with Early Seed Ventures (ESV), conducted the Super Acceleration Boot Camp to prepare early-stage startups for investment readiness. Startups from diverse sectors received mentorship on business models, product-market fit, financial planning, and investor pitching, equipping them to scale successfully. The program reinforced MAHE’s commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship by bridging the gap between incubation and real-world investment opportunities.

Start-Up Founder’s Felicitation Ceremony on National Entrepreneurship Day

On November 9, 2024, the Innovation Centre, MAHE hosted the inaugural Start-Up Founder’s Felicitation Ceremony at the Senate Hall, MAHE, celebrating the achievements of graduating student entrepreneurs. The event was graced by Lt. Gen. (Dr.) M.D. Venkatesh, Vice Chancellor, Dr. H.S. Ballal, Pro Chancellor, and Dr. Indrajit Bhattacharya, Director General of NIRA, along with faculty, institution heads, and family members. The ceremony recognized outstanding student-led start-ups across diverse sectors, including Baylink Business (RetailTech), Mind Matters (HealthTech), Unparalleled Learning Tech (EdTech), SafeStone Technologies (SafetyTech), Gaurav Agro Tech (AgriTech), and SaiphiaDUS (Drones & Robotics). The event highlighted MAHE’s robust entrepreneurial ecosystem, providing incubation, mentorship, and funding to transform ideas into impactful ventures. Through this celebration, MAHE honored innovation and inspired the next generation of student entrepreneurs to pursue meaningful, real-world impact.

The Bar Crafter: A Testament to Innovation at MAHE

On September 25, 2024, the Innovation Centre, MAHE hosted the launch of The Bar Crafter, a fully 3D-printed automated beverage mixer developed by Aion Health Solutions Pvt. Ltd., founded by Mr. David Saldanha, PhD scholar at MIT, MAHE. Graced by Lt. Gen. (Dr.) M. D. Venkatesh, Vice Chancellor of MAHE, and Dr. Somashekara Bhat, Joint Director of MIT Manipal, the event showcased the power of student innovation and the support ecosystem provided by the Innovation Centre. Built using advanced prototyping facilities, The Bar Crafter can create customized drinks at the touch of a button, with future versions set to feature AI-driven health drink customization. The launch exemplified MAHE’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and transforming innovative ideas into impactful, market-ready solutions.

Lifeathon 2024, a distinctive hackathon aimed at bridging the gap between healthcare professionals and technology solution providers to tackle contemporary healthcare challenges, was held on June 8th, 2024. This event was a collaboration` between the Innovation Centre, MAHE, MIT Manipal, and KMC Manipal. During the event, 30 teams, comprising both healthcare and technology experts, presented their proposed solutions to a panel of judges from clinical, industry, and intellectual property backgrounds. Five teams were awarded cash prize worth Rs. 1 Lakh each. By bringing together expertise from healthcare and technology, Lifeathon 2024 fostered innovative approaches and solutions, reinforcing the value of collaborative problem-solving in advancing healthcare.