Runway Incubator Announces Winners of Second Edition of Take Off Startup Challenge
New Delhi: Runway Incubator announced the winners of the second edition of Take Off Startup challenge. Abheejit Khandagale from Nagpur sealed the win and took home a cash prize of INR 2.5 Lakh by presenting his startup ekatra. ekatra is a generative AI platform that delivers hyper-personalized learning experiences at a scale, using text (including SMS and WhatsApp). The startup contest was co-hosted by UPES School of Business and Runway Incubator in partnership with Pearl Academy.
Yalavarthy Grahya, an engineering graduate from Hyderabad won a cash prize of INR 1.5 Lakh for her startup INVIU Systems which helps individuals with mobility limitations. INVIU offers a comprehensive analysis of gait abnormalities (walking abnormalities) which enables doctors to suggest effective treatment and rehabilitation plans. Furthermore, the solution offers a customized approach, powerful sensor technology and virtual therapy capabilities to empower patients.
The winners of the challenge were announced at a grand event conducted in New Delhi, where the top 10 teams presented their startups and pitched to an esteemed jury. The jury comprised eminent members like Divij Bajaj, CEO of Power Gummies, Chirag Gupta, Founder of 4700 BC, Pritish Sehgal, AVP of IAN Fund and Rahul Narvekar, Founder & CEO of The India Network.
The contest witnessed an exhilarating showcase of ideas, products, and business models from young entrepreneurs across India. The contest witnessed participation from over 400 aspiring entrepreneurs from various fields like Social Impact, Healthcare and Biotech, D2C, Fintech, Manufacturing / Robotics / AI / ML, Fashion and Lifestyle, Energy and Sustainability and Ed-tech. Each of the top 10 shortlisted ideas showcased an innovative concept, impressing both the jury and the audience with the participants’ entrepreneurial vision.
“The second edition of the Take Off challenge has left us both overwhelmed and filled with excitement. It was truly amazing to see the brilliance and entrepreneurial spirit of these young minds. Their innovative ideas and clear vision have significantly raised the bar for competition. It was an incredibly difficult task for the jury to choose just two winners out of the hundreds of groundbreaking ideas received. Congratulations to both the winners and we are eager to see their future journeys,” said Mr. Rahul Nainwal, CEO of Runway Incubator and Director of UPES School of Business.
Take Off winner, Abheejit Khandagale said “Participating in the Runway Take Off Challenge was a wonderful experience for me. It offered an enriching platform where my ideas garnered interest and I stumbled upon potential collaborative opportunities through valuable networking. With many people becoming advocates for my project, I built long-standing connections, which was the highlight of this event for me”.
So far, Runway Incubator has given INR 1 Lakh each as a grant to 37 innovative startups and incubated over 200 unique startups. Launched in December 2021, it was established under UPES Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (UCIE), which has been recognized by the government of Uttarakhand as a business incubator and the state nodal agency to encourage entrepreneurship and help incubate start-ups in the state.