IHH Healthcare and Fortis Announce Winners of Inaugural India-Focused Healthcare Startup Accelerator
Key Insights
IHH Healthcare (search) and Fortis Healthcare (search) announced the winners of the inaugural IHH Catalyst | Fortis India Edition, a 12-week healthcare startup accelerator programme.
eNext ICU (search) won first place for its 24/7 Tele-ICU platform addressing intensivist shortages in underserved Tier II and Tier III Indian cities.
RNT Health Insights (search) placed second for AI-powered technology enabling earlier detection of upper gastrointestinal cancers (search) during routine endoscopy.
IHH Healthcare (search), a multinational healthcare provider, together with its subsidiary Fortis Healthcare (search), has announced the winners of the inaugural IHH Catalyst | Fortis India Edition, an innovation programme designed to support the development of healthcare solutions addressing critical patient needs across India. The announcement was made at a demo day following a structured 12-week accelerator programme that brought together healthcare startups, clinicians, and industry experts to refine and validate innovations with potential for real-world clinical application.
The programme, launched in February 2026 as the first regional edition of IHH Healthcare (search)'s global incubator platform, received 195 applications from healthcare startups across India. Following a multi-stage evaluation process, 10 startups were selected for the inaugural cohort: Cartogene Therapeutics (search), CarePal Money, Tatvacare, MicroHeal, RNT Health Insights (search), Nalagenetics, Sunfox Technologies, eNext ICU (search), Kubo Care, and Cureous Labs.
Evaluation Framework and Selection Process
Winners were selected based on four evaluation criteria: team, innovation, impact and scalability, and business potential. The assessment framework focused on clinical relevance, implementation readiness, and the potential to address healthcare challenges at scale. At the demo day, the 10 participating startups presented their solutions before a jury comprising healthcare leaders, clinicians, investors, and industry experts.
The programme included mentorship, clinical validation, operational refinement, and opportunities for real-world testing within the Fortis ecosystem, enabling participating startups to work alongside medical professionals and healthcare specialists.
First Place: eNext ICU (search)
eNext ICU (search) received the top award for its 24/7 Tele-ICU platform, which seeks to improve access to specialist critical care for patients in underserved communities. The platform specifically aims to address the shortage of intensivists, particularly in Tier II and Tier III cities across India, where access to specialist critical care remains a significant challenge.
Second Place: RNT Health Insights (search)
RNT Health Insights (search) was named the first runner-up for developing AI-powered medical devices designed to improve the early detection of upper gastrointestinal cancers (search) during routine endoscopic procedures. The artificial intelligence-based technology supports clinicians in identifying malignancies at earlier stages, potentially improving patient outcomes through timely intervention.
Third Place: Cartogene Therapeutics (search)
Cartogene Therapeutics (search) secured the second runner-up position for its efforts to make CAR-T cell therapy (search) more accessible and affordable for patients with blood cancers (search) in India. The startup's work focuses on reducing treatment timelines to improve access to this advanced cell therapy, addressing a critical gap in the availability of cutting-edge cancer treatments.
Future Directions
IHH Healthcare (search) also announced that the next edition of the IHH Catalyst programme would be held in North Asia, continuing its efforts to engage healthcare innovators in developing practical solutions for patients and healthcare systems. The programme is expected to further encourage collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem while supporting innovations that contribute to improved healthcare outcomes in the region.
The inaugural programme demonstrated the importance of collaboration between healthcare providers, innovators, and industry experts in addressing evolving healthcare challenges, highlighting the role of digital health technologies, artificial intelligence, and advanced therapeutics in strengthening healthcare delivery.