Fellowships

Program Scope

The BFI-BIOME Fellowship Program at Venture Center provides a unique opportunity for innovators and entrepreneurs and innovators to leverage the Venture Center innovation ecosystem and mentoring support to explore/ detail/ advance their ideas while benefiting from a stipend to cover personal costs.

The focus of the BFI-BIOME Fellowships is to create and support a cohort of enterprising innovation fellows who are keen to work on building solutions for important healthcare problems.

BFI-BIOME Fellows at Venture Center for 2024

Gains for Fellows

Monthly Fellowship

Receive a generous monthly stipend up to 60,000 INR for a duration of up to 3-9 months.

Intensive Mentoring

Benefit from personalised mentoring sessions aimed at accelerating the development of your innovation to the next stage.

Discounted Services

Avail analytical, scientific, intellectual property, and regulatory services at discounted rates to propel your innovation forward.

Workshops and Talks

Access specialised workshops and talks designed for scientific entrepreneurs at concessional rates to enhance your knowledge and skills.

Thriving Community

Become part of a large startup community, fostering collaboration and networking opportunities with like-minded individuals.

Access to Healthcare Partners

Engage with Venture Center's network of partners working in the healthcare domain, opening doors to potential collaborations and resources.

Who can apply/participant?

Eligibility criteria:

Applicant

  • Has to be an individual (not company or organisation). Applicant can be a founder of a startup company that he/she is pursuing full time.
  • Applicant is required to be at least 18 years of age as on the date of call for applications
  • Applicants must have completed basic undergraduate training in natural sciences/engineering/ medicine.
  • Applicants should not be receiving any other concurrent fellowship/ salary/ remuneration.
  • Applicants should be willing to pursue the project/ startup full time with no other concurrent commitments during the fellowship duration.
  • Applicants cannot be pursuing a long-term academic/research project (like doctoral students) with significant obligations during the project duration.
  • Applicants should not have any antecedents / background that can tarnish the reputation of Venture Center or BFI or this program.

Technology idea and startup story:

  • The application should have submitted/ disclosed adequate information about the technology to allow a fair assessment.
  • The applicant should be working on developing/advancing a science and technology based solution that promises to solve a real-world health related problem. The applicant needs to be working in the broad area of health related technologies including following industrial sectors: diagnostics, medical devices, digital health, therapeutics, preventives, rehabilitation.
  • The proposed technology has to be scientifically sound and technically feasible. There should not be any obvious  insurmountable barriers including regulations, IP, specialised facility needs, resource needs etc

Project (this is the proposed  A→ B plan for the fellowship duration)

  • The activities proposed for the fellowship period should be aimed at crossing over key challenges/ barriers in development or advancement/ translation or commercialization of the above technology closer to market.
  • Pure academic research with no relevance for impact via eventual deployment of a product/ service based on above mentioned technology will not be eligible

Desired outcomes from fellows:

  • The fellowship duration should be used to complete a focused task important to take the technology/ business to the next level  (Ex: Work towards a proposal to raise substantial grant funding; develop the pitch deck for an investment round; close an investment deal; detail out regulatory pathway; cross a key technical barrier etc). Example projects are:
    • Seeking clarity on customer segments, desired customer outcomes, value proposition and  product-market fit
    • Seeking clarity of business models
    • Seeking clarity on GTM
    • Preparation for a fund raise/ winning a grant/ raising investments
    • Charting out the technology development plan and tying up partners
    • Charting out the IP strategy and taking necessary actions
    • Charting out the regulatory pathway and initiating steps in that direction
  • Submit a Fellowship Period Project Plan
  • Submit a Fellowship Completion Report
  • Periodic reporting of progress made by fellow in commercialization journey in 12 months following the fellowship period.