Grants, Funding, Awards and Recognition in Healthcare Innovation

Abstract

For an idea to be validated, prototyped and tested, adequate financial planning plays a major role in the long journey of the idea from the brains to the market. There are various ways of getting funds for the startup. The founders usually start with their own money from their savings or some borrowings from family and friends which is called bootstrapping and is very common and crucial, akin to doctors starting their own clinics and small nursing homes. As they start to grow, large funds are needed in the early stage to set the foot firm with the help of an angel investor/ seed investor which is like starting a full-fledged hospital. The Venture capitalist comes in at a stage when the idea is proven and started with operations, early-stage customers and has a major potential to expand, just like when more branches of hospitals are planned. Private equity companies and investment banks are those who are keen to invest in companies who have proved themselves beyond doubt with strong leadership in the market and are looking for a major return on investment by making the company bigger, which is like planning a pan India network of the hospital chain. These investments happen multiple times or rounds at various stages of the company usually termed series A to series D or E and ultimately leading to the Initial Public Offering when it goes public from private holding. This funding journey is a well-planned effort quite specific to the investment stage, investor type, and their preferences. The recognition of the startups and their ideas plays a major role in them reaching to market and access to funding opportunities. The funding and national recognition from various govt. and private agencies such as BIRAC, FICCI, NASSCOM, Wellcome trust, and Villgro and international agencies such as CAMTech, Bill and Melinda gates foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, Stanford, and Harvard gives the much needed attention from the potential investors and is a major advantage which should be utilized well. Social media recognition plays a major role in recent times which has the potential to make an innovation “viral” and reach millions of customers and make relevant investors and govt. agencies notice, which can be a huge breakthrough for the company if the innovation has a social impact. We would like to make this article more practical, experiential, and contextual for better connect with pediatrician colleagues.