Summary
Optum has partnered with IIITH as its innovation partner in this endeavour
The collaboration will support India’s growing health technology industry
Hyderabad-based International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) has partnered with health care company Optum Global Solutions (India) Private Limited to launch the Optum Start-up Studio programme to facilitate research on specific challenges in the healthcare sector, the institute said in a statement.
The programme was launched by Jayesh Ranjan, principal secretary of the Industries and Commerce (I&C), and Information Technology (IT) departments of Telangana, and Phil Mckoy, chief information officer, Optum.
“At Optum we are developing the technology of the future to help modernise, streamline, and simplify the health system. We will get there by collaborating and connecting people and information through the technology of the future. The evolving start-up ecosystem in India presents a great opportunity for collaboration to develop numerous innovations in health technology sector. We are planning to support this through our Optum Start-up Studio programme,” said Mckoy.
Optum Start-up Studio, as stated in a press communique, aims to identify innovative ideas and start-ups that can help accelerate value delivery by seeking solutions to some of healthcare’s hardest problems.
The India launch is an expansion of the programme in the US and Ireland and seeks to amplify the impact of the vibrant health tech start-up and innovation ecosystem in India.
The partnership with IIIT follows Optum being honoured as part of a consortium that won an American Statistical Association Statistical Partnerships Among Academe, Industry, and Government Award in 2021 for developing a model that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to forecast infectious disease spread.
Ideas submitted by participating teams will be independently evaluated by industry and functional experts from Optum and IIIT for further discussion and potential funding. Optum executives will also be available to mentor across all spheres, including technology, business strategy, design, and product development. Concurrently, IIIT will leverage its deep tech research capabilities and vast experience incubating startups to provide research and business mentorship to selected startups.
“As a top research university in India, we are excited to be collaborating with Optum as both organisations share a commitment to further building and supporting India’s health tech ecosystem,” said P J Narayanan, director, IIIT, Hyderabad.
Last updated on 30 Apr 2022
