TDK Corporation, a world leader in electronic solutions for the smart society, is partnering with the Gopalakrishnan-Deshpande Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (GDC) at IIT Madras to launch 'TIIC Accelerator Program 2024'.

The program aims to foster innovation in the Healthcare Technology and Diagnostics sector arising from Indian STEM university researchers and startups.

Highlighting the unique aspects of this program, Mr. Michael Pocsatko, Senior Vice President of TDK and General Manager of Corporate Marketing and Incubation Headquarter, said, "This partnership is an important additional step forward in our long-term commitment to contribute to India's ambitious targets for the growth, innovation and transformation of its economy and society".

Speaking about this partnership, Prof. Krishnan Balasubramanian, Institute Professor and Faculty-in-charge, Gopalakrishnan-Deshpande Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, IIT Madras, said, "GDC-IIT Madras' collaboration with TDK Corporation is an exciting opportunity for us to join forces in supporting innovative startups in the healthcare technology space. By combining TDK's industry experience with our technical expertise and entrepreneurial development support, we aim to empower Indian startups to bring cutting-edge healthcare solutions to market."

Through this collaboration, TDK Corporation aims to harness India's deep talent pool and creativity to propel breakthroughs in healthcare diagnostics, medical devices, and related areas. The program will provide targeted support, mentorship, and partnership and investment opportunities to catalyze the growth of promising healthcare technology ventures.

By combining TDK's extensive experience in the technology industry with GDC's experience in commercialization of research and fostering entrepreneurship, the 'TIIC Accelerator Program 2024' aims to make a significant impact on the healthcare technology start-up ecosystem in India.

During the exchange of MoU at IIT Madras recently, Mr. Varadharajan Ranganathan - General Manager of TDK India Incubation Centre, said, "The engagement with GDC will allow us to reach out to entrepreneurs across India who are committed to building their own startups in technology areas of interest to TDK."

The Program seeks participation of startups from multiple segments of the Healthcare Technologies and Diagnostics sector, including the following:

- Diagnostic labs/services

- Diagnostic devices - Imaging devices, Therapeutic devices, Sensing devices, Recording devices, and Surgical devices (excluding implants)

- Consumables

- Advanced materials for medical diagnostics and equipment

- Equipment-related services

- Wearables

- Analytics

- Technologies underlying the above - Sensors, IoT, 5G, 3D printing, AI/ML, Advanced Materials, Generative AI, Telemedicine, Robotics, AR/VR, etc.

- Neuroelectronic interfaces

The Program starts with a Call for Applications in June 2024
from which highly promising startups/teams will be selected. Thereafter, GDC will host an in-person workshop of the selected teams/startups at the IIT Madras campus. Following this, the teams will undergo an intensive 6-8-week boot camp focussing on customer discovery. In the next phase, a set of shortlisted teams will participate in a Business Mentorship program, which will help them get investment-ready and prepare them for their pitch to TDK to secure investments or explore other potential collaborations.

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PHOTO CAPTION: (From Left to Right) Mr. M.Subramanian, CMO, GDC; Mr. Varadharajan R - Innovation Manager, TDK India Incubation Center; Dr. Georg Kuegerl - DGM, Technology and IP, TDK Kindergarten, TDK Electronics; Mr. Taro Ikushima - CEO, Electronics Components Business Company, TDK Corporation; Prof. Manu Santhanam, Dean, IC&SR, IIT Madras; Mr. Raghuttama Rao, CEO, GDC; Mr. Vasan Churchill - Investment Analyst, TDK Ventures.

ABOUT TDK CORPORATION

TDK Corporation is a world leader in electronic solutions for the smart society based in Tokyo, Japan. Built on a foundation of material sciences mastery, TDK welcomes societal transformation by resolutely remaining at the forefront of technological evolution and deliberately "Attracting Tomorrow
." It was established in 1935 to commercialize ferrite, a key material in electronic and magnetic products. TDK's comprehensive, innovation driven portfolio features passive components such as ceramic, aluminium electrolytic and film capacitors, as well as magnetics, high-frequency, and piezo and protection devices. The product spectrum also includes sensors and sensor systems such as temperature and pressure, magnetic, and MEMS sensors. In addition, TDK provides power supplies and energy devices, magnetic heads and more. These products are marketed under the product brands TDK, EPCOS, InvenSense, Micronas, Tronics and TDK-Lambda. TDK focuses on demanding markets in automotive, industrial and consumer electronics, and information and communication technology. The company has a network of design and manufacturing locations and sales offices in Asia, Europe, and in North and South America. In fiscal 2024, TDK posted total sales of USD 14.6 billion and employed about 101,000 people worldwide. For more information about TDK visit: www.tdk.com





ABOUT GDC

Established in 2017, the Gopalakrishnan-Deshpande Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (GDC) at IIT Madras aims to foster entrepreneurial ecosystems in STEM universities across India. Funded by grants from Dr. Gururaj Deshpande, Mrs. Jaishree Deshpande, and Mr. Kris Gopalakrishnan, GDC collaborates with STEM colleges, research institutions, and technology incubators to promote entrepreneurship and commercialize academic research. It does this by engaging with faculty and researchers working on innovative ideas in the lab, increasing their personal capabilities, and strengthening institutional processes for the commercialisation of research by way of robust start-ups. GDC's programs are transformational for academic faculty, researchers, and students by helping them build an entrepreneurial mindset and cultivating business acumen. Over the past six years, GDC has worked with more than 400 startups/teams. To know more about GDC, please visit: www.gdciitm.org