Breakthrough Accelerator: For Innovations Fighting COVID 19 Challenges

GUSEC is inviting applications for innovative ideas and solutions to fight the global pandemic of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). As of April 2, 2020, almost a million people have been infected with the Novel Coronavirus, leading to over 47,000 deaths around the world. Close to 2,000 infections have been reported in India, triggering a preventive, nation-wide lockdown.

GUSEC Breakthrough Accelerator is a specially designed accelerator to support rapid identification, development, and deployment of ideas and innovations that solve a variety of problems posed by COVID-19.

GUSEC will select applications with tangible solutions that could be rapidly developed and deployed. GUSEC will facilitate funding, mentorship, as well as support innovators with testing, pilots and connects with government authorities, non-profits and industry.

In partnership with

RAPID AND ACCELERATED ACCESS TO RESOURCES TO DEPLOY YOUR SOLUTIONS

Problem Areas

Applications are invited in the following problem areas. Applicants are welcome to send in their solutions for problems outside these areas.

Healthcare Equipment

Masks, other personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, testing kits, testing solutions, etc.

Effective Communications

Tools to effectively communicate information at scale, detect and rectify incorrect information such as fake news, detect behaviour and sentiment based on social media trends, etc.

Access Control

Authorising and validating contactless movement of critical personnel such as doctors, nurses and officials; essential services personnel such as delivery professionals, etc.

Logistics and Coordination

Solutions for managing logistics of essential services, non-profit efforts, etc. at scale amidst full or partial lockdown

Detection and Tracking of Violations

Detection of violators of preventive measures, such as large movements amidst a lockdown or violators of home-quaratine, and tracking thereof

Sanitisation and Microbial-Proof Materials

Large-scale sanitisation of surfaces and areas, sanitisation of persons entering specific areas, as well as microbe-proof textiles, fibers, materials, etc.

Benefits

All participants of the Challenge will get a participating certificate. Selected ideas will receive the following benefits from GUSEC and its partners:

Seed Funding

Fast-track approval of funds of up to INR 30 lakhs through various government grants and GUSEC partners for select ideas

Additional Funding

Facilitation of additional funds through private equity / industry

Cloud Costs & Online Tools

Cloud credits up to $1,00,000 through GUSEC partners; access to a variety of other online tools such as HubSpot, Telegram, Msg91, etc.

Validate and Pilot

Idea validation through pilot testing access in local communities and regional areas

Connections

Networking with a variety of public, non-profit and private bodies such as project-implementing government departments, NGOs and industries

Infrastructure

Laboratory and infrastructural support, wherever necessary

Accelerated Mentorship

Incubation and idea-acceleration support to select ideas

Timeline

Application window for Breakthrough Accelerator is now closed as of 11:59 PM IST on May 31, 2020. Continuous scrutiny is being undertaken of all the applications.