GDI Hub and NCPEDP to Showcase Assistive Tech Startups at Empower 2024 Demo Day

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New Delhi, October 7, 2024: The Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) and the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) will co host a Demo Day for Assistive Technology (AT) startups at the Empower 2024 event. The event will take place at the National Institute for Speech and Hearing (NISH) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on October 17. Startups focusing on Assistive Technology are encouraged to apply for pitch opportunities, and investors are invited to attend and support these ventures. The event will be a critical step in advancing assistive technologies that positively impact lives across India.

NCPEDP will be launching the Assistive Technology Hub project during Empower 2024 as part of its broader mission to enhance accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities and the elderly. The Assistive Technology Hub will serve as a center of excellence focused on research, innovation, and policy interventions in the AT space, ensuring solutions are tailored to India’s unique needs.

GDI Hub’s Attvaran, a collaborative effort between University College London, the Global Disability Innovation Hub, IIT Delhi, and IIT Madras, with support from the UK Government’s AT2030 program, will play an important role in the event. Empower 2024 offers a platform for AT startups to pitch their innovations to key investors, angel funds, and grant providers, helping them gain momentum in developing cutting-edge solutions that improve accessibility and empower people with disabilities.

The day’s events will include a plenary workshop on managing grants and a panel discussion on investment in assistive technology. Two parallel pitching sessions will be held – one for grant funding and another for angel and venture capital investment.

Arman Ali, Executive Director of NCPEDP, emphasized the significance of this initiative: “India is undergoing a transformative phase in disability empowerment, particularly in the area of Assistive Technology. The AT Hub project unites key stakeholders across public and private sectors, driving forward innovations that address the challenges faced by people with disabilities. Our goal is to create sustainable, inclusive solutions that contribute to a self-reliant and accessible future.”

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