Globally every year, 200 million people suffer from fractures. According to the WHO, India has the highest number of road accidents at 14 deaths per hour. Unfortunately, fractures can happen to anyone anywhere. Dislocation, fractures, and sprain are the most common injuries linked to road accidents. The aged are more prone to injuries, and hence an increase in the number of fractures is seen in the geriatric population globally.
An injury that breaks a bone may also seriously damage other tissues, including the skin, nerves, blood vessels, muscles, and organs. To prevent major complications, the most crucial thing is to treat all injuries in the first 4-6 hours of pre-hospital care, while the patient waits for medical attendance. Working in this direction, the Pune based MediAsha Technologies has come up with a solution in the form of a medical device to delay the adverse impact of fractures.
Founded during February 2018 by Mayur Sanas and Amol Sanas at NCL Innovation Park, the MediAsha Technologies is now a Startup India recognized company. Founders say their intention to start the company remains to solve the unmet needs in the healthcare sector and bring forth novel medical devices.
“Development of innovative medical devices with a high impact on society at an affordable cost is the aspiration of our company,” mentions Mayur Sanas, Co-Founder of the company, “Asha is a Sanskrit word which stands for hope, and MediAsha endeavors to create hopes for a better life through their innovation.”
Inception
After completing his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Mayur had a strong desire to do something for the country, and he initially even attempted to join the defense forces.
“When that did not work out, I joined Indian Institute of Technology, Design and Manufacturing (IIITDM) Kancheepuram for Master of Design program, as I wanted to keep my options open. There I worked on a project related to energy harvesting from sewage and realized the potential and importance of multi-disciplinary work,” he explains, “After my Masters, I had an offer for a PhD in Taiwan, but an advertisement for a position in Biomedical Engineering and Technology (incubation) Centre, also called BETiC, intrigued me. I joined BETiC to pursue my dream of doing something useful for people at the bottom of the pyramid.”
Having worked as Research Associate in BETiC, College of Engineering (COEP) for 4 years where he was involved in the design and development of innovative medical devices, Mayur got four patents to his credit. During that period, he developed a first-aid device for immobilizing fractured limbs under the guidance of Dr Ashish Ranade, Consultant Orthopedic surgeon at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, Pune.
Later, he decided to take this product further by taking the entrepreneurial route to serve the people. For this innovation, he received the Biotechnology Ignition Grant from BIRAC and incorporated MediAsha Technologies in Pune in February 2018 with incubation support of Venture Center in Pune. Through mentoring support from Venture Center, Mayur received the Biotechnology Ignition Grant from BIRAC in the 11th call and incorporated his Startup, MediAsha Technologies. Through BIRAC, we not just received funding, but also got exposure to various events and boot camps.
Challenges
“Initiating a startup journey is easy but long-term sustainability is a challenge. Experiential knowledge that comes from mentors and advisors plays a vital role in this journey, says Mayur crediting Venture Centre for the help. “Whenever we have needed help, Venture Center has provided support and guidance on funding, certifications, regulatory, and business mentoring sessions.”
“Apart from funding support, the base camps and regulatory facility provided by the BIRAC Regional Bioinnovation Centre (BRBC) at Venture Center has aided us greatly. The network and ecosystem of fellow startups both in Venture Center and Bhau Institute has helped a lot in every aspect,” adds Mayur.
