The Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) at IIIT Hyderabad, in collaboration with Hexaware Technologies, successfully hosted the AI for Life Sciences Challenge Finale on September 18, 2025. The initiative aimed to reimagine the future of clinical trials through the application of Agentic AI, offering a platform for startups and innovators to develop transformative solutions for the life sciences sector.
The month-long challenge attracted 130 applications, from which 30 startups were shortlisted. Of these, 17 advanced to the second round, and 13 were selected for the finale. The final event featured startup pitches, mentor immersion sessions, jury evaluations, and an industry plenary panel titled “Building Agentic AI in Healthcare – Science & Commercialization.”
Finalists presented a range of innovations including co-drafting agents for automating Clinical Study Reports (CSR), platforms for clinical site management and data process automation, agentic AI lifecycle systems, data harmonization tools with embedded knowledge insights, and schema-bound CSR automation with auditability features.
The top five finalists were:
- Astra AI – Focused on automating complex CSR drafting processes.
- Ciberts AI – Developed solutions for streamlining clinical site operations and data workflows.
- Pentacure – Introduced an agentic AI lifecycle platform featuring DataGuardian, RiskSentinel, and ReportMaestro agents.
- Optimum Data – Offered data harmonization and knowledge agents for standardized insights.
- Microgrid – Presented schema-bound CSR automation ensuring provenance and auditability.
Ciberts AI was declared the winner and awarded a ₹8 lakh Proof-of-Concept (PoC) grant along with productization support from Hexaware Technologies.
Throughout the program, participating startups received structured mentorship via webinars, workshops, and one-on-one guidance from over 10 senior leaders across biotech, pharma, and digital health sectors. The challenge provided access to clinical datasets, technical reviews, and regulatory alignment support, enabling teams to refine their solutions and explore real-world use cases.
The finale brought together a distinguished jury comprising experts from leading pharmaceutical Global Capability Centers (GCCs) and IIIT Hyderabad. Evaluation criteria included problem relevance, potential impact, team strength, differentiation, and depth of AI integration.
The event underscored Hyderabad’s growing prominence as a global hub for life sciences and AI innovation, and reinforced the importance of collaborative platforms in translating research-driven ideas into scalable healthcare solutions.
