C-CAMP selects 15 bioscience startups for its National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition

The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) recently announced the 15 startups and four teams that have been chosen for its National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition (NBEC) 2026. The winners will receive a total of Rs 35 crore in cash prizes and investment opportunities. This marks the 9th edition of NBEC, a key platform for identifying future bioscience entrepreneurs.

Over the past eight years, C-CAMP has distributed over Rs 90 crore in cash prizes and investment opportunities to more than 130 winners, with those previous winners collectively raising more than $125 million in venture capital funding and launching over 300 products.

This year's competition saw an impressive 3,200 registrations from across 34 States and Union Territories, with 40% of applicants being women. From those 25 finalists, winners were selected based on their innovation, scalability, and business potential. The solutions developed ranged from next-gen cancer pathology and kidney injury screening through quantum sensing to affordable insulin patch pumps and satellite imagery-enabled smart spraying of agricultural inputs. Notable among the creations were bioformulations aimed at enhancing soil health.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairman of Biocon, expressed optimism about the future of biology, citing the rapid acceleration of innovation through convergence with digital technology and AI. She emphasized the significance of C-CAMP's initiative in building a robust economy for an aspiring India and elevating the country's bioeconomy from $195 billion to $2.6 trillion by 2047.

C-CAMP CEO Taslimarif Saiyed expressed his vision of encouraging Indian innovators to aim higher and trust ecosystems like C-CAMP to facilitate their scientific and business growth. Investors backing this program include Social Alpha, Ideaspring Capital, Java Capital, TiE Global, and Anicut Capital.