{
  "id": 17514,
  "title": "Emergent Ventures India, 18th cohort",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/01/emergent-ventures-india-18th-cohort",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-01T04:24:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Marginal Revolution",
    "slug": "marginal-revolution",
    "url": "https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2026/08/emergent-ventures-india-18th-cohort.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the 18th cohort of Emergent Ventures India, researchers and innovators from various fields were awarded grants to pursue their projects. Adithyan Madhu, a 14-year-old independent researcher, received funding to study early writing systems using computational linguistics and structural methods on the Indus Valley script. Aparajeet Shadangi, 17, was granted to delve into cosmic expansion and dark energy while advancing his cosmology studies. Kevin Gibson, a student developer, secured a grant for his Python-based operating system, Crsynk OS, featuring an AI assistant and lightweight user interfaces. Vaishnavi Dilip, 13, received support for identifying fire-resistant plants in Indian ecosystems for use as natural firebreaks. Prince T. Philip, a cybersecurity researcher, was awarded for developing a security audit tool to uncover vulnerabilities and design assumptions overlooked by traditional scanners. Michaela Cross, a writer and content creator, was granted for Rose Chasm, a video project exploring India's history and relationship to the rest of the world. Vivekanand Bhat and Rijesh Panicker received funding for Pathika, an augmented, multilingual guided tour system for heritage monuments across India. Devanarayan, 15, was granted for Open Horizon Observatory, an open-access astronomical data collection and sharing setup. Roshan Kumar Gupta, 19, was awarded for TARS, a machine-learning pipeline that reduces false positives in exoplanet discovery using TESS data. Yajan Adhikari, 19, received support for constructing an operating system to digitize and manage recyclable materials. Pranet Khetan, 17, was granted for a low-cost architecture supporting STEM education through refreshable tactile graphics for visually impaired students. Karthik, 18, was awarded for researching remote sensing in agricultural insurance. Alexander Hogeveen Rutter, an energy expert, received funding for analyzing and advocating market-based measures in India's power sector. Akshit Arora and Bhavey Sehgal, both students, were awarded for NeuroBridge, an AI-powered speech prediction system for people with ALS. Progyan Das, 24, was granted for developing fault-tolerant systems capable of using consumer devices for large-scale foundation model training. Yash Chitte, an MBA student, received funding for a wall-climbing robot designed to autonomously clean glass facades. Khushi Jain, 23, was awarded for NadirX Space, a space-grade hardware infrastructure for testing advanced space technologies. Rishit Kapoor, an AI/ML researcher, was granted for Periscopic Labs, an AI-driven infrastructure for traceable and continuously updated scientific claims. Koushik Das received funding for an explainable clinical decision-support system to help primary-care doctors interpret blood count reports and detect anemia patterns. Shashank Sanjay, a medical student, was awarded for developing an affordable coronary stent. Abrar Shahid, a systems designer, received a grant for Project Lumen AI, which uses AI to connect eye photographs with retinal scans, aiding in eye-disease diagnosis.",
  "summary": "Adithyan Madhu, 14, an independent researcher, received his grant to study early writing systems, applying computational linguistics, pattern analysis, and structural methods to the Indus Valley script. Aparajeet Shadangi, 17, received his grant to explore conceptual approaches to cosmic expansion and dark energy while continuing his formal academic preparation in cosmology. Kevin Gibson, a…",
  "key_points": [
    "14-year-old Adithyan Madhu studies early writing systems using computational linguistics.",
    "Kevin Gibson develops Python-based operating system Crsynk OS with AI assistant.",
    "Pranet Khetan creates low-cost architecture for STEM education with tactile graphics."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}