IndoUSrare Announces Winners of Pitch4RARE Startup Pitch Competition Advancing Rare Disease Innovation

Pitch4RARE advances global pathways to patient-centered rare disease solutions. GenoPhe Biotech Pvt Ltd, IUVA Labs announced as the winners of Pitch4RARE 2025.

HERNDON, VA, UNITED STATES, December 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Indo-US Organization for Rare Diseases (IndoUSrare) today announced the winners of Pitch4RARE, its virtual startup pitch competition held on December 9, recognizing innovative, patient-centered solutions advancing equitable care for individuals living with rare diseases.

Following the evaluation of six shortlisted pitches by an eminent panel of judges and alignment with the mission of IndoUSrare, GenoPhe Biotech Pvt Ltd and IUVA Labs were announced as the winners of Pitch4RARE 2025 for their innovative approaches and strong potential to deliver meaningful, scalable impact for patients and families with rare diseases. Attox Research Laboratories received special recognition.

The competition featured a diverse cohort of startups addressing critical gaps across the rare disease landscape. The other finalist pitching companies were Mamidi Health; Multifly Lifestyle Private Limited; and EFA Sciences.

Pitch4RARE is a global innovation catalyst designed to surface, validate, and accelerate bold ideas—wherever they originate—that can meaningfully improve the lives of people living with rare diseases and move those ideas toward patients with urgency.

The initiative was conceived around a simple but powerful truth: transformative ideas in rare diseases are not confined to elite institutions, well-funded labs, or a single geography. Breakthrough insights, technologies, and business models can emerge from clinicians, scientists, caregivers, patients, students, and entrepreneurs anywhere in the world. What is often missing is not ingenuity, but visibility, validation, mentorship, and a credible pathway to scale. Pitch4RARE exists to bridge that gap by recognizing high-potential innovations early, surrounding them with expert feedback and strategic support, and connecting innovators to partners who can help translate ideas into real-world impact.

The contest draws inspiration from pioneers who refused to accept the status quo in rare disease drug development—leaders such as John F. Crowley, founder of Amicus Therapeutics, driven by a personal mission to cure Pompe disease, and Dr. Emil Kakkis, founder of Ultragenyx, who worked closely with affected families to address devastating lysosomal storage disorders. Pitch4RARE aims to identify and empower the next generation of such leaders—individuals and teams with the courage, clarity, and commitment to turn urgency into action and innovation into hope for patients and families who cannot afford to wait.

Despite progress since the Orphan Drug Act of 1983, approximately 95% of rare diseases—now more than 11,000—still lack FDA-approved treatment options. Each year, Pitch4RARE brings together innovators, early-stage startups, industry experts, investors, and patient advocates from across geographies to evaluate breakthrough ideas spanning biotechnology, healthcare, and life sciences. The competition is a core component of IndoUSrare’s broader mission to bridge hope across nations and build equity by accelerating innovation, fostering cross-border collaboration, and supporting patient-centered solutions that can be implemented across diverse healthcare settings, including in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

“Pitch4RARE reflects the growing maturity of the global rare disease innovation ecosystem,” said Harsha Rajasimha, host of Pitch4RARE 2025, and Founder and Executive Chair of IndoUSrare. “The winning teams and finalists demonstrated a strong understanding of patient needs, feasibility, and scalability, factors that are essential for translating innovation into real-world impact.”

Aligned with IndoUSrare’s vision of creating global pathways of collaborations to address unmet needs in rare diseases, Pitch4RARE was designed to go beyond a traditional pitch competition. Startups were evaluated not only on scientific and technological novelty, but also on feasibility, scalability, and patient-centered design, reinforcing IndoUSrare’s commitment to ensuring that innovation translates into accessible and equitable outcomes globally. Participating startups benefited from global visibility through an international virtual platform, expert evaluation by leaders across technology, healthcare, and life sciences, and networking opportunities with biopharma, academia, and patient advocacy organizations.

As part of IndoUSrare’s commitment to nurturing early-stage innovation, Pitch4RARE winning startups will receive a cash prize, mentorship from senior leaders in rare diseases, and in-kind support, including discounted services such as clinical trial–related software solutions and potential access to real estate or incubation space in Prince William County. Winners will also receive visibility through press coverage and social media highlights from IndoUSrare. All finalists will receive free registration to the next Indo-US Bridging RARE Summit, enabling continued engagement with global experts, industry leaders, policymakers, and patient communities.

“For rare disease ventures, progress depends as much on informed capital and partnerships as it does on science,” said Dr. T. Leela Srinath, Founder, GenoPhe Biotech Pvt Ltd. “Pitch4Rare created a meaningful space to connect with the right funding and collaborative ecosystem.” GenoPhe pitched their prescription nutraceutical, Chaklz, for drug-resistant epilepsy.

“Pitching our nutritional solution for phenylketonuria patients at the IndoUSrare Pitch4Rare event provided an invaluable platform to engage with industry experts,” said Vihang Ghalsasi, Founder, IUVA Labs. “Patients with rare diseases like PKU deserve accessible treatments and care, and initiatives like this directly address that critical unmet need.”

Pitch4RARE submissions were evaluated by a distinguished panel representing leadership across industry, technology, and healthcare: Abhishek Mathur, PhD, MBA (Symphony Technology); Chidiebube C. (Emerging Technology Centers); Christiaan Engstrom (BLPN); Mahesh Narayanan, MS (MatchPlay); and Mandeep Kaur, MD, MS (Valion Consulting). IndoUSrare also extends special thanks to Dr. Narendra Chirmule (Symphony Technology) for his guidance and support.

IndoUSrare gratefully acknowledges AMGEN for its support as the Champion Sponsor of Pitch4RARE 2025, and for its shared commitment to advancing innovation, collaboration, and equity in rare diseases.

Through initiatives such as Pitch4RARE and the Indo-US Bridging RARE Summit, IndoUSrare continues to build a globally connected, equity-driven ecosystem—bringing together startups, industry leaders, policymakers, researchers, and patient communities to accelerate access to diagnosis, treatment, and long-term support for rare disease patients worldwide.

Looking ahead to 2026, IndoUSrare—together with the Global Organisation for Rare Diseases (GORD)—has set a Vision 2030 to ensure that rare disease research and orphan drug development efforts no longer perpetuate inequities by not engaging underrepresented populations in the U.S., India, and globally.

IndoUSrare is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in the United States, dedicated to connecting rare disease stakeholders across borders through research, advocacy, and education. GORD, its allied entity in India, is committed to uniting global efforts to eliminate barriers in rare disease diagnosis and treatment access. Together, these organizations form a powerful alliance bridging gaps across continents.

Nisha Venugopal
Indo US Organization for Rare Diseases
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PITCH4RARE 2025: Breakthrough Ideas Driving the Future of Rare Disease Care | IndoUSrare

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