Facilitating Better Mental Health Solutions with StimVeda Neurosciences – A Plaksha Success Story

Mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and neuropsychiatric disorders, today account for 18.5 percent of the worldwide disease burden. With 56 million cases of depression and the highest global rates of suicide (almost 700 deaths per day), India bears a disproportionate share of the burden. The COVID pandemic had exacerbated the situation, as fear, anxiety, isolation and grief over the deaths of loved ones and lockdowns had become a part of daily life. The severity of the problem in India is such that mental health has been addressed in the Union Budget 2022-23.

Understanding the pressing need for cost-effective, efficient and non-invasive mental health interventions, Ramya Yellagaprada and Lakshay Sahni, Plaksha’s Technology Leaders Program (TLP) alumni have developed a product to treat depression. The headband-like device provides non-invasive brain stimulation through cognitive behavioral therapy and brain games. It is now being tested at AIIMS Delhi, and is expected to be available for widespread use in July 2022. "It is the first line of treatment for individuals with mental health issues, before they seek medicine," explains Ramya.

“The technology of StimVeda Neurosciences has been approved in a number of European countries, as well as South Korea, Singapore, and Australia. While the technology has already been in play, our company will be one of the first in India to offer it is an at-home treatment,” she adds.

"Plaksha gave me the freedom to dream big!" says Ramya. The startup has been named one of seven promising healthcare businesses in 2021, from around the world.

Plaksha University provides an ecosystem for entrepreneurially inclined students, with its new-age curriculum and networking opportunities. TLP interweaves coursework in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Design Thinking, systems thinking, Data Science applications, entrepreneurship, and an understanding of self and leadership. Over the course of this one year postgraduate program, students are taught by world-renowned academia and trained by industry professionals. They also interact with like-minded, intellectually matched peers who inspire each other and work collaboratively.

StimVeda was named one of seven healthcare businesses to watch in 2021 from around the world.

StimVeda Neurosciences is an example of how Plaksha’s entrepreneurship ecosystem can help translate technology and research into better mental health solutions. Through its focus on innovation, mentorship and real-world problem-solving, Plaksha supported the founders as they developed a technology-driven approach to mental healthcare.

The founders of this high-impact tech start-up began their entrepreneurial adventure at the Plaksha Entrepreneurship Support Program (PESP), which assisted them in laying the groundwork for their venture. "Plaksha gave me the freedom to dream big," Ramya explains. Plaksha University can help a new generation of leaders by providing an education system that fosters creativity. These leaders will be able to not only innovate, but also scan scientific developments around the world and apply technological foresight to real-world problems in digital health, smart agriculture, and other areas.

The Founders of StimVeda Neurosciences began their entrepreneurial journey with the Plaksha Entrepreneurship Support Program (PESP), which helped them lay the groundwork for their venture, with seed funding and mentorship.

Plaksha University is empowering a new generation of fearless leaders, by reimagining tech education to encourage an entrepreneurial mindset and creative thinking. It is nurturing the leaders of tomorrow who are not only able to innovate, but also have a pulse on scientific developments around the world, and are able to apply technological foresight to real-world problems in digital health, smart agriculture, and such.

The Content Team at Plaksha University leads storytelling, blog and website content, social media, newsletters and event coverage and press and media coverage. The team writes about the University's initiatives, academic programs, research, innovation, and the impact created by the students, faculty, and collaborators and in the process offer readers a closer look at the people and ideas shaping the future of technology education.