Team Openwater
IISc Bengaluru
Team Openwater, led by Prof. Sanjiv Sambandan from IISc Bengaluru, had spent several years developing and refining a cutting-edge wastewater treatment solution. With early adopters on board, marquee customers showing interest, and funding secured, the team had already laid a strong foundation. However, they were looking for a clear strategy to scale their business and create broader impact. That search led them to the GDC I-NCUBATE program.
At the outset of the program, Openwater quickly realized that building a successful, scalable business goes beyond having a great technology—it starts with deep and deliberate customer discovery. While they had a corporate partner involved in their core domain, the team decided to use the program as an opportunity to explore a completely new and parallel business opportunity. The turning point came through a powerful piece of advice from their mentors: “Fall in love with the problem, not the solution, and build something customers would grab from your hands.”
Motivated by this mindset shift, they began exploring new markets and eventually turned their attention to the field of geriatric care, also known as the Silver Economy, as a promising market opportunity. To validate this focus, they conducted interviews within the geriatric care ecosystem, along with additional conversations in related markets. This extensive customer engagement helped them uncover real pain points and challenged some of their initial assumptions. They discovered that while there is increasing demand for elderly care solutions in India, many existing assistive devices fall short in addressing key concerns such as dignity, independence, and safety, particularly the risk of falls. Moreover, they realized that the elderly population is highly diverse in terms of age, technology adoption, and mindset, making it difficult to target them directly. These insights led the team to refine their focus toward caregivers, especially those working in assisted living centers, who face significant challenges related to training, burnout, and providing personalized care.
By diving deep into the ecosystem of assisted living centers, the team understood how non-clinical staff bear the responsibility for round-the-clock monitoring despite limited clinical knowledge, leading to gaps in supervision and personalized care. Caregivers often experience burnout, lack formal training, and face high attrition rates, making them a vital yet underserved segment within elderly care.
Mentorship played a vital role throughout this journey. Regular guidance from experienced mentors and instructors helped the team stay focused on the customer’s problem rather than getting distracted by multiple potential directions. This helped them develop a sharper, more focused vision. The program’s emphasis on pragmatism and evidence-based innovation nudged the team away from their initial overconfidence, reminding them that impactful technology must be rooted in real-world needs and validated customer insights.
With these learnings, Team Openwater refined their vision and business strategy to co-create assistive and adaptive solutions specifically designed for caregivers and assisted living centers. Their aim is to enhance the quality, accessibility, and affordability of elderly care, transforming aging into a dignified and enriched phase of life. The DST-GDC I-NCUBATE program was instrumental in helping the team pivot strategically, deepen their customer understanding, and build a scalable, market-aligned roadmap. As they graduate from the program, they are confident in their ability to navigate the journey ahead and make a meaningful impact in India’s Silver Economy.
Team Openwater
