Vibhav Joshi is a BITS Pilani (Goa, ‘15) graduate in BE Electrical and Electronics Engineering and postgraduate in MSc Biology. He was part of the first batch of the "New Venture Creation" (NVC) course, an experience that shaped his entrepreneurial journey. This early exposure to real-world business challenges not only helped him sharpen his ideas but also led to securing some of his first investors through the NVC network. His entrepreneurial spark ignited during an internship in healthcare, where he identified gaps in foetal monitoring, leading him to co-found Sattva MedTech, a company focused on maternity and child healthcare. His journey showcases the importance of resilience, adaptability, and the ability to learn from failures—qualities that have defined his success in MedTech innovation.

In what ways has the time spent at BITS Pilani shaped your business trajectory, with reference to the New Venture Creation course?

The course exposed us to real-world aspects, such as meeting alumni and customers, and learning how to pitch ideas. It was not just academic—alumni delivered many guest lectures, and the conversations were free-flowing. This structure provided me with excellent alumni mentorship, particularly from those who were already VCs or founders. The process helped me better structure my ideas, as I had to build something not just for grades. Some of my first investors came from the NVC network, and the experience helped me develop a thicker skin for criticism.

Can you discuss any extracurricular activities you participated in during college and how they enhanced your overall experience?

I was mainly active in DEPP and Quark Controls and even ran for the position of Quark Convener, but I lost the election. I was also involved in the elections for General Secretary, which my friend won. Additionally, I was on the badminton team, which helped me meet a completely different set of people I would not normally interact with. I would say extracurriculars are very important, though, of course, not more than academics. They help you interact with people from different backgrounds, get outside your bubble, and, in the long run, teach you how to deal with others effectively.

What motivated you to start Sattva MedTech, focusing on maternity and child healthcare, and how did you identify the exact problems your solutions should cater to?

My first exposure to healthcare came through an internship with a diabetes management company during my third-year summer break. While I realized my coding and marketing skills were not as strong as I initially thought, spending time in hospitals, and working on various projects gave me a deeper understanding of the healthcare space. This experience sparked my interest in MedTech. When I later decided to start Sattva MedTech, I knew I wanted to focus on hardware, specifically medical devices.

Through my observations in hospitals, I identified foetal monitoring as a critical, underexplored area. After about 6–8 months of dedicated research, I honed in on maternity and child healthcare.

What advice would you give someone in college now to make the most of their time if they wanted to start their own company.

Be objective about your strengths and weaknesses—it will go a long way in shaping your journey. If you do not have an idea, work for a small start-up, ideally with fewer than 10 people. You will learn the most about idea formation and the challenges of execution in such environments. Also, find a co-founder organically, either through extracurriculars or internships. It is essential to have complementary skill sets.

Describe some of the major obstacles you had to overcome in the early days of Sattva MedTech and how you overcame them. Any advice perhaps you might give to those who are presently experiencing what you did at that time?

In the beginning, it was challenging to raise funds because everyone was focused on e-commerce at the time, and we were pitching medical devices, something no one had done in India. Convincing investors to fund us was tough, but we kept pushing, knowing that while e-commerce might fade, medical devices would be crucial in the long run. We were committed to the idea, and within six months, we found the right investors—which is the hardest and most important thing to do for start-ups—and we also secured a grant from a BITS alumni batch. We faced constant challenges but staying clear and committed to the vision helped us move forward.

How did Jagriti Yatra shape your view of innovation and entrepreneurship?

Jagriti Yatra gave me a lot of exposure. It was my first time traveling independently to so many cities, and the diversity of people I met was eye-opening. You were thrown into groups that were incredibly diverse—engineers, people in public policy, and even someone who had not gone to college but had built a huge company. It helped me build confidence in interacting with all sorts of people and sharpened my sales skills. By the end of it, I had friends from across India, and some of those relationships continue even today.

Was there anything you did during your time in college that helped you gain experience toward your future startup?

One of my first entrepreneurial attempts in college was a food app idea called "Tummy Tantrums." The concept was simple: users could take a picture of their food, upload it to the app, and the app would scan the image to find a recipe. Although the idea did not work out and ultimately failed, it gave me valuable experience in building and launching a product. It also showed me the importance of having a clear purpose and direction in a start-up. Initially, with this project and others, it felt like everyone was involved because of the New Venture Creation course requirements, not because they were truly committed. That experience taught me early on that you cannot succeed in a venture without genuine dedication and a clear, structured approach.