Nemocare Raksha

Manoj Sanker and Pratyusha Pareddy are Season 3's most purpose-driven medtech engineers. Their journey began in 2016 during a clinical immersion fellowship at the Centre for Healthcare Entrepreneurship at IIT Hyderabad, where they spent six months embedded in hospitals across Telangana observing neonatal care delivery firsthand. "I found my purpose as a human and an engineer on the first day of our trial in a hospital," Manoj recalls. What they witnessed was devastating: premature and low-birth-weight babies dying in government hospitals because there were not enough monitoring devices or nurses to detect distress conditions in time. India records 3.2 million preterm births annually (the highest in the world) with a neonatal mortality rate of 24.9 per 1,000 live births. 4 lakh newborns die every year in India from preventable causes.

NemoCare Raksha is the world's first clinical-grade, sock-like wearable monitoring device for newborns, providing continuous ICU-grade monitoring in resource-constrained healthcare settings where traditional neonatal monitoring equipment is unavailable, insufficient, or too expensive. The device bridges the critical gap between tertiary hospitals (which have advanced monitoring) and district/government hospitals (which often have none). The device captures vital parameters in real time with clinical-grade accuracy, wirelessly transmitting data to a centralised dashboard that enables one nurse to simultaneously monitor 40 to 50 babies. When any parameter deviates from safe ranges, the system triggers an immediate alert, enabling timely intervention that can prevent death from conditions like Apnea (breathing stops), Hypothermia (dangerous temperature drop), and Sepsis (infection spreading through the body).

Amount Asked: ₹1 crore Equity Offered: 2.5% Implied Pre-Money Valuation: ₹40 crore

Manoj and Pratyusha walked into Season 3 Episode 43 with Season 3's most life-and-death medtech pitch. They opened with the statistic that every Indian parent fears: 4 lakh newborns die every year in India from preventable causes because there are not enough monitoring devices to detect distress in time. The Raksha device demonstration was the pitch's most clinically impressive moment: showing the sock-like wearable on a baby model, explaining how 7 vital parameters are captured simultaneously, and demonstrating the wireless dashboard that enables one nurse to monitor dozens of babies. The device's simplicity (a nurse attaches it like a sock) belied the sophisticated engineering underneath (clinical-grade sensors, wireless transmission, AI-powered alerts). Radhika Gupta's emotional response became the episode's most personally revealing Shark moment: "I was born in Pakistan and I was overweight, so I was kept in an incubator. I have an issue with my neck because I was kept in an incubator.

Radhika Gupta (guest Shark) shared her deeply personal incubator story and praised the founders' mission. Ritesh Agarwal called the founders' work "laudable" but did not invest. The early commercial stage and the long healthcare product adoption cycle sat outside his investment timeline. Vineeta Singh appreciated the social impact but exited on domain and stage grounds. The clinical medtech category required specialised expertise she could not provide. Namita Thapar exited despite being the most domain-aligned Shark (pharmaceutical healthcare). Aman Gupta was the sole investor. Despite the early revenue stage, he saw the combination of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation backing, 20,000 babies monitored, granted patents, and the founders' unwavering commitment to saving newborn lives as sufficient conviction to invest.

The founders asked ₹1 crore for 2.5% equity (₹40 crore valuation). Four Sharks exited. Aman offered ₹20 lakhs for 0.67% equity plus ₹80 lakhs debt at 10% interest for 2 years (₹29.85 crore valuation on equity component, total investment ₹1 crore matching the ask). The founders accepted, receiving the full ₹1 crore capital they requested structured as 20% equity and 80% debt, preserving maximum founder ownership while securing the growth capital needed for the next development phase.

Manoj Sanker and Pratyusha Pareddy accepted Aman Gupta's offer of ₹20 lakhs for 0.67% equity plus ₹80 lakhs debt at 10% interest for 2 years, valuing NemoCare at ₹29.85 crore. The deal brought boAt's consumer hardware manufacturing expertise, supply chain scaling methodology, and Aman's personal commitment to the mission into the world's first clinical-grade newborn wearable company. The heavy debt structure (80% of investment) preserved founder equity while Aman's involvement provided the Shark Tank credibility that accelerates hospital procurement conversations.

"Participating in Shark Tank India 3 was a game-changer for NemoCare. It provided us with an unparalleled opportunity to showcase our mission of ending preventable neonatal deaths on a global stage. The rigorous pitch process sharpened our focus, while the invaluable feedback from the sharks affirmed the strength of our product and our unwavering dedication to innovation." NemoCare Raksha continues its life-saving trajectory post-Shark Tank. The company is developing an AI-enabled neonatal analytics platform with support from BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) and ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) grants. This platform will predict when a newborn is going to fall sick and identify potential long-term complications, converting Raksha from a real-time monitoring device into a predictive health analytics system. The company holds 2 granted Indian patents and 1 US patent, with a US FDA approval application underway for international market entry.