Et Startup Awards 2026 Nominees For Top Innovator

We are back with the 12th edition of The Economic Times Startup Awards. Ahead of the main event, here are the nominees in one of the eight categories: Top Innovator.The award will recognise innovations that launch a business or give it a big boost. It should be an original idea that is core to the business or one that provides the differentiation that sets it apart from the competition.Here are the nominees:Company Name: TheranautilusFounders: Ambarish Ghosh, Peddi Shanmukh Srinivas, and Debayan DasguptaFounded In: 2020Based In: BengaluruKey Investors: pi Ventures, Pravega Ventures, Golden SparrowWhat it does: Theranautilus is a medical robotics company developing nano robots that can be controlled inside the human body for targeted treatments. It is initially focused on oral healthcare, with applications ranging from treating tooth sensitivity to cleaning hard-to-reach root canals, and plans to take the technology into other areas.Company Name: Ethereal Exploration Guild (EtherealX)Founders: Prashanth Sharma, Manu J. Nair and Shubhayu SardarFounded In: 2022Based In: BengaluruKey Investors: TDK Ventures, Accel, Prosus Ventures, YourNest, BlueHill VCWhat it Does: EtherealX is a space technology company building medium-lift reusable rockets to carry satellites into orbit. It has developed two in-house rocket engines, Stallion and Pegasus, and has planned a testflight in 2027 before launching its Razor Crest Mk-1 rocket by the end of 2028.Company Name: 4baseCareFounders: Kshitij Rishi (left) and Hitesh GoswamiFounded In: 2018Based In: BengaluruKey Investors: Infosys, Yali Capital, GrowX VenturesWhat it Does: 4baseCare is a precision oncology company using genomic testing to help doctors match Indian cancer patients with more personalised treatments. Beyond testing, it is building a database and an AI platform to generate insights for oncologists.Company Name: QNu LabsFounders: Aluri Srinivasa Rao (left) and Sunil Kumar GuptaFounded In: 2016Based In: BengaluruKey Investors: HDFC Bank, Speciale Invest, Singularity AMCWhat it Does: QNu Labs is a cybersecurity company developing quantum-safe products to protect sensitive data from the threat posed by quantum computers. Its technology is aimed at organisations handling critical information, including defence forces, banks, telecom networks, and other critical infrastructure.Company Name: Agrani LabsFounders: Ashok Jagannathan, Rajesh Vivekanandham, Srikanth Nimmagadda and Dheemanth NagarajFounded In: 2024Based In: BengaluruKey Investors: Peak XV Partners, AngelsWhat it Does: Agrani Labs is a semiconductor company building high-performance AI GPUs for data centres, an area dominated by global players such as Nvidia and AMD. It is developing a GPU and the software stack with the aim of building AI computing infrastructure for India and global markets.