Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
The Platform The platform is designed for early stage innovation in context. The spot phase is to generate ideas for solutions that will satisfy a signicant need. The probe phase is to create a proof of concept. The grow phase is to develop a working prototype. And the scale phase is to deploy the solution. This integrated approach is designed to cultivate ideas that will become high-impact ventures that address the largest and most widespread challenges facing humanity. The results often leapfrog existing solutions. Impact ventures around newly digital citizens require an integrated effort and a large petri dish for experimentation. A single isolated venture is unlikely to succeed without deep engagement from multiple stakeholders including local businesses government ofcials and well identied newly digital citizens. We have found an ideal venue for such a sandbox for venture experimentation. The vibrant and beautiful Kumbh Mela in the city of Nashik provides the grounds to test many of these ideas for technology and adoption. At the same time innovators are bringing innovative solutions to the Kumbh Mela many of which have been already put in place by the citizens. Kumbhathon teams built the ofcial app of the Kumbh Mela it provides unprecedented dynamic graphical data to empower visitors and ofcials of the Kumbh Mela. Kumbhathons are year-round initiatives with quarterly camps used for identifying and addressing technology and market risks. Since innovators need more than just one specic event like the Kumbh Mela the Kumbhathon is NOT a traditional hackathon or a competition. It is a buildathon. After months of preparation each buildathon is a week-long ideating and prototyping marathon that is part of a year long process. It includes tech talks by renowned industrialists and technological evangelists and a deep engagement with stakeholders of the city. It is a great platform to make ideas take shape. The innovation center now supports innovators and entrepreneurs in taking these ventures to other venues or morph them for daily use by the newly digital citizens. Spot Inventors and members of the innovation ecosystem generate an idea that addresses a need. Probe Teams around the world are taking part in focused workshops and camps to develop rough functioning proofs of concept. Grow Innovation centers and partners combine their talents and skills to evolve the prototypes into more polished fully functioning devices. Scale MIT Media Lab Consortium members multinationals and a network of global partners facilitate the successful deployment of the solutions.