How Panasonic Is Fostering DeepTech Startups for India’s Connected Homes

Panasonic Life Solutions India (PLSIND), along with Panasonic Corporation, recently announced the joint winners of Panasonic Ignition 3.0, its accelerator programme focused on solutions for the future of residential living. Red Health and Respirer Living Sciences emerged as joint winners and will partner with Panasonic to co-create scalable, technology-driven solutions for India’s evolving residential ecosystem.

The third edition of the accelerator was anchored around “Residential Business Challenges,” with an emphasis on smart technologies, sustainable practices, personal wellness, connected devices, and community-focused solutions—reflecting the growing convergence of housing, health, energy, and digital infrastructure.

The Ignition 3.0 Winners and What They Build

Red Health operates a technology-led platform offering integrated emergency response services, positioned around “first minute to last mile” coverage. In a residential context, its value lies in orchestration, faster mobilisation, and the ability to integrate emergency workflows across gated communities, residential clusters, and service networks.

Respirer Living Sciences develops IoT-enabled energy recovery ventilators designed to maintain healthy indoor air quality while optimising energy use. The technology sits at the intersection of connected devices, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency, translating environmental sensing into automated, actionable control within homes.

Data and AI at the Core of Panasonic’s Residential Vision

A central theme at the Ignition 3.0 Demo Day was Panasonic’s deepening focus on data and AI as foundational enablers of smart living. “Panasonic’s MirAIe platform is a testament to this, connecting 750,000 devices and boasting 1.5 million app downloads, with over 300,000 daily active users during peak seasons,” said Manish Misra, Chief Innovation Officer, PLSIND.

The platform aggregates data from a wide range of connected devices, including air conditioners, water heaters, smart plugs, switches, and lighting systems, enabling Panasonic to build intelligence layers across comfort, energy efficiency, and wellness.

This strategic direction was reinforced at the group level. The Panasonic Holdings Corporation’s CEO, Yuki Kusumi, stated at the event that by 2035, Panasonic expects 30% of its revenue to come from AI software solutions, including data, signalling a long-term shift from hardware-led growth to software- and data-driven value creation.

How the Accelerator Converts Innovation into Deployable Outcomes

Organised in partnership with Beyond Next Ventures, Panasonic Ignition 3.0 received 113 applications from early- to mid-stage startups across India. Panasonic selected 11 startups for a three-month cohort, during which participants attended curated masterclasses, received mentoring from Panasonic and Beyond Next Ventures, refined business models, strengthened product strategy, and completed technology validation with domain experts.

This structure positions Ignition as more than a showcase programme, with a clear emphasis on readiness, validation, and pathways to real-world co-creation.

Leadership Perspective and Ecosystem Impact

“We are not trying to build large language models like ChatGPT or Gemini. Technology is not the focus; using technology to create meaningful use cases that improve daily life is the focus,” said Kunio Gohara, Chief Transformation Officer, Panasonic Corporation. He added that trust remains central to Panasonic’s approach: “Privacy by design and security by design are in our DNA.”

Tadashi Chiba, Managing Director & CEO, Panasonic Life Solutions India, linked the programme to the scale and momentum of India’s startup ecosystem, positioning Ignition as a platform for responsible innovation that improves quality of life while remaining commercially viable and scalable.

Other Startups Recognised for Pilot Potential

Alongside the Ignition 3.0 winners, Panasonic also announced ACCELERATE award recipients Ambiator, Biomoneta, Cantata, and Kubo Care. These startups will work with Panasonic on pilot deployments and explore opportunities for mid-term strategic partnerships.

Why This Matters

Residential living is rapidly becoming a full-stack technology domain, where software orchestration, connected devices, data-driven optimisation, and real-world pilots matter as much as hardware. Panasonic’s Ignition programme is being shaped as a repeatable pathway to identify startups, validate technologies, run pilots, and translate outcomes into market-ready offerings across safety, wellness, energy efficiency, and community living—underscoring the company’s broader transition toward intelligent, data-led residential ecosystems.