The student-founded, now alumni-led, Cognera Health, Inc. team has won the Alabama Launchpad competition, securing $100,000 in non-dilutive funding.

Founded by Master of Computer Science alumnus Vamsi Jupudi, Cognera’s CEO, and Jaydeep Patel, a Master of Clinical Mental Health alumnus, the team successfully completed the Launchpad competition in the Life Sciences track after winning the Sorrell College of Business’ Regions Foundation Business Idea Competition IDEA Bank.

“Winning has not only validated our efforts but has also sparked conversations that were previously unimaginable,” Jupudi said. “We are currently engaged in some truly promising discussions with investors and potential partners.”

Established in 2006, Alabama Launchpad is the state’s most active early-stage seed fund investor, dedicated to driving innovation and job growth through startup competitions and ongoing mentorship for Alabama entrepreneurs. The program has invested more than $6.4 million in more than 120 startups, resulting in more than 1,600 jobs created and more than $1 billion in estimated valuation. It is a program of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama.

Once the team made it to the finalist stage in the statewide competition, Jupidi said “things got really intense.” 

“The program paired us with some amazing advisors — Saksham Narang, Matthew Jaeh, Cecil Bostany, Keith Cromwell, Gayle Rogers, Mary Ila Ward, and Ryan Robinett. These weren’t just casual check-ins either. We had these deep strategy sessions where they really pushed us on everything – our business model, how we were thinking about the technology, our market approach, all of it,” he said.

Patel said he never considered himself an entrepreneur.

“It was a truly exhilarating and transformative experience. I had never explored my entrepreneurial side, but the idea of creating a novel solution to help people with mental health challenges, distinct from traditional approaches, shifted my perspective. I was working as a counselor for over a year when Vamsi reached out. We collaborated to develop an innovative platform to support mental health,” he said. “After our win at Troy University’s IDEA Bank, I knew we had something special to offer the world, and our journey began.”

Following their IDEA Bank win, the pair reached out to veteran healthcare technology executive John Budala, who serves as Cognera’s president. Together, the three – along with some dedicated interns – have built an Artificial Intelligence-driven platform to address gaps in mental healthcare.

“Vamsi’s technical expertise and leadership guided us toward Alabama Launchpad, while John’s business acumen shaped our strategy, guiding us through the startup landscape with confidence. We poured our collective ideas into creating Cognera Health, refining our platform for the Alabama Launchpad competition. We secured mentorship through IDEA Bank and other Troy University resources,” Patel said. “It was a journey of long hours, tireless discussions and creative problem solving.”

Jupudi believes the experience was valuable in several ways, including how the state of Alabama benefits.

“What I found most valuable wasn’t just the business advice, though that was crucial. It was how they helped us get really clear about why Alabama specifically needs what we’re building,” he said. “They kept pushing us to articulate how our AI platform solves this fundamental problem where people get therapy but then they’re on their own until the next session. That gap is where so many people struggle, and that’s exactly what we’re addressing.”

Now, with $100,000 in additional funding, Jupudi said he looks to accelerate the development of their platform, BrightLyf.

“(The prize money) completely transforms what we can do and how fast we can do it. We can now build our HIPAA-compliant MVP in less than six months instead of the longer timeline we were looking at before. This means we’ll be launching pilot programs in multiple locations much sooner than we originally planned,” he said.

Patel agrees: “Our mission has been clear from the start: to help those in need and save lives through accessible mental health care.” 

“The Alabama Launchpad win, with its $100,000 prize and invaluable mentorship, is one of many affirmations of our goals. We’ll keep pushing to make Cognera Health the leading solution in mental health care, transforming lives across Alabama and beyond,” he said.