Vivek Manoharan, PhD

Scientist & Entrepreneur | Building Artificial Intelligence aka AI products that work (minus the hype) @BPF

India

About

Co-founder of Bipolar Factory, developing AI-powered solutions with a focus on tangible results and real-world impact. Mentor under the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, facilitating MSME-academia collaboration and translating applied research into practical solutions for the healthcare and AI sectors. Biomedical (Biomechanics & Ergonomics) Scientist and Entrepreneur with an MS & Ph.D. from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Spine Biomechanics Research Work with the National University of Singapore - National University Hospital. Experienced in building and scaling startups as a founder, including 221B Biomedical (backed by India Health Fund and Tata Trusts) and Test At Home (Block 71 Alum, incubated at the National University of Singapore - NUS Enterprise, an Antler Singapore company), focused on innovative healthcare solutions. Co-founded Ferne Health, Singapore, a pioneering sexual health startup (acquired), demonstrating an entrepreneurial spirit and adaptability. UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Ambassador, mentor, and lead facilitator at the UNLEASH and UNLEASH+ Innovation Lab. Passionate Young Indians (CII), SICCI, & Breakthrough Science Society member. Co-founder of TEDxNTU at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and a co-curator at the TEDxSingapore community. Former President (consecutively elected twice) of the Nanyang Technological University Graduate Student Council, where he advocated for 9,000+ graduate students. Founding Chairman of NTU World of Wisdom (NTU WOW), a student-run think tank and knowledge outreach institution at NTU, Singapore. Passionate about leveraging technology to solve complex problems and drive positive change at the intersection of science and society. Committed to lifelong learning and the pursuit of antifragility, embracing challenges and uncertainty as opportunities for growth. Driven by a deep curiosity about the world, with an interest in applying a scientific approach to exploring the unexplained aka Paranormal.

Experience

  • Co-founder & Head of Special Projects at Bipolar Factory
    Dec 2021 - Present · 5 yrs

  • Industry Mentor (Healthcare & Artificial Intelligence) - UTTHAN Initiative at Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India
    Oct 2026 - Present · 2 mos

  • Chair of the Innovation and Startup Committee, SICCI - Coimbatore Chapter at The Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry
    Jul 2025 - Present · 1 yr 5 mos

  • UNLEASH - Innovation lab for SDGs (8 yrs 9 mos)
    • UNLEASH Ambassador - Vice-lead of the UNLEASH Community Initiatives Committee
      Dec 2020 - Present · 6 yrs

    • India · Hybrid
      Present

      UNLEASH is, at its core, a mission to connect aspiring to equip young people to help create solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals. As an official UNLEASH ambassador and member of the UNLEASH Community Initiatives Committee, I help raise awareness and organize activities around the sustainability causes you and your community care about most through UNLEASH’s channels, which have a global reach of over 23M+ people! I am a part of UNLEASH’s Community Board and adding perspectives on how to improve our program, affecting the experiences of thousands of youth worldwide. I also evaluate applications for UNLEASH

    • UN SDGs Lead design thinking facilitator, mentor, expert and applications evaluator
      Mar 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 9 mos

    • Singapore
      Present

      UNLEASH trained and certified facilitator in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals : UN SDGs or SDG design thinking and innovation process. Experience: Mentor : Mindforward program, UNLEASH + RIVET Applications Evaluator : UNLEASH, UNLEASH Plus Judge : UNLEASH & UNLEASH Plus Lead Facilitator : UNLEASH INDIA 2022 SDG 3 - Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) UNLEASH Hack Pakistan 2022 : Youth & Democracy UNLEASH Hack Mongolia 2022 : Inclusive Financing

    • UNLEASH Mentor, UNLEASH Plus Mentor, Expert & Judge
      Aug 2021 - Present · 5 yrs 4 mos

    • Singapore
      Present

      Facilitating team development and the implementation of solutions addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the pre-acceleration program UNLEASH+. UNLEASH is a global initiative uniting the world’s top talents to share ideas, build networks and grow solutions to help reach the SDGs. My mentees were the winners of the top prize in UNLEASH 2023. Mentor - UNLEASH Philippines 2025

    • Organizing Team: UNLEASH Hack Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia (SIM)
      Jan 2020 - Jan 2023 · 3 yrs 1 mo

      UNLEASH Hacks are localized hackathons designed to address sustainability challenges in specific contexts around the world. Through a collaborative 2-day event organized by UNLEASH alumni and their network, passionate talents work with local stakeholders and community leaders to collectively solve problems and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.

    • UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDG) talent & judge
      Mar 2018 - Aug 2021 · 3 yrs 6 mos

      UNLEASH is a global innovation lab, bringing together 1,000 carefully selected young talents from across the world, to collaborate on ideas and solutions for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Me and my team developed an innovative diagnostic tool; we determinately proceed working on it, resulting in an early stage Start-Up which is currently in the R&D phase. Supported by the UNLEASH foundation, EUREKA institute of translational medicine, advisors from Deloitte and Singapore's National University Health System. UNLEASH 2018, Application(s) evaluator, Judge for UNLEASH 2019, UNLEASH+ 2019 KX team, UNLEASH+ 2020 Participant Web: unleash.org

  • Mentor-in-residence & Entrepreneurship Educator at 18startup
    Mar 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 9 mos