BENGALURU: Cognitii, an Indian startup building an AI-powered system for public special education, has won the $100,000 Unlock Her Future Prize 2025.
The award—launched by The Bicester Collection—received over 2,900 applications from more than 40 South Asian countries. Eleven founders were shortlisted for the final pitch in London, where Cognitii emerged as one of six global winners.
Founded by Jhillika Trisal (Gurugram), Falguni Shrivastava (Raipur), and Souvik Ghosh (Kolkata), Cognitii is developing what it describes as India’s first “AI + human infrastructure layer” for special education. The founders, who have personal lived experiences with autism and ADHD, created the platform to address critical gaps they witnessed in India’s support systems.
They highlight a major national issue: over 80% of children with disabilities in India remain unidentified before age eight, severely limiting their access to education, therapy, and future employment opportunities.
Cognitii’s solution integrates early screening tools, a mobile-first learning system, an educator assistant, and policy-level dashboards for government agencies. The platform links with public databases such as UDISE+ and Samagra Shiksha, enabling authorities to monitor disability prevalence, inclusion outcomes, and budget utilization.
Designed for low-resource classrooms, the platform supports offline use and multiple languages.
The startup is currently running pilots in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and several other school networks. With the prize funding, Cognitii plans to scale government partnerships, expand rural outreach, and build what it calls India’s first “disability data layer” to help shape future policy, hiring, and budgeting.
“This win is a turning point—not just for Cognitii, but for millions of children who remain invisible in our systems. The Unlock Her Future Prize gives us the platform and resources to scale our work with governments and low-income schools, and to build the national infrastructure India needs for early screening, support, and inclusion,” the founders said in a statement.
The Unlock Her Future Prize supports women entrepreneurs advancing solutions for people and the planet. Winners receive funding, mentorship, leadership training, and access to networks of investors and policymakers. Cognitii aims to leverage this support to strengthen India’s special education ecosystem and expand its model across the Global South.
