Smile Group Enters the Global Healthcare Sector with its Healthtech Venture Builder "We're thrilled to welcome Gagandeep Singh Bedi, his rare combination of corporate leadership and deep engagement with the startup ecosystem makes him the ideal person to work with our founders and lead this initiative," said Harish Bahl, Founder and CEO of Smile Group

Smile Group, a technology investor and operator, is launching a Healthtech Venture Builder and has appointed Gagandeep Singh Bedi as Managing Partner to lead the initiative, leveraging its full-stack approach of bringing in capital and operational expertise to venture build, and driving the expansion of globally disruptive market leaders into Asia.

With over 25 years of experience at AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Baxter, and Eli Lilly, Gagandeep has driven growth, built high-performing teams, and shaped market strategies across India, Africa, and global markets. At AstraZeneca India, he led a turnaround—doubling market growth and tripling market capitalisation to USD 1B—while contributing to India's COVID-19 vaccine response.

He has also actively engaged with India's startup ecosystem through the India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre to accelerate tech adoption in clinics; a partnership with IIT Kanpur's SIIC for dementia-care innovation; and early-stage investments in Healthtech ventures targeting acute coronary syndrome and lung cancer.

"Smile Group's strong track record in scaling impactful, tech-forward ventures across Asia is something I've always deeply respected. Their unique approach—combining capital with deep operational support—resonates strongly with my focus on partnering with mission-driven startup founders and globally ambitious companies looking to enter or expand in Asia," said Gagandeep Singh Bedi.

Commenting on this, Harish Bahl, Founder and CEO of Smile Group, said, "With AI in healthcare becoming a USD 50B+ opportunity across APAC, and India's market growing at 42 per cent annually, the pace of change in Healthtech is phenomenal. We're thrilled to welcome Gagandeep Singh Bedi—his rare combination of corporate leadership and deep engagement with the startup ecosystem makes him the ideal person to work with our founders and lead this initiative."