COLUMN // WORKFORCE
A Launchpad for Social Impact
How ASME Foundation’s ISHOW is changing lives.
Written by Komal Shah
Komal Shah
Editor’s Note: Komal Shah is the CEO and co-founder of Periwinkle Labs, based in Bengaluru, India, a women’s health MedTech startup developing evidence-based, wearable solutions for pelvic care, with an initial focus on adaptive stimulation treatment for urinary incontinence.
While initially developing the product, Iniraa, before registering as a company, Komal received support from ASME’s Idea Lab to progress her innovation from concept to prototype. She then applied to the 2024 ISHOW India, where her company was one of three finalists to receive seed capital and technical support from volunteer ASME experts.
I STUDIED PRODUCT DESIGN at the Indian Institute of Science, and during that time, I took coursework on biomedical devices and systems. That was my introduction to medical science from a design lens.
While working in antenatal care, I spent a lot of time interacting with women during and after pregnancy. What really stood out was that many of them were experiencing symptoms of urinary incontinence but did not perceive it as a medical condition that could be treated.
That gap between what people experience and what they seek care for really stayed with me. Periwinkle Labs emerged from that insight.
We are building a wearable solution that enables women to access treatment for urinary incontinence in a way that fits into their daily lives—a practical approach that is effective, but also discreet and usable in the real world.
At an early stage, when we had a prototype but many unanswered questions, we applied to ASME’s Idea Lab and ISHOW. We had seen other startups go through that journey and benefit from it—not just in terms of technical progress, but in how clearly they were able to think about their problem and solution.
We quickly found that ASME’s programs went deeper than most. It was not just about refining a pitch or validating a concept—it was about really interrogating the problem and the solution. We were looking for that kind of rigor and honest feedback—people who would challenge our assumptions, not just validate them—and that is exactly what we found in the program.
What stood out most was the depth of engagement. The mentors did not just help us refine specific aspects of the business. They really pushed us to think through, step by step, how our solution would actually fit into a user’s life. That way of thinking has stayed with us and guides our decision making to this day.
Periwinkle Labs is developing evidence-based, wearable solutions for pelvic care, with an initial focus on adaptive stimulation treatment for urinary incontinence, such as the Iniraa device shown above. Photo: Periwinkle Labs
At ISHOW, the format itself was incredibly valuable. We spent extended time in detailed discussions with mentors from different areas of expertise, and gained exposure to a broader ecosystem of people who understood the realities of building hardware for social impact. Ultimately, that translates into the lives of the women we are building for: women who may otherwise never have had access to a solution that truly works for their routines.
We are still early in this journey. Going forward, we want to make effective treatment for pelvic health conditions more accessible to women in a way that fits into their everyday lives. Longer term, we see this as a platform for expanding into a broader range of women’s health solutions, while continuing to focus on dignity, usability, and real-world impact.
My advice to others who may be unsure whether or how to develop their concepts into marketable solutions would be this: do not need to feel “ready” to apply. In fact, one of the key values of these programs is that they meet you where you are and help you evolve your thinking. What matters more is having a real problem you care deeply about solving, and being open to having your assumptions challenged.
If you are willing to engage with that process honestly, the program can be extremely valuable.
As an engineering entrepreneur, the support we receive from the ASME Foundation—and by extension, the individuals and organizations that donate to these programs—has had a very real and direct impact—often in ways that are not immediately apparent.
In our case, it was not just about helping a startup move forward. It was about shaping how we think, how we build, and how we define impact. That influence carries through every decision we make today.
Komal Shah is co-founder and CEO of Periwinkle Labs Pvt. Ltd. For more information about the ASME Foundation’s programs that support sustainable innovation, visit asmefoundation.org.
© 2026 The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. All rights reserved.