How the Founder of PillMed is Making Healthcare Smarter, One Pill at a Time
You might expect a medical student to spend her days buried in textbooks or on clinical rounds; not pitching a startup, building a medical device, and winning business awards. But that’s exactly what Pranathi Bingi is doing.
This year, Pranathi, co-founder of PillMed and a student at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, was awarded the Gary R. Petersen Future Texas Business Legend Award by the Texas Business Hall of Fame. So how did a medical student land one of the state’s top business honors? It started with one small idea, a lot of determination, and, most of all, passion.
And in Pranathi’s case, she’s just getting started.
Why the Texas Business Hall of Fame Matters
The Texas Business Hall of Fame is one of the most prestigious recognitions for entrepreneurs in the state. For more than 40 years, it has honored Texas’ most influential business leaders while investing in the next generation of innovators through a statewide, highly competitive selection process open to entrepreneurs from every college and university in Texas.
Through its Future Texas Business Legend Awards, the Foundation recognizes emerging leaders who combine entrepreneurial excellence with a commitment to impact. Recipients receive not only financial support, but lifetime access to an elite statewide network of founders, executives, and mentors, connections that can shape careers, accelerate ventures, and open doors far beyond campus.
For entrepreneurs like Pranathi, this award signals more than early success. It places her among Texas’ most promising founders and affirms that her work has the potential to influence healthcare, business, and innovation across the state.
From Classroom to Clinic: Where the Idea Started
Long before PillMed, Pranathi was already exploring the intersection of medicine, business, and innovation. She first became involved with Sling Health while completing a STEM MBA between her undergraduate studies and medical school. That early exposure to healthcare entrepreneurship laid the foundation for what came next.
As a second-year medical student, Pranathi went on to serve as president of Sling Health Lubbock, a student-led biomedical incubator where students from medicine, engineering, and business collaborated to develop real-world healthcare solutions.
“I first heard about the Innovation Hub during my undergraduate years at Texas Tech University,” Pranathi shared. “As someone who was planning to make Lubbock home for the next eight years, I was excited to discover a center dedicated to innovation and entrepreneurship.”
She also worked as an operations analyst for NemaLife, a startup located within the Texas Tech Innovation Hub, gaining firsthand experience in a fast-paced startup environment. Through that work, she connected with the Hub and with Dr. Phil Sizer, an iTTU Mentor who has continued to guide Pranathi and the PillMed team.
As Pranathi progressed through medical school, she repeatedly encountered a familiar challenge in both clinical and patient-facing settings: medication nonadherence. Patients struggled to manage complex medication regimens- whether due to confusion, forgetfulness, or lack of clear guidance- and the consequences could be serious.
That’s when the idea for PillMed truly began to take shape.
What Is PillMed?
At its core, PillMed is a smart device designed to support patients in managing their prescribed medications. It is not a supplement product. Instead, PillMed focuses on helping patients take medications as directed by their healthcare providers.
The device is designed for use across a wide range of settings, including clinical environments and at home, and supports patients managing both short-term and long-term medication regimens. Through intuitive tools, timely reminders, and clear guidance, PillMed aims to reduce medication errors and improve adherence.
The goal isn’t to reinvent healthcare, but to make it easier for patients to follow the treatment plans they already have.
While the concept had been forming for some time, momentum accelerated once Pranathi began building her team. She partnered with engineers Frank Muniz, Jeena Poudel, and Dr. Paul Egan, combining clinical insight with technical expertise. Together, they participated in the NSF I-Corps Program in Spring 2024, where they tested assumptions, conducted customer discovery, and validated market need.
“Surrounding myself with people who were just as passionate, driven, and committed to solving the problem of medication nonadherence transformed PillMed from an abstract idea into a tangible mission,” Pranathi shared. “Each team member brings a unique perspective, and together we started asking the right questions, challenging assumptions, and turning vision into action.”
Their progress showed. PillMed became a finalist in the 2024 iLaunch Competition, earning third place and a $1,000 prize. This spring, the team secured $15,000 through the Prototype Fund and earned a spot in Cohort 9 of the Texas Tech Accelerator Program, where they’ll continue refining their product and preparing for real-world application.
Accelerating the Future
PillMed’s selection for Cohort 9 of the Texas Tech Accelerator marks an important milestone in the company’s journey. While still early-stage, the team is gaining momentum through structured programming, mentorship, and customer validation.
The Innovation Hub nominated Pranathi for the Texas Business Hall of Fame award in recognition of her commitment not only to medicine, but to meaningful, real-world problem solving. Her recognition places both PillMed and Texas Tech on the statewide innovation radar.
With Accelerator programming underway, the coming months will focus on mentor engagement, continued customer discovery, and hands-on product refinement as the team works toward clinical and commercial readiness.
Building With Mentors and a Mission
As PillMed moves through the Accelerator, the team will work alongside mentors from healthcare, engineering, and business, including longtime supporters like Dr. Sizer and new experts brought in through the Innovation Hub’s network. Despite the rapid progress, Pranathi remains grounded in the mission that sparked the idea in the first place: helping patients manage their medications more safely and confidently.
Advice for Other Student Innovators
For students with a startup idea, even one that feels early or unpolished, Pranathi’s journey is proof that you don’t need to have everything figured out to begin.
With the right support, mentorship, and willingness to learn, bold ideas can evolve into real solutions.
What’s Next for PillMed?
Looking ahead, PillMed’s roadmap includes continued prototype development, real-world testing, and steps toward commercialization. It’s a long journey, but one the team is fully committed to.
With recognition from the Texas Business Hall of Fame and the backing of the Texas Tech Innovation Hub, PillMed is building a strong foundation for what comes next.