InnerWhispers
National Level 24-Hour Mental Health Hackathon · Organised by NAU
MENTIS 24: Telangana’s First Mental Health Hackathon
Mental Health Innovation Sprint · Innovate • Empathize • Impact
A 24-hour, non-stop innovation sprint where 260+ students from over 15 colleges designed technology for the evolving mental health landscape.
- –
- Vaagdevi College of Engineering, Bollikunta, Warangal
- Ecosystem Partner: TGIC
- Hours, non-stop
- 24
- Students
- 260+
- Teams
- 52
- Colleges
- 15+
- Prize pool
- ₹20K
- Winning teams
- 12
01 · About the hackathon
Innovation Meets Empathy
The official MENTIS poster
MENTIS, the Mental Health Innovation Sprint, was a national level, 24-hour non-stop hackathon held on 30 and 31 January 2026 at Vaagdevi College of Engineering in Bollikunta, Warangal.
It was conceptualised and executed by InnerWhispers and NAU Vaagdevi, a student-led community committed to mental health dialogue, together with the Department of CSE (AI & ML). NAU served as the organising committee.
Guided by the theme “Innovate • Empathize • Impact”, the sprint challenged participants to integrate technology, AI and healthcare to address real problems, whether using AI for emotional support or designing sustainable healthcare pathways. The focus stayed on creating real-world empathy.
More than 260 students formed 52 interdisciplinary teams from over 15 colleges. A ₹20,000 prize pool was awarded to 12 winning teams who showed the most viable and empathetic solutions.
Inaugurated as Telangana’s first mental health hackathon, MENTIS marked a historic step towards innovation with empathy, and towards bringing social-tech innovation beyond the state capital to districts like Warangal.
02 · Themes & focus areas
What the Teams Built
Teams of 2–4 picked a theme and built a working prototype, an MVP, within 24 hours.
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01
Mental Health & Emotional Well-Being
Tools that help people notice, talk about and look after their emotional health.
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02
Suicide Prevention & Crisis Support
Early warning, safe-messaging and fast routes to help for people in crisis.
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03
ADHD, Autism & Dementia
Tracking and support tools for neurodevelopmental and cognitive conditions.
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04
Academic Stress & Digital Addiction
Solutions for exam pressure, burnout and unhealthy screen and phone habits.
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05
Therapy Accessibility & Community Support
Making care easier to reach, including anonymous peer spaces and campus networks.
03 · Winners & highlights
MENTIS Winners
A ₹20,000 prize pool was shared across 12 winning teams.
1st Prize
Team Tech-pulse
Vignan's Institute
Built an AI-driven Autism Recovery System to support children with autism and their families.
3rd Prize
Team Codaholics
SR University
Recognised for rapid software prototyping of data-driven wellness tools.
04 · Watch
MENTIS Highlights
24 hours of ideas, code and conversations about mental health, in a few minutes.
Highlights video coming soon
Follow NAU to be the first to watch.
05 · In the news
MENTIS in the Media
Covered by the Telangana Innovation Cell and the Telugu press. Tap a clipping to read it in full.
Innovation Meets Empathy: TGIC Backs Vaagdevi’s Mental Health Innovation Sprint
“The most impactful technologies are those that solve deeply human challenges.”
- 260+ students
- 52 teams
- TGIC as Ecosystem Partner
National Level Hackathon Concludes at Vaagdevi
ముగిసిన జాతీయస్థాయి హ్యాకథాన్
Students showcased their innovations and received certificates and prizes from Principal Dr. Prakash at the close of the Mental Health Innovation Sprint, run by the CSE department with InnerWhispers.
06 · Who made it happen
Organisers & Partners
Organised by NAU and InnerWhispers with the Department of CSE (AI & ML), Vaagdevi College of Engineering.
Organising team
Dr. K. Prakash
Principal, Vaagdevi College of Engineering
Dr. Thanveer Jahan
Convenor · Head, CSE (AI & ML)
B. Gopi Kalyan
CTO, InnerWhispers
Er. Salim Amirali Jiwani
Faculty Coordinator · Associate Professor, CSE (AI & ML)
Er. M. Saikiran
VIBA Foundation Manager
Dr. A. Swetha
Assistant Professor
Partners
Telangana Innovation Cell (TGIC)
Ecosystem Partner
VIBA
Vaagdevi incubation partner
Institution's Innovation Council (IIC)
Supporting partner
GMCK
Supporting partner
The people behind it
The NAU Team Behind MENTIS
The NAU members and volunteers who planned, hosted and ran 24 hours of MENTIS.
Team photos coming soon.
07 · FAQ
About MENTIS
What is MENTIS?
MENTIS (Mental Health Innovation Sprint) is a national level, 24-hour mental health hackathon. It was conceptualised and run by InnerWhispers and NAU Vaagdevi, with the Department of CSE (AI & ML) at Vaagdevi College of Engineering.
When and where was MENTIS held?
MENTIS took place on 30 and 31 January 2026 at Vaagdevi College of Engineering, Bollikunta, Warangal, Telangana.
How many students took part in MENTIS?
More than 260 students took part, in 52 interdisciplinary teams from over 15 colleges.
Who won MENTIS?
First prize went to Team Tech-pulse from Vignan's Institute for an AI-driven Autism Recovery System, and third prize to Team Codaholics from SR University. A ₹20,000 prize pool was shared across 12 winning teams.
What were the MENTIS themes?
Mental health and emotional well-being; suicide prevention and crisis support; ADHD, autism and dementia; academic stress and digital addiction; and therapy accessibility and community support.
Who supported MENTIS?
The Telangana Innovation Cell (TGIC) was the Ecosystem Partner, with support from VIBA, the Institution's Innovation Council (IIC) and GMCK. NAU was the organising committee.
Was MENTIS covered in the news?
Yes. MENTIS was featured in the Telangana Innovation Cell (TGIC) newsletter (January 2026, Vol. 3, Issue 1) as “Innovation Meets Empathy”, and covered by Telugu newspapers.
Is MENTIS Telangana's first mental health hackathon?
Yes. MENTIS was inaugurated as Telangana's first mental health hackathon, described by TGIC as a first-of-its-kind Mental Health Innovation Sprint.