From Below Zero to Best Startup Award

The startup Auscora originated from SDU’s talent program, Below Zero, and aims to help doctors make earlier and more accurate diagnoses, thereby helping to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions. But the journey started long before the award, in an environment where ideas are still evolving and ambitions are just beginning to take shape.

At Below Zero, the founders met as students with a shared interest in innovation and healthcare. Coming from different academic disciplines and international backgrounds, they began shaping the idea that would later become Auscora. It was here they took their first steps towards developing an AI-based solution that supports doctors in improving diagnostic processes.

For Balavignesh Baskar and Alexandra-Ance Lau, Below Zero marked a break from an otherwise predefined career path. It became the starting point for thinking in new directions and exploring opportunities beyond the traditional route. Today, they run Auscora together and look back on Below Zero as a decisive turning point

Why did you choose to apply for Below Zero?
- As students, the path can often feel very fixed. Below Zero opened our eyes to another possibility: that it was not only possible, but also worthwhile to step outside the traditional track. We wanted to challenge ourselves and find out what we are capable of beyond the path that has always been laid out in front of us.

What was the most enjoyable part of participating?
- Without a doubt, the people. It was amazing to meet others who share the same drive and curiosity, and honestly, it didn’t feel like university. It never felt like a burden. You actually wanted to be there, and that is a rare thing.

What was the most important thing you learned during the programme?
- The power of communication and the importance of focusing on the problem instead of immediately jumping to a solution. It sounds simple, but it fundamentally changed the way we approach challenges.

What advice would you give to students considering applying?
- If you are in doubt about whether to apply, just do it. It opens doors you didn’t even know you needed. It was by far the best part of our year.

Do you have any final advice or experience you would like to share?
- Make sure to invest in the people around you and really embrace the environment. You may end up working with them long after the programme is over. The programme has truly been the springboard we needed. It has accelerated our understanding of the field and its opportunities in ways we could not have achieved on our own.

The responses have been provided jointly by both founders.