# OpenAI-Backed Hackathon Winner RaktKhoj Targets Blood Donor Gap via WhatsApp

> RaktKhoj, built by two non-engineers at OpenAI's Build What Moves India hackathon, won among 13,000 entries and now seeks 10,000 pre-registrations.

- Published: 2026-10-15T02:54:40+00:00
- Section: Product Launches
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-15/openai-hackathon-raktkhoj-blood-donors
- Source: [Financial Express](https://www.financialexpress.com/life/technology-openai-goes-beyond-code-4361627/)

## Key takeaways

- RaktKhoj won Build What Moves India, an OpenAI-partnered hackathon that drew more than 13,000 entries and 10 finalists.
- The WhatsApp-based tool searches for compatible blood donors and broadens the search to eligible blood groups when nearby banks run out.
- Creators Sanan Goyal and Gurjot Singh Ahluwalia, neither a software engineer, are seeking 10,000 pre-registrations and engaging with government ministries.

RaktKhoj, an AI tool that connects blood donors to patients through WhatsApp, won Build What Moves India, a national hackathon organised by entrepreneur Varun Mayya with [OpenAI](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0000008/openai). The [Financial Express](https://www.financialexpress.com/life/technology-openai-goes-beyond-code-4361627/) reported that the event drew more than 13,000 entries, shortlisted 250 projects and named 10 finalists.

## How RaktKhoj Connects Donors on WhatsApp

The tool was built by Sanan Goyal, a marketing and business development professional with a background in film, animation and communication technology, and Gurjot Singh Ahluwalia, a product designer trained as an architect. Neither is a software engineer, and they competed as a two-person team against entries that included professional engineers.

"Blood shortages aren't a supply problem, they're a discovery problem," Goyal said. The government-run e-RaktKosh platform has more than 28 lakh registered blood donors, but when nearby blood banks run out of stock, finding an alternative can be difficult. RaktKhoj searches for compatible donors, broadens the search to eligible blood groups, drafts a request and sends it to matched donors through WhatsApp, who can accept or ignore it.

The prototype was initially demonstrated using mock data. Its creators say they have since tested it against data available on e-RaktKosh and are engaging with the government and relevant ministries to explore a rollout. They are also seeking 10,000 pre-registrations to gauge demand. A live service would require government integration and reliable access to donor information.

Mayya said the response showed "just how much enthusiasm there is to build solutions that can make a difference in people's lives." Pragya Misra, head of Strategy and Global Affairs, India, at OpenAI, said: "The true promise of AI is its ability to improve how people access essential services and, in doing so, improve lives across India."

## OpenAI's Enterprise Platform and Funding Record

OpenAI signed a flagship strategic partnership with HP Inc. in June 2026 to deploy the OpenAI Frontier enterprise platform across HP's global operations for customer experience, internal productivity and software development, according to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data). The same records show a $122 billion funding round closed in April 2026, the largest private market raise in history, led by Amazon, Nvidia and SoftBank, and a valuation of $852 billion after that round.

## OpenAI's Recent Product and Partnership Moves

SentinelOne said on October 14, 2026 that OpenAI Daybreak reduced malware analysis from weeks to hours, expanding capacity for threat investigation while keeping human review in place, Blockchain News reported. DevRev joined the OpenAI Marketplace as a launch partner the same day, allowing eligible enterprise customers to apply part of their existing OpenAI commitment to DevRev products, according to Channellife. Misra said on October 14, 2026 that AI adoption is shifting from experimentation to measurable business outcomes, citing Cars24's customer agent that returns nearly 12% of lost sellers, Business Standard reported.

## What Comes Next for the Prototypes

Atithi, developed by Janvi Mehta and Sarthak Shah, lets travellers upload passport details instead of entering them manually, check photographs against application requirements and reuse verified information to prepare Indian e-visa forms. Samarthan, developed by Parichay Prabhu and Amrudh Vishal, lets users describe an incident through text, voice or screenshots and organises the details into a structured complaint for the official reporting process.

## Companies in this story

- [OpenAI company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0000008/openai) · website: https://openai.com

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