Villgro to incubate seven social enterprises

Few days ago Villgro announced the incubation of seven new start-ups that aim to impact the Indian social fabric by providing solutions for agriculture, healthcare and education. Villgro President (India) PR Ganapathy says that these companies showed “the exciting combination of innovation, passionate and motivated entrepreneurs who are committed to social impact and the potential for financial viability and scalability.”

1. Kamal Kisan aims to increase the productivity of small farms by providing simple mechanized implements. The venture started to meet the diffused problem of labour shortage that small farmers face. The tools they provide include a mini rice mill, sugar cane planter and rice transplanter.

2. Flybird Innovations offers affordable irrigation controllers that help farmers irrigate their crops more accurately, increasing yields and quality. This device will bring the ability to implement sophisticated water management practices to small and marginal farmers.

3. VectorDoc is developing an Artifical Intelligence-based mobile phone app to be used by a low skill resource to both triage and return a preliminary diagnosis with high accuracy. The company aims to address the shortage of good doctors in rural India by using their time more efficiently.

4. MicroX Labs was founded with a vision to provide affordable, accessible and quality healthcare to all. Their first device will tackle the issue of providing accurate blood tests at point of care, which will assist physicians with a quick and efficient diagnosis of a variety of diseases as well allow them to treat the patient effectively.

5. BEMPU aims to tackle hypothermia, one of the most diffused causes of newborn deaths. Bempu is developing an intuitive neonatal temperature monitor that empowers mothers or other caretakers to better manage their newborn’s temperature and be alerted in case of these conditions thereby preventing such death and illness.

6. SustainEarth innovatively addresses issues of livelihood and clean energy in rural India through a low-cost biogas plant for household use in rural communities. This converts animal waste into clean fuel solutions integrating issues of livelihoods and energy.

7. SkillTrain is doing mobile-based vocational training for rural youth. Using audio, video and simulation based learning material for learners to understand and practice vocational skills, it aims to bridge the gap between the 15 million youth who drop out of schools each year and the projected need for nearly 150 million skilled employees in India by 2020.