IoT solution provider telematics4u plans to go for an IPO

Backed by Karnataka Information Technology Venture Capital Fund (KITVEN Fund), telematics4u was founded in April 2009 by Pratap Hegde. The inspiration for starting up came when Pratap had attended a conference of platform-based BPO services, which soon gave him the idea of building a similar platform in the telematics segment.

An IoT-enabled platform, Bengaluru-based telematics4u (t4u) provides transportation operations management as a service on a pay-as-you-go business model. It caters to various business verticals, including logistics companies, cash logistics, employee/staff transportation operations, cold chain logistics, the government and community sectors, defence, cement logistics, mining logistics and marine operations.

Telematics4u today has more than 1,000 customers (spread over more than 55 countries across Africa, the Middle-East, South Asia and South East Asia, with 60 per cent of them from India), 650 service professionals and 85 business partners.

Pratap, who brings with him 20 years of experience in the IT industry in areas like BPO/KPO, proudly says, “t4u was built on customer money that was paid in advance based on credibility, trust and relationships that were built before the inception.”

IoT-enabled platform

t4u has developed one e-governance IT solution by the name of Sand Mining Administration Regulation Transportation (SMART). It enables the government to monitor the revenue generation, real-time sand availability and transportation from the riverbed to sand stockyards to the end consumer. So far, the system has been implemented across 18 districts in Karnataka.

t4u’s People Mobility solution addresses the operation challenges, analytics, safety, security, business critical tools and reports. The automotive logistics solutions of t4u help optimise the logistics supply chain, improve consignment delivery compliance, reduce turn-around time and improve the performance of drivers.

The distribution logistics solutions help manage distribution and last mile delivery operations. The route optimisation helps distributors monitor departure information at the distribution hubs/warehouse levels and track real-time information on the map about the vehicle’s location.

Project highlights

Telematics4u is working with the Government of Goa for the project named Goa Iron Ore Mining. t4u intelligent mineral ecosystem solutions offers features like the bifurcation of mineral transporting vehicles from other carriers and the integrating of movement monitoring with transit permit generation. More than 6000 trucks are registered on the platform that enables the authorities to manage the entire mining traffic. Around 100 weighbridges are brought online to give detailed monitoring capabilities to the authorities.

Kuwait Municipality has, for the last three years, been leveraging the comprehensive solid waste management solution of t4u. This system allows the Municipality to have control over various transporters involved in the initiative of “Clean Kuwait”, monitor the garbage pickup and dumping, and send alerts, reports and analytics to the management regularly.

Bengaluru-based self-drive car hire services Zoomcar is using the self-drive car management solution of t4u to remotely secure their cars and gain business intelligence to improve customer services. The system can customize booking cycle management via website and mobile app, provides a dashboard to operations team to manage vehicle upkeeping and maintenance and send real-time analytical reports on customer usage and demand patterns.

t4u claims that its integrated self-drive car/bike rental operations management solution can help to increase 25-30 per cent earnings on per vehicle.

Subsidiary companies

Telematics4u has launched a subsidiary company, AdWise MediaTech Solutions, in a joint venture with VJ MediaWorks Private Limited, a media company that publishes three established monthly magazines – Outdoor Asia, Point-of-Purchase and VMRD (Visual Merchandising & Retail Design).

The strategic alliance will see the amalgamation of Telematics4u’s domain expertise and VJ Media’s vast network and capabilities in the OOH (Out-of-home) media segment. AdWise offers technology-based third party certification of deliverables for every campaign. AdWise equips each media owner with confirmed data on the actual performance of the media property.

Outdoor media today faces challenges in justifying the displays done agencies or advertisers on his hoarding and collect due payment against bills for the same. t4u maps all sites with lat-long and other sites details with a unique ID number allocation for each site.

The innovative technology platform not only monitors and tracks the variables at play on a day-to-day basis in real-time, but also creates an ecosystem of transparency, accountability and high-quality services that will bring an end to the current opaqueness in the OOH space,” says Pratap.

t4u claims to have pioneered an IoT solution-based platform for the OOH industry and to have tied up with large operators such as Selvel and Prakash Arts.

Plans ahead

Telematics4u at present has 150 people, along with sales teams spread across India and local t4u service providers (which cater to the needs of international clients).

"We have recorded a revenue growth of 35 percent in the FY 2015-16 over the preceding FY. For the next fiscal year, we are expecting a growth of more than 100 percent. We are also gearing up for an IPO in the near future,” says Pratap.

The significant revenue generation of t4u is contributed primarily by a SaaS monthly recurring subscription model, followed by hardware sales, consulting, software customisation, onsite services and sign-up revenues from newly joined network partners.

A space with limitless potential

The Internet of Things (IoT) market in India is poised to reach $15 billion by 2020, accounting for five percent of the global market, according to a report by NASSCOM. The revolution of IoT will eventually reflect in our everyday lives, starting from healthcare, manufacturing, and home automation, and extending to smart cities.

Gurgaon-based Trak N Tell enables car owners and fleet owners to track their vehicles and even immobilise them in case of a theft through their smartphone. It also allows for predictive engine failure, preventive maintenance notifications, a fuel monitoring system and more. The company has raised Series A funding from WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton.

Bengaluru-based Witworks recently raised seed funding to launch a wrist wearable device — Blink — which will provide access to contextual information and services on-the-go. Beyond Evolution’s newly launched IoT platform BeConnected enables consumer to remotely monitor and control any household appliance from their mobile phone.

According to a recent mobility report by telecommunications company Ericsson, IoT devices will comprise 16 billion out of the total 28 billion connected devices by 2018. The report also revealed that there were expected to be 400 million IoT devices with cellular subscriptions by the end of 2015.

Webiste: telematics4u