[Startup Bharat] Meet 5 startups bringing innovation to Vizag

In Visakhapatnam, or Vizag, which is known as the industrial centre of Andhra Pradesh, technological advancements are becoming more prominent by the day. This has also set the ground for several startups to come into the market and grow themselves.

The state government has also been supportive with numerous skilled and dedicated enablers such as incubators, accelerators, VCs, and government agencies, accelerating this growth.

Some of these include iTAAP, (industry association for the IT, BPM, and electronics sectors in Andhra Pradesh), AP Innovation Society (aimed to create a startup ecosystem in AP by fostering entrepreneurship and a culture of innovation), StartAP Fest (run by entrepreneurs, freelancers, and volunteers - the largest conference of, by, and for Andhrapreneurs), Nasscom, and others.

From bringing artisans and weavers online, training jobseekers to helping companies up their branding and promotion game, Vizag startups have done it all.

YourStory brings you five such startups making the city one of the emerging startup hubs of the country.

Yes!poho

Founded in 2017 by Raghuram Kuchibhatla, the startup allows weavers and artisans to directly connect with customers online to sell handloom sarees without a middleman.

As soon as an order is received, weavers are notified through operational hubs located close to their village. Once a saree is ready, an agent is sent to inspect the product before shipping. 

The startup has on-boarded close to 40 weavers to date from the villages of Veeravaram and Ramachandrapuram in Andhra Pradesh, Kullakkapalayam in Tamil Nadu, Badkulla in West Bengal, Champa Nagar in Bihar, and Pochampally in Telangana. 

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Interview Buddy

Interview Buddy was started by Ujwal Surampalli in 2017 to bridge the gap between job seekers and hirers.

It is an online platform that helps job seekers interact with industry experts in real-time. The startup’s technology helps candidates practice interviews and provides well-constructed feedback later.

Interview Buddy’s mock interviews are conducted by industry experts who have an average experience of more than nine years in the interviewing game. The startup also has features like a video conference window, sentiment analysis, and more.

Saif Automation

Vizag-based Saif Automation aims to help reduce drowning incidents with the help of water drones named ‘Saif Seas’. These drones can be deployed in emergency situations at sea or in other water bodies.

Once thrown into the water, crew members can control and manoeuvre the drone so that it can reach and pick up a drowning person and bring them to safety.

The company was started in 2018 by Aliasgar Calcuttawala along with his father Ahmed S Abdeally and his brother Taher Ahmed. At present, it has offices in Visakhapatnam and Kolkata.

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Yeskart

Yeskart is a hyperlocal marketplace based in Visakhapatnam. Started in 2016 by Sankar Rao Vysyaraju and Vysyaraju Sreenivasrao, the startup is a tool for online comparison shopping.

It helps users search, compare, and find what they need at lowest prices. The platform claims to have over 15 million products across categories like mobile phones, tablets, electronics, beauty products, apparel, footwear, books, games, and home decor items.

Yeskart also aggregates latest coupons and deals from over 100 sellers to help users get the best offers. It empowers users with maximum information about products to provide a convenient experience. The startup has detailed product specifications, features, reviews, ratings, photos, and videos to enable online shoppers take informed buying decisions.

Millionth Mile

Vizag-based Millionth Mile, started by Akhil Jonnavithula, Farooq Chisty, and Prem Sai is a branding consultancy that is helping companies build their brand’s online and offline reputation. The startup does digital marketing, branding, UI/UX Design, and TTL (Through-the-line) Marketing.

Founded in 2018, it also designs merchandise, collaterals, billboards, mobile cases, and does social media marketing. The startup provides custom services based on the requirements of a client. It then conducts market research and hypothesis construction to build the right products.

The startup claims to have Google-certified digital marketers, experienced content writers, and design thinking specialists on board.

(Edited by Saheli Sen Gupta)

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