Meet the 5 startups that have put Hyderabad on the entrepreneurial map
The capital of Telangana is now a major startup hub and is home to 1,940 startups, according to a recent report by TiE Delhi-NCR and Zinnov. We take a closer look at five Hyderabad startups that are inspiring aspiring founders in the city.
Hyderabad has made a place for itself on the Indian map for reasons besides its mouth-watering biryani and iconic Charminar. The capital of Telangana is now a major startup hub and is home to 1,940 startups, according to a recent report by TiE Delhi-NCR and Zinnov, ‘Turbocharging Delhi-NCR Start-up Ecosystem’.
The city headquarters T-Hub, a startup incubator and an initiative of the Telangana government. It recently announced the launch of its funding programme T-Angel, a joint venture with the state government to empower and enable early-stage investment in the ecosystem.
YourStory lists some of Hyderabad’s startups that are upping their game in the ecosystem.
Jay Robotix
Global STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) edtechstartup Jay Robotics designs, develops and deploys robotics-based products and services for school and college students.
Based out of Hyderabad, Jay Robotix was founded in April 2015 by Mohan Krishna and Sudhir Reddy. The B2B startup, which is currently headquartered in Singapore, has designed a self-sustainable programme for school and college students. It has recently ventured into the B2B2C space and is planning packages that can be deployed in B2C markets.
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Jay Robotix Founders Sudhir Reddy (extreme left) and Mohan Krishna (second from left) checking robotics equipment.
The startup received angel funding of $250,000 in 2015 and now caters to more than two lakh students across 300 schools. Besides operating in the major metros and in over 20 Tier II and III cities in India, Jay Robotix operates in Singapore, Bahrain, Qatar, Malaysia, and Oman.
TruePush
Hyderabad-based TruePush, founded by Ravi Vaka and Manoj Surya in 2018, offers an easy-to-use, freemium push notification product for web and mobile to boost engagement.
The startup claims to have over 1,100 signups till now, with a steady growth. TruePush has reached 42 million devices so far and is aiming for another 100 million devices by 2020. Their client list includes, Indiaglitz, raaga.com, Way2news, Yourquote, NASA Space apps, and Fustany.com.
TruePush Founders Manoj Surya and Ravi Vaka met at the Hyderabad chapter of the Startup Leadership Programme in 2017.
TruePush has also worked with the Government of Telangana for the Government Mentor Programme, its startup innovation initiative. The startup is backed and funded by tech marketing company Way2Online.
According to the firm, so far, it has incurred only team costs and there has been zero spending on marketing.
TruePush is planning to grab a significant chunk of the market in the first 18 months.
Neeman’s
Founded by Taran Chhabra and Amar Preet Singh, Hyderabad-based Neeman’s was conceptualised in the US. Founded in 2017, the startup makes men’s shoes made of Merino sheep wool, a particular breed that can only survive in extreme cold conditions of New Zealand and Australia. The company focuses on creating a culture of comfort and sustainability in India by creating comfortable shoes using natural fibres.
Taran Chhabra and Amar Preet Singh want to create a culture of comfort and sustainability in India with their shoe brand.
Neeman’s wool is shipped from Australia to London for design, which is then sent to South Korea for fabric creation and finally, the Merina wool shoes are assembled in China, before they finally reach India.
It took Neeman’s 22 months to finalise on the design and subsequently manufacture and launch. The bootstrapped startup has sold around 1,200 units until last year and expects to sell up to 1,000 units every month, going ahead.
Authblue
DIPP-registered startup Authblue is an online marketplace connecting individuals and businesses with companies that conduct background verification of blue-collar workers. Founded in 2018 by Sujeet Buddiga and Saurabh Tiwari, Authblue has clients from across the country registered on its platform.
Sujeet and Saurabh, the Founders of Authblue.
The startup hosts companies, offering over 10 different types of verification, which cater to the needs of most businesses and individuals. It has tied up with JantaKhoj, Info Quest, Dcode, and Icrest. According to the founders, they have, so far processed more than 3,000 different checks. Authblue has raised an undisclosed seed funding led by a group of undisclosed investors. The company plans to build processes and facilitate more organised jobs in the blue-collar sector.
SkinKraft
Hyderabad-based SkinKraft harnesses data analytics to formulate customised skincare solutions. Founded in 2017 by Chaitanya Nallan, Veerendra Shivhare and Sangram Simha, SkinKart started online sales in mid-2018 with regimen kits starting at Rs 999. According to the founders, all the products are backed by over 10,000 hours of intensive research and collaboration with Indian, Taiwanese, and Japanese dermato-cosmetologists, pharmacists, and pharmaceutical engineers.
SkinKart has grown to $8 million in an annual run rate, claim the founders. The startup is already profitable and is growing at a rate of up to 40 percent month on month.
(Edited by Suman Singh)
