Fighting climate change: These startups are helping India become carbon zero by leveraging technology

Abnormally high temperatures, natural catastrophes, forest fires, and poor air quality are only a few of the effects of climate change today. 

Nations across the world are making significant policy changes to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 45 percent to attain net zero by 2050.

At the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26), India, the world’s third-largest greenhouse gas emitter, set a target to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. 

In line with this, several Indian startups are leveraging technology to help the country achieve sustainability in the long run. From new-age battery technology for vehicles to waste management technology to adopting renewable energy — Indian startups are leaving no stones unturned to fight climate change.  

String Bio 

Founded by Ezhil Subbian and Vinod Kumar in 2012, Bengaluru-based String Bio leverages biotechnology to produce animal feed and food ingredients.

String Bio aims to create a robust and cradle-to-cradle solution to address environmental challenges and climate change.

It uses its proprietary SIMP (String Integrated Methane platform) that leverages fermentation technology, chemistry and process engineering, and synthetic biology to produce high-quality next-gen ingredients for animal nutrition, agriculture, human nutrition, and personal care sectors—all manufactured using methane as the raw material.

The startup delivers sustainable and cost-effective solutions by leveraging methane to create value-added commodities for animal nutrition. 

String Bio is the only company in Asia that has enabled a methane-based value chain through biological processes.

Banyan Nation

Founded by Raj Madangopal and Mani Vajipey in 2013, Hyderabad-based Banyan Nation leverages tech-based solutions to collect plastic from informal recyclers and businesses.

The waste management startup collects plastic waste from industries and uses a novel method to produce virgin-like recycled plastic created in an eco-friendly manner for further use.

The startup has developed a solution that helps get rid of plastic contaminants from objects like labels, inks, adhesives, oil, metals, auto paints, dirt, etc.

Banyan Nation works with companies like Hindustan Unilever, Shell, Reckitt, and HPCL to sell its recycled plastic to make shampoo and lotion bottles.

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[Funding alert] Biofuel startup Buyofuel raises Rs 1.6 Cr from Inflection Point Ventures

Buyofuel 

Founded by Kishan Karunakaran, Venkateswaran Selvan, Sumanth Kumar, and Prasad P in 2020, Coimbatore-based Buyofuel is a one-stop platform for all energy-generating biofuels and waste.

The startup connects raw material aggregators, waste generators, biofuel manufacturers, and fuel consumers on a single platform.

It verifies each registration, be it suppliers or buyers, provides doorstep delivery and charges a per-use transaction fee to its customers.

The startup claims to have sold around 23,000 tonnes of biofuel. In March 2022, it recorded its highest sales at 10,000 tonnes and 7,000 tonnes.

Buyofuel’s consumers are spread across Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Gujarat, including Ramco Cements, UltraTech Cement, Saint-Gobain, ITC, and Welspun, to name a few. 

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[Startup Bharat] Chandigarh-based EVage is driving towards a greener future with its Made-in-India four-wheeler

EVage

Founded in 2014 by Inderveer Singh, Harnoor Kaur, and Pulkit Srivastava, Chandigarh-based EVage offers commercial solutions for sustainable mobility.

The EV startup aims to supply electric commercial vehicles to the delivery fleets of logistics companies. It claims to be a supplier to Amazon India’s delivery partners.

EVage also claims its design and manufacturing methodologies ensure its vehicles are produced with fewer capital requirements and smaller footprints.

The startup designed its first vehicle—the Model .X (point X)—as a one-tonne truck for the commercial vehicle market.

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In January 2022, the startup raised $28 million in a seed round from RedBlue Capital to build its production facilities to supply commercial four-wheeler electric vehicles.

Oorjan

Mumbai-based Oorjan, founded in 2014 by Roli Gupta, Gautam Das, and Hrishikesh Deshpande, is making the solar adoption process easier for Indians.

Oorjan provides turnkey solutions to customers who want to install solar panels on their rooftops. On behalf of the customer, the solar startup also helps with services, including commissioning, engineering, liaising with authorities, and financing.

The startup offers premium solar products with easy financing options, hassle-free maintenance, and installations.

Oorjan caters to commercial, industrial, and residential customers. Its proprietary technology for proposal making, site assessment, and IoT-based remote monitoring tools provides historical data, saves time, and provides proactive maintenance alerts.

The startup provides various flexible buying options, where customers can choose their final design and price, hassle-free installation, monitoring, and easy financing.