Apeiro Energy: Engineering India’s Distributed Wind Energy Future from the Ground Up
Founded by engineers in 2021, Apeiro is solving India’s clean energy challenge with scalable wind-solar microgrids.
Key Takeaways
- Apeiro Energy is developing scalable vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) optimised for India’s low wind speeds.
- They are backed by IIT Kanpur and iCreate, one of India’s leading deeptech incubators.
- Founded by three mechanical engineers in 2021, the startup targets distributed wind-solar microgrids and rural electrification.
- Backed by pilots with Tata Power and HPCL, Apeiro's iWind Hygrid is already powering remote communities.
What began as a college friendship forged over Formula Student engineering competitions has evolved into one of India’s most promising clean energy startups. Apeiro Energy, co-founded in 2021 by Kalpit Prajapati, Prakhar Yadav, and Puru Kumar—all mechanical engineering graduates—is reimagining renewable energy with a mission to democratize power access.
During their time building electric cars and ATVs in college, the trio cultivated both a passion for practical engineering and a vision for equitable development. Their conclusion: clean, reliable, and decentralised energy was a key to reducing socio-economic disparity in India.
Turbines That Work Where the Wind Barely Blows
India’s small wind energy market has long struggled with a fundamental mismatch: most turbines are optimised for high wind speeds of 8–10 m/s, whereas most of India experiences average speeds of 4–6 m/s. Apeiro Energy is tackling this issue head-on with its flagship technology, the iWind series—Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) designed for low-wind conditions.
Capable of generating 30–40% of rated output at lower speeds, iWind turbines range from 500 W to sub-100 kW capacities. They are compact, modular, and optimized through sophisticated Computational Fluid Dynamics and Structural simulations backed by two years of field testing in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan.
Mission-Driven Engineering
The name "Apeiro", from the Greek word for infinite, encapsulates the startup’s ambition to harness infinite renewable potential. Its mission goes beyond energy: the founders envision an impact-driven company working across sectors like food, education, and technology to build inclusive growth.
Structured around the complementary strengths of its co-founders, the team also includes key hires such as Amit Katyayan as mechanical research engineer and Piyush Kumar as operations manager.
Hiring at Apeiro is centred on passion and hands-on experience, particularly in fields like Formula Student that demand technical rigour.
Models, Markets, and Microgrids
Apeiro operates under a dual revenue model: independently developing wind-solar microgrids (10–50 kW) for commercial and industrial clients, and partnering with other developers as a turbine technology provider.
Their iWind Hygrid—a 10 kW wind-solar hybrid system—is already live in Ghoghatpada village near Mumbai, powering 31 households, a temple, and community facilities through monsoon months where solar alone falters. The technology is being further piloted at HPCL's Mumbai refinery and with Tata Power.
Primary customers span industries, plantations, townships, and rural communities. With tariffs between ₹3–5/unit, Apeiro offers an attractive alternative to commercial rates that often range between ₹10–12/unit.
Recognition and Real-World Impact
Apeiro’s innovations have been recognised at national and global levels. Accolades include the IRENA NewGen Rising Star Award (COP28), the AVINYA Energy Startup Challenge (Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas), and participation in Clinton Global Initiative’s Greenhouse cohort. Grants from entities like HDFC, MeitY, and IIT Kanpur have funded R&D, enabling the startup to avoid dilution while advancing its product pipeline.
Since inception, Apeiro’s rural microgrids have generated over 8,000 kWh of clean electricity, offset 6.5 tonnes of CO2, and saved more than 2,000 litres of diesel.
For aspiring entrepreneurs, Kalpit Prajapati offers this candid advice: “Sell from day one. Student entrepreneurs often overbuild and under-sell. The tech can follow—but if you can’t sell it, it doesn’t matter.”
What’s Next for Apeiro?
Short-term, the team aims to raise ₹7.5 Crore in seed funding to set up a pilot production facility, and help shape India’s small wind turbine policy in collaboration with MNRE and NIWE. Commercial launch is slated for 2026, with the scale-up of iWind models (1 kW, 500 W, 5 kW) and international pilots in the UAE and Africa.
Long-term, Apeiro envisions a 10 MW production facility, 500 MW capacity by FY29, and expansion into offshore wind and grid-scale projects. With 15+ patents, NIWE certifications, and SWCC approvals in its sights, the startup is building toward a ₹1,000 crore revenue milestone.