From confined space cleanings to AI audit trails: Four Tamil Nadu startups engineering the future

Tamil Nadu’s startup wave looks different today. Rather than simply producing more, founders are engineering smarter ways to work, safer environments to operate in, and scalable solutions to inefficiencies that have plagued traditional sectors for decades.

At the Tamil Nadu Global Startup Summit (TNGSS) 2025, this shift toward deeper innovation takes center stage with ventures like Unibose, De Drone World, Mycoblooms, and Boxfile. Each represents a different frontier, yet all share a common thread: they are building infrastructure for tomorrow's industries while solving critical gaps today.

When robots replace risk: Unibose's confined space revolution

Every year, workers enter hazardous confined spaces, such as oil tanks, chemical reactors, and sewage systems, aware of the risks involved. Some do not return, while others face long-term health consequences. For decades, industries have accepted human entry into these spaces as an unavoidable reality.

Maraimalai Nagar-based Unibose Technology, founded in 2016 by Manikandan Dakshinamoorthy, Samayaraj Durairaj, and Sakthivel Panneerselvam, is changing this calculus with Asia's first ATEX Zone-0 certified robots designed specifically for cleaning and inspection in explosive environments.

Developed entirely in India at nearly half the global market cost, Unibose's robots are sophisticated systems that can navigate confined spaces while delivering real-time video feeds and sensor data. The impact is two-fold: zero human risk and up to 40 percent reduction in industrial downtime.

"A robot cannot replace humans, but it should, and it must replace hundreds and thousands of fellow human beings entering confined spaces daily for their livelihood," Dakshinamoorthy says.

The company's breakthrough resonated across industries. Indian Oil Corporation recognized Unibose's innovation as "Idea of the Year 2020," and successful deployments at IndianOil, CPCL, and Borouge Abu Dhabi, validating the technology at scale. With Rs 2.5 crore in seed funding from StartupTN in January 2023, Unibose is now preparing to introduce a Robot-as-a-Service model in India, making world-class confined space technology accessible to every contractor and industrial player, before expanding globally.

Beyond technology, Unibose has created 16 direct jobs while empowering over 100 workers through training on layman-friendly robotic systems. For Tamil Nadu's deeptech ecosystem, this represents a milestone: proving that indigenous robotics innovation can match global standards.

Skies filled with local talent: De Drone World's triple play

Current drone adoption in India faces a familiar pattern: shortage of trained pilots, limited access to affordable indigenous systems, and fragmented employment pathways. Coimbatore-based De Drone World Solutions, founded in 2022 by Wing Commander A. Satish Kumar (retd.), is addressing this challenge with an integrated ecosystem that combines training, manufacturing, and drone services under one roof. A next-gen drone company uniting innovation, AI, and indigenous manufacturing to make India a global drone leader.

The company’s DGCA-compliant training programs integrate AI-driven simulations and vernacular learning, a first in technical drone education. On the manufacturing side, its Made-in-India drones are tailored for entertainment, learning, and special-purpose applications. On the services side, trained pilots operate the drones they helped manufacture, ensuring end-to-end efficiency and safety.

The closed-loop system creates multiple benefits. Youth get industry-ready skills, local MSMEs find market access through component sourcing, and industries gain affordable access to drone solutions. De Drone World has trained over 100 pilots and technicians through DGCA-aligned programs and over 10,000 students through partnerships with Tamil Nadu's state skill development mission "Naan Mudhalvan."

"Our every flight, every training, and every innovation is a step toward empowering the youth and shaping a self-reliant country," Kumar says.

The company has established over five institutional partnerships, validated its model with commercial R&D projects in agriculture and infrastructure, and positioned Tamil Nadu as a drone skilling and manufacturing hub. With recognition from the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation and awards for emerging drone startups, De Drone World is scaling rapidly toward national and international markets.

Growing medicine from controlled chambers: Mycoblooms' biotech ascent

Cordyceps, the prized medicinal mushroom, has long been difficult to cultivate due to unstable yields, contamination risks, reliance on imported equipment, and inconsistent manual practices. Coimbatore-based Mycoblooms Mushroomery, founded by Refana Shahul and Dr. A.K. Priya, is making its cultivation scalable and sustainable.

Their innovation, the Cordybloomer, is a smart growing chamber that automates temperature, humidity, CO2, and light intensity, ensuring consistent and contamination-free yields. Critically, the chamber design is scalable, enabling everything from micro-enterprises to commercial farms.

"Innovation for us means simplicity with purpose: developing a smart, affordable Cordyceps growing chamber that transforms traditional cultivation into a sustainable, scalable bio-entrepreneurship model," Shahul says.

Mycoblooms has trained over 1,000 students and created local jobs for youth, biotechnology graduates, and rural farmers. The company conducts awareness programs on medicinal value and economic opportunity, particularly targeting women and youth entrepreneurs. Beyond business metrics, Mycoblooms is building a rural bioeconomy through organic, sustainable practices that minimize carbon footprint.

Recognised by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council and Tamil Nadu's agricultural university, and supported through StartupTN's TANSEED program, Mycoblooms is positioned at the intersection of agritech, biotech, and social entrepreneurship, proving that sustainable cultivation can be both profitable and purposeful.

Audits reimagined: Boxfile's AI-powered compliance platform

Audit and compliance processes are often fragmented and time-consuming, relying on spreadsheets and outdated systems. This results in inefficiency, delays in assurance, and a higher risk of fraud. Chennai-based Boxfile Web Services, founded in 2020 by A R K Joseph Christy, Senthilkumar Malliah Jegadeeswaran, and Venkatesh Jagannathan, is digitizing this entire landscape with a cloud-based SaaS platform that unifies internal audit, statutory audit, risk management, and practice management.

What makes Boxfile unique is its dual capability: a single integrated platform that serves both corporates and audit firms with distinct workflows. AI and automation power smarter insights, faster collaboration, and real-time assurance. The platform has earned trust among top-tier audit firms and marquee corporates, including leading NSE/BSE-listed and NASDAQ-listed companies.

"We are reshaping the future of trust with AI-powered audit automation to digitize the process for real-time assurance and fraud prevention," Christy says.

Beyond products, Boxfile has generated high-skilled employment in product development, technology, and customer success, with a strong focus on nurturing talent within India.

With support from StartupTN's TANSEED program and recognition as an AEGIS-NITI Aayog finalist in the technology category, Boxfile represents the next wave of fintech and audittech convergence.

The StartupTN catalyst effect

While these companies operate in diverse sectors, they are united by one key element: early-stage support that enabled them to transform technical innovations into market-ready solutions and scalable operations.

Each company received Rs 10 lakh in funding from Startup TN, with women-led, agritech, and greentech ventures receiving up to Rs 15 lakh. This support also included valuable ecosystem connections that paved the way for follow-on investments and strategic partnerships.

Building the infrastructure of tomorrow

From eliminating human entry into hazardous spaces and democratizing drone skills to revolutionizing mushroom farming and reimagining audit processes, Tamil Nadu's founders are solving for scale, sustainability, and safety simultaneously.

As the state advances toward its $1 trillion economy target by 2030, these ventures represent more than growth metrics. They outline a new industrial DNA where robotics protects workers, AI strengthens governance, local manufacturing competes globally, and biotech empowers rural entrepreneurs. Together, they prove that Tamil Nadu's startup ecosystem is not just catching up to global innovation but also leading the way in sectors that matter most.