3 Steps Cleantech Startup Investors Can Take For Greener Returns

Even if you don’t know the first thing about climate change, it’s likely that you’ve heard of Al Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth. When the film was released in 2006, climate change took the mainstage and the investment world saw business opportunities in the clean technology sector.

That same year venture capital funds invested $1.75 billion into cleantech startups, dwarfing the hundreds of millions invested in previous years. Investments in cleantech seemed promising with higher oil and gas prices and favorable U.S. government policies. Startups – which were creating innovative solar panel, battery, biofuel, and other energy solutions – received investment. By 2011, VC funds had invested over $25 billion in cleantech startups. 

However, these startups failed to generate expected returns and VC funds eventually lost more than half of their total investment. Although due in part to falling gas prices from fracking, a glut of solar from China, and a lack of exit opportunities for investors, these losses cannot be solely blamed on the cleantech sector. 

Numerous studies have found that cleantech startups do not fit a traditional VC investment model. Argued by three MIT professors in a 2016 study, cleantech “does not fit the risk, return, or time profiles of traditional venture capital investors. And as a result, the sector requires a more diverse set of actors and innovation models.”

 How can we remodel investments in early-stage cleantech startups for better returns ? Here are three needed improvements. 

1. Sourcing talent and ideas based on their potential 

At an early-stage startup, cleantech founders rarely have both the science and business expertise required to bring their idea to market. Rather than focusing on the current skillsets of the entrepreneur, early-stage investors need to get better at evaluating the potential of an entrepreneur.

An entrepreneur’s current business knowledge is not a true indicator of their potential for success. For example, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs dropped out of college yet were successful entrepreneurs. If an entrepreneur is new to business, their potential to learn, grow, and lead are important indicators that investors can overlook.

In my experience at Echoing Green, the seed stage accelerator where I currently work, a founder’s potential is evaluated on the individual’s passion, leadership, magnetism, and resilience. Partnering with the right entrepreneur is critical. According to Alberto Gomez-Obregon, Director of Portfolio for Acumen, a global early-stage impact investor focused on low-income consumers, “at the end of the day, it’s all about the entrepreneur. It is crucial they have strong values alignment, character, grit and resilience before we consider investing.” These softer metrics can help identify the founder and company’s true potential for success.

Additionally, research institutions that fund cleantech ideas are not necessarily the best evaluators of how inventions will succeed in the market. Angelo Campus, founder of BoxPower (a current Echoing Green fellow) deploying modular solar microgrids, ran into trouble when his university’s priorities and the market’s needs didn’t line up: “My first prototype funded by my university developed functionality like speed of deployment, which I later realized was not a market need, and so I had to make later iterations.” Cleantech investors need to see beyond current product and market gaps and evaluate if a technical innovation can be transformed into a profitable product.

2. Providing risk-tolerant and ‘patient’ capital

Early-stage cleantech startups generally need high amounts of upfront capital. A lot of this funding goes towards research & development to address the technology and market risks of the solution. This research & development takes time, does not guarantee success, and may require years to reach the market. Many investors are not willing to take these risks

This raises the need for risk-tolerant and ‘patient’ capital, which provide longer time horizons for financial and social returns from cleantech ventures. Although not in high supply, funding like this is available through government grants, philanthropic grants, angel investors and other sources.

Cleantech investors are also working to design innovative funding models to unlock more early-stage funding. For example, the PRIME Coalition is working to increase Program-Related Investment (PRI) dollars and the Lab is investing in the design of innovative financial instruments to fund climate solutions. More cleantech investors like these are needed.

3. Providing long-term depth and breadth of support

Every cleantech investor has their own investment thesis with unique goals for what they’re looking to get out of the deal. When push comes to shove, cleantech investors need to answer to their investment thesis, which will affect the support a cleantech startup receives.

Traditional investors, who are driven by short-term above-market returns, may not have the time to give cleantech ventures the careful incubation and patient support required to achieve long-term success. Investors need a thesis that aligns with the long-term support needed for these cleantech startups.

Post-investment support also differs among cleantech investors. Each investor brings their own business networks and technical expertise to support their investees. No investor alone can give entrepreneurs everything they need to succeed. “We provide in-depth support for entrepreneurs on their sales, talent management and technology, and leverage global partnerships with consulting firms to provide further support,” mentions Golez-Obregon. Investors should build partnerships on top of their own expertise to provide the depth and breadth of support cleantech startups need to succeed.

So what?

Investments in cleantech startups are needed now more than ever. Even if current investments in existing cleantech solutions doubled, fossil fuels would still provide two-thirds of our energy needs by 2030, according to the IRENA’s REthinking Energy 2017 Report. Yet, there is investment opportunity as the cleantech sector grows alongside global energy demand.

The rise and fall of cleantech investments in the early 2000s showed the need for diverse funders, innovative approaches and targeted support to successfully bring innovative cleantech solutions from lab to market. If cleantech investors learn to identify the right talent, provide the right capital and support in the right ways, a 100% clean energy future could actually be possible. 

courtesy: https://bit.ly/2OmVcTP

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS READY TO DISRUPT AND RESHAPE ENTERPRISES IN 2018

2018 has witnessed disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence, natural language processing, machine learning, computer vision and allied technologies dominate the tech world and business revenues. These disruptive technologies from enhanced artificial intelligence accessibility, to the rise of augmented and virtual reality, contribute massively to game-changing ideas that are ready to bring a ground-breaking change in the way business enterprises function. This year, we will see these trendy technologies dictate how business function and what new products and services will be offered to the customers in the near future. Here is a list of the technology trends that will disrupt and reshape business enterprises in 2018.

1. Citizen AI: Artificial Intelligence to Welfare Business & Society

Artificial intelligence (AI) is much more than a trendy tech tool. AI systems impact people and their daily lives. It is AI guiding the voice-controlled Alexa and Siri to navigating uncharted territories with automobile navigation technologies. Interestingly, some of the world’s most advanced artificial intelligence trends are up for grabs that are developed on a personal computer on open source frameworks. The applicability of AI to welfare society is fast reaching to its pinnacle. Call it intelligent assistants, telemedicine, AI automation or talking ads, examples of raising AI to benefit business and society are widespread.

2. Augmented Reality

Haven’t you have rolled out laughing at the innovative filters of Snap chat, that’s augmented reality to the forefront for you! Recently Apple introduced ARKit to make it easier for developers to integrate augmented reality into their iPhone apps. Research firm Gartner predicts that by 2019, VR, augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (which is a combination of the two) will be deployed by 20% of the large business houses.

In a recent MIT survey of nearly 300 companies conducted to analyze what makes a great employee experience, researchers found investments in video technology lead to innovation, as well as improved collaboration and productivity. In the times to come, video tech will continue to simulate and improve face-to-face communication armed with new features, like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality to redefine communication and entertainment.

3. The Internet of Things

The era of the Internet of Things (IoT) has finally arrived. Organisations taking IoT seriously are committing their investments into the IoT Technology via robotics, AI, and immersive experiences. However, exploiting the IoT opportunity will take proper planning and investment from the business enterprises. Organisations will need a strategy to identify quick wins in the IoT space, bringing these intelligent environments to life with IoT will require adding requisite skillsets and workforce capabilities. This will also require modernizing the current enterprise technology infrastructures. Another concern for IoT adoption will be strengthening security parameters to offer intelligent business solutions.

4. Cloud Technology

Increasing workloads have led to an intelligent and automatic allocation of the tasks into the cloud computing networks which are essentially a blessing for the modern business. Organisations have begun to adopt an autonomic, economic-based intelligence process to manage multi-cloud environments. Hybrid cloud computing is the next move in cloud technology that allows workloads to be switched seamlessly between cloud environments, whether public or private, depending on the organizational requirements. 2018 will bring additional pressures to cloud computing as a business enterprise’s private and public clouds come from separate vendors operating in different cloud environments. These different cloud environments are bundled with their own management tools and interfaces adding extra complexities to the existing potent mix of challenges.

5. Cyber Security

Organisations rely on data to run the business; this dependence is making enterprises exposed to a new kind of vulnerability. This vulnerability involves inaccurate, manipulated, and biased data that may give skewed decisions and also run to increasing costs. To address this challenge, enterprises must be ready to address the dual concerns arising out of data veracity and data manipulation or biases concerns. With increasing dependence on data and cloud computing cyber-attacks are becoming common and an expensive deal. No organization size, type or industry is immune from this danger. As per the latest UK government Cyber Security Breaches survey, more than 75% of British businesses enterprises have experienced a cybersecurity breach or attack in 2017. Astounding isn’t it? 2018 will be the year of protecting the enterprise data. The coming months will see new improvements in cybersecurity. Massive investments are been deployed in security technology to help organizations defend against and detect potential attacks.

6. Machine Learning

Machine learning will be the buzzword behind the technology innovations in 2018. In the times to come, Machine learning will be a key driver of revenues and value addition to enterprises. This trendy technology will contribute in mammoth capacities particularly in the area of security, retail and healthcare. Machine learning is developing path-breaking healthcare solutions and delivering more sophisticated security analysis.

2018 will see a wider adoption of software solutions that enable the organization to conduct anomaly analysis using machine learning algorithms. This will see behavioral analytics applied to network activity for better online recommendations, personalized healthcare solutions and fastest route suggestions on digital maps.

7. Voice-Controlled Chatbots

Chatbots have redefined the way business enterprises interact with their customers. Customised chatbots interact with customers in healthcare, retail and e-commerce platforms. Chatbots is an emerging trend that will continue to rise as workers who grew up with voice control integrated with cloud computing enter the workforce. To stay ahead in today’s dynamic business setting; the need of the hour is to arm the business enterprises with trainable digital assistant technologies. The greatest advantage of the trendy digital assistant technologies is that they are smart, predictive, have the capability to learn, and can quickly adapt to the new and challenging environments. In the short term, we will witness voice-controlled assistants like Amazon Echo, Google Home, Apple HomePod and Microsoft’s Cortana helping to increase productivity and improve the work-life balance.

8. Blockchain

Gone are the days where blockchain was restricted to the financial services sector. The year 2018 will witness blockchain technology spread its wings in domains like improving the supply chain and addressing security blockchain algorithms and will command a disruptive influence in modern commerce, healthcare, retail, the public sector and other areas.

The influence of blockchain technology will, however, be felt the maximum in the finance departments of business enterprises which are all set for a distributed ledger technology revolution. Blockchain the technology behind the distributed ledger will deploy everything from reconciliation and cash application to invoice matching over a consensually shared and synchronized network spread across multiple sites, institutions and geographies for a universal access, just the way core banking functions.

Courtesy: Analytics Insight

TiE Kerala to join hands with Maker Village to help startups

TiE Kerala, a non-profit, will join hands with Maker Village to provide technical support for budding entrepreneurs. On a visit to Maker Village with members of TiE Kerala on Wednesday, former TiE executive director K Chandrasekhar said many startups were on the verge of closing down.

There are several instances of startups being forced to close down despite getting proper funding and technology. This is due to the fact that they do not get the correct guidance, and TiE is focusing on giving the right direction for new and existing companies, he said. International cooperation, funding and incubation are the main areas where TiE is intervening.

“The members of TiE Kerala can give proper guidance to the startups as they have already proved their success in various sectors. This will also help in bringing cooperation at the national and international level,” said TiE’s senior vice-president Ajith Moopan.

Courtesy: The New Indian Express

With Rs 500 crore fund, 29 incubators and fail-with-dignity policy, Kerala aims to be India’s startup hub

India is in the middle of a startup boom. New enterprises led by young innovators are mushrooming all across the country. Growth in the number of tech startups has pushed the country on the third spot in the list of top tech hotspots in the world, according to a 2017 NASSCOM report. While a lot of these startups are cropping up in the two IT hubs of the country, that is Bengaluru and Hyderabad, in the recent times a new trend has been observed. Kerala, a state known for its high literacy ratio, aromatic spices and beautiful scenery, has gradually made its way onto the IT map of the country.

The reason why this state, otherwise known for its serene backwaters, has started attracting the attention of tech companies in the recent times is because it provides a conducive ecosystem to the young entrepreneurs and their enterprises, which not only supports them but also helps them grow. And in case of a failure, it allows them to fail without the fear of a liability and banishment. The result is that the state is slowly turning into a hub of tech startups in the country.

While many might consider this trend an anomaly, especially in the backdrop of regions that have traditionally been more accepting towards new businesses, Kerala has seemingly developed its own unique way which has enabled it to create an atmosphere of innovation right in the middle of its lush green forests.

Traditionally, the startup culture in the field of technology in the country has been driven by the multinationals that have developed mini ecosystems in various cities across the country. Bangalore is prime example of this. However, in Kerala, the change is being driven by the state government, which with its inviting startup policy and guiding agency Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) has created a culture of innovation in the state.

The state government essentially works on three levels. At the school level, the state government runs two programmes. Under one, which is targeted at Class 8 students, the state government has trained nearly 175 school teachers and has distributed 1,00,000 Raspberry Pi kits in state-government run schools to facilitate technical knowledge to school students and create a skill pool at the school levels.

CATCHING THEM YOUNG

"School level, probably after the 10,000 Raspberry Pi distributions in the UK by Google, this would be the largest state-sponsored distribution which we did twice or thrice," Director of International Centre for Free and Open Source Software (ICFOSS) and Project Director for Hardware Mission, Kerala Dr Jayasankar Prasad C told India Today Tech.

For Class 9 and Class 10 students, the Kerala state government has trained nearly 25,000 students from 2500 state schools and has distributed nearly 4,000 electronics kits called the Circuit Builder kits to expose school kids to emerging technologies and create an atmosphere of innovation.

At the college level, the government has setup 194 Innovation Entrepreneurship Development Centres (IEDCs), 20 mini fabrication labs (FabLabs) and 20 Internet-of-Things (IoT) labs in 20 colleges across the state to inculcate a culture of entrepreneurship through student based projects. These labs are available for students to work on their projects for free. Gen Robotics, Ewenture and Blue Drobe are some of the startups that were started by college students and are now doing fairly well in the market. Additionally, Gen Robotics was also one of the top ten runner-ups at the Global Impact Challenge which took place in Trivandrum last week.

"We work on a ground up model. We are not only looking at startups when they get formed but we also influence creation of startups from the colleges itself. We work in the colleges and also outside to create infrastructure which supports startups," KSUM Chief Executive Officer Dr Saji Gopinath told India Today Tech.

Kerala Startup Mission

"In Kerala what we did is that we put those elements in place, the school levels, the college level IEDC and that I think is the biggest networks anywhere in India that you would see of 200 engineering colleges having a innovation entrepreneurship cell which is constantly networked, connecting, communicating and working on. So we are investing in them," said Dr Prasad.

Beyond that, Kerala government has a startup policy in place that supports the startups at each level starting from the prototyping stage to providing grants that helps these enterprises to take their product to the next level. The government has set up two main FabLabs in Trivandrum and Ernakulum in association with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that let product designers use advanced technologies to develop prototypes.

Apart from this, the state via its nodal agency for promoting entrepreneurship in the state-KSUM-has established a Future Technologies Lab that provides tools for research and development to the students and startups. This lab focuses on innovations around virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and brain computer interface (BCI).

Additionally, the state government via KSUM has setup 29 incubators, 210 mini-incubators, 11 co-working spaces and two accelerators in the state to aid students and startups in enhancing their skills and improving their product.

FAIL WITH DIGNITY

While KUSM has a seed funding program in place to kick-start the enterprises, the agency provides a sum of Rs 2 lakh per idea to college students every month to convert their idea into a prototype, and a sum of up to Rs 12 lakhs to mass produce their device. The state also announced a Rs 500 crore "fund-of-fund" to provide working capital to viable startups last year. Rs 12 crore of this money has already been disbursed and another Rs 12 crore is in the pipeline.

The state government is supporting the startups by opening its doors to the budding enterprises. The state has a system in place, which allows the government officials to purchase devices directly from the startups without clearing any regulatory steps.

"We said that up to Rs 10 lakhs, that is Rs 5 lakhs plus Rs 5 lakhs, any state official can buy directly from a startup. It started off with mobile apps and now we are going into other things as well. So, government started opening itself for the startups and it became a very acceptable norm," said Dr Prasad.

But more than the money, it is the state government's attitude towards the failure that is most promising. For an entrepreneur or a startup in Kerala, failure is not the end. The Kerala government via its various initiatives and programs is inculcating scientific learning and the spirit of entrepreneurship amongst its brightest minds, but it is also giving the startups in the state to fail with dignity.

Kerala's startup policy has a "accommodation of failure" clause which eases the bureaucratic hurdles and makes it easy for the entrepreneur to close his company should he fail in the first attempt. The good thing is that the past failure wouldn't prohibit the founder of the startup from starting a new enterprise and availing the benefits provided to a startup by the state government. "The government recognises the fact that the ideas, attempts or the startups could fail but there cannot be a failed entrepreneur. The government endorses the fact that the failed attempt provides lot more learning and experiences that are equally important," notes a policy document that details the state startup policy.

The state government is now focusing on getting the international exposure for the startups in the state. Global Impact Challenge, which was organised by KSUM in partnership with a US-based group of investors, corporations, entrepreneurs, governments and development organisation -- Singularity University- in Trivandrum last week was one of such events which brought the focus of global tech organisations to the state.

"We wanted to explore it globally, that's what Dr Saji is doing. We are now tying up with global incubators. We are now focusing more on the global connect. Every Indian startup needs another market around here. So our people also trying out middle-age market where there is an definite association there is Singularity University, Until, the international landing pads they are trying to do will all help," Dr Prasad told India Today Tech.

Source: India Today

KSUM invites applications for Idea Day

Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) invites applications for the 11th Idea Day to be held in Trivandrum on July 28. 

The sectors identified for this round of  Idea Day include Agritech; Biotech; ERP; Fintech; Gaming; Healthcare; Platform and Aggregator; Real Estate; Retail; Robotics; SAAS; Tourism; and Transport.

Last day for applications is July 15.

The Idea Day was conceptualized by the Government of Kerala to promote innovation in the state and  play a vital role in the identification of new innovations in core sectors and futuristic technologies.

Innovation grant of up to Rs 12 lakhs is available for selected startups based on their product stage.

For more details, visit: https://startupmission.kerala.gov.in/pages/ideaday

Seven Ways Advancements in Technology Will Change The Near Future

Technology is advancing daily. Most of the time, it's iterative: An interesting improvement on a system that came before. But occasionally, new branches of tech develop, offering completely new approaches to solving old problems.

Members of Forbes Technology Council were asked for their ideas on what they expect will be the next big thing in tech. Here is what they have their eyes on — and why.

1. Blockchain

Blockchain is disruptive in the same way quantum computing will be. You can’t ignore the beauty of decentralization and this new way of exchanging information without involving a middleman. Blockchain is not cryptocurrency, and it can fit into enterprises as a part of their enterprise solutions. - Neeraj Sabharwal, Xavient Digital

2. The Internet of Things (IoT)

The next breakthrough will involve the combination of the Internet of Things with other leading technologies like AI and blockchain. Together, these technologies will create transformational value, first in the industrial sector, and then in the consumer market. The results will include improved business decision-making and a better quality of life at work and home. - Maciej Kranz, Cisco Systems

3. Healthcare

Advances in healthcare are desperately needed and are being tackled, whether it be through predictive analysis using genomic data, which can permit the prediction of disease and other people’s characteristics, or through novel drug therapeutics such as RNA targeting. The healthcare industry has long been in need of reform and know that tech giants and other companies are entering the sphere to tackle this problem. Gene modification poses the promise to be the next quantum leap in public health protection and that is just the beginning. - Alexandro Pando, Xyrupt

4. Generative Adversarial Networks

Generative adversarial networks are next. This is a way of pitting two neural networks against each other in order to train one of them to produce new things. For example, it may generate realistic-looking pictures. We're not quite there yet but we will be soon. When that happens, it could conceivably become impossible to separate real information from false. For better or worse, that will be a very big thing. - Ben Lee, Rootstrap

5. Human and Artificial Neural Networks

The next thing would be a new way to communicate with these new technologies including AI. It could be some new kind of wearable. It might be some mechanism to fit a receiver inside a body, similar to how pets are microchipped. Basically, something to seamlessly connect humans with the immense power of AI. We already have made some advances in AI. Now we need to make it more utilized. - Vikram Joshi, pulsd

6. Incremental Improvements

Breakthroughs continue to happen each and every day in the technology world. Recently, Fast Field Programmable Gate Arrays were added to Intel processors which will accelerate extreme real-time IO and machine learning. It is not the massive breakthroughs, but these incremental improvements that lower costs, improve efficiency and drive better customer outcomes. - Danny Allan, Veeam Software

7. Quantum Batteries

The ability to store and retrieve orders of magnitude more portable energy will change the world. Today's battery technologies have lagged woefully behind other technology advances. When we break through with dense battery technology, such as applying quantum physics and other methods to get beyond simple chemical-based batteries, it will rock our world and solar power will eclipse fossil fuels. - Rick Braddy, SoftNAS Inc.

Source: Forbes

GIC contestants overwhelmed meeting Kerala Chief Minister

The participants of the ongoing Global Impact Challenge (GIC), jointly organised by the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) and the US-based Singularity University (SU), visited Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan at his Chamber at the Kerala State Secretariat on July 4.

Dr. Saji Gopinath, CEO, KSUM, who introduced the participants to Shri. Vijayan, said, "The participants were able to explain their ideas to the Chief Minister and he wished all the participants good luck. Interactions like these clearly convey the government's intention to support innovative ideas that can impact billions. Such opportunities to interact with the decision makers instil more confidence in the startups to take their ventures forward.”  

The participants are overwhelmed with this interaction. Here's what they said

"It was a nice feeling to present ourselves in front of CM. He listened to each idea carefully."

Kumari Komal, Vidhyalay Udhyam, Rajasthan

"I was very happy and equally elated to meet him. He listened to me patiently and I am humbled by his attitude. This definitely shows his eagerness to accept new ideas in the face of conventional processes."

Subhajit Roy, Krishworks

"It was a proud moment for me to speak about innovation and ideas in front of honourable CM Kerala, which he continuously nourishing entrepreneurship culture. Thanks @KSUM providing this opportunity."

Prahlad, SunEmison

"We greatly appreciate the CM for taking time from his busy schedule to meet with us. The Kerala government has always been a great supporter of new ideas and startups. And tons of thanks to KSUM for arranging this opportunity."

Suma, Ilove9months

"Kerala has been one of the top states to provide a nourishing environment for start-ups to quickly setup, scale and grow, especially in the last few years. This was also seen on the part of the Honorable Kerala CM who took time to listen to SU GIC finalists despite his hectic schedule. We are greatly honoured to have met and interacted with him personally. Thank you KSUM and SU Trivandrum for this wonderful opportunity!"

Shahina, Massive Data Analytics, Kerala

"It was a humbling yet profound experience for us to meet the honourable CM. We would like to thank KSUM for giving us the opportunity to share our idea and progress with him. It was equally exciting and reassuring to realize the zealous presence and support from the government of Kerala to ensure the growth of modern technology and modern minds."

Rohith, EyeROV

“I personally felt encouraged by the Chief Minister’s kind gesture of giving us an opportunity to express our innovations.”

Dr. Bhavani PV, Pentavalent Bio Science Private Ltd, Karnataka 

“Refreshing to note that the CM is very interested in what startups offer. I haven’t seen this anywhere else.”

Balaji from Brun Health Pvt Ltd, Delhi 

Ideas pour in at Global Impact Challenge event

Ideas may look vague while they remain on paper.  But the startups taking part in the Global Impact Challenge (GIC) at the Technopark here are confident of giving them concrete shapes and positively impacting lives of millions.

True to their social commitment, 25 startups from different states participating in the event pitched riveting ideas in diverse sectors ranging from Environment, Education to Healthcare.

The India GIC, which commenced at Technopark here on Monday, is jointly organised by the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) and the US-based Singularity University (SU). It aims at inspiring startups to find solutions to address global challenges in learning, healthcare and environment sectors. 

Clensta International Pvt. Ltd, a Delhi-based startup, helps people take a bath or wash hair without even a single drop of precious water. Thus it makes personal hygiene possible for everyone anywhere.

Another Delhi-based startup, Brun Health Pvt. Ltd, offers the first of its kind pregnancy monitoring solutions that can create an ecosystem ensuring better outcome during childbirth.

Moving a step further, Kerala-based ‘I Love 9 Months,’ led by a three-member all- woman team, is dedicated to antenatal and postpartum wellness. According to its founder Anjali, they work towards empowering women to make the right choices during their pregnancy and after.

“We believe that every woman deserves the right to know how best to take care of her body and mind during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum,” she said.

In environment segment, Maharashtra-based Biome’s idea is to manufacture an organic air purifier to improve the quality of ambient air and provide nutritious algae biomass as by-product.

'EasyKrishi' from Karnataka offers a technology that helps farmers save money while buying agriculture inputs and selling produce. It provides a mobile-based aggregation platform for credit facilitation and entrepreneurial interventions for marginal farmers.

There are also participants from Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Telengana. Genrobotics; Valley Labs; Inforich Technology Solutions; and Navalt Solar and Electric Boats are some of the participants from Kerala. 

The boot camp of the event was launched on the opening day and the finale will be held on July 7. The pitch day is scheduled on July 6.

  

The KSUM has selected 25 finalists belonging to different states from the applicants, which include 11 in healthcare, 8 in environment and 6 in education.

On the final day, the best idea will be selected and taken for the SU Incubation programme that lasts for nine weeks.

Day 1 of #GICIndia2018 hosted by Kerala Startup Mission

2 July 2018, Start of Boot Camp, #GICIndia2018

Registration at #GICIndia2018

Welcoming participants #GICIndia2018

Shri Deepu S Nath, MD, FAYA

Shri Saji Gopinath, CEO, #KSUM

Shri Hrishikesh Nair, CEO, #Technopark

Shri M Sivasankar IAS, IT Secretary, GoK

Participants #GICIndia2018

Participants #GICIndia2018

Shri Nagaraga Prakasham, Angel Investor

Dr Anoop Lal, MD, ZOVOZ Technologies

Shri Dibya Prakash, Technology Strategist Architect

Exceptional and Impactful Ideas: SU GIC India 2018 hosted by Kerala Startup Mission

The computer is an idea that sparked in the mind of Charles Babbage way back in 1837. It is this idea of the great man that has redefined and changed the whole world.  Seeing thus, an idea is critical to ushering in change and improving lives. 

The Global Impact Challenge (GIC) 2018 – one of world’s biggest innovation challenges - to be organised by the Kerala Startup Mission of the State Government promises to enhance the quality of human lives through impactful ideas in the sectors of Learning, Health, and Environment. 

GIC India 2018 – the grand ideas event – is to be held from 2-6 July 2018 in the capital of God’s Own Country, Trivandrum in association with Singularity University, a Silicon Valley think tank. The University, which has organised annual competitions with sponsor organisations worldwide, has hosted 120 Challenges in 45 countries awarding 162 winners.

The objective of these challenges is to spur moonshot innovations to solve world’s greatest global challenges – energy, environment, food, shelter, space, water, disaster resilience, governance, health, learning, prosperity, and security – by using exponential technology.

Teams across the Indian states will present winning ideas during the 5-day period. An eminent jury consisting of representatives from the Singularity University, Kerala Startup Mission and from the business world will evaluate the ideas. 

The D-day is the 7^th of July 2018 when the best idea presented by teams across India will be announced. 

The winner will get a coveted fully-sponsored seat in the Singularity University’s Venture Incubator Program, wherein they will get an opportunity to meet amazing innovators from all over the world.  The 9-week-long Incubator Program starting in September 2018 fosters the development of viable start-ups (both for profit and not-for-profit) that have the potential to make a positive impact at scale. 

The top teams will also be shortlisted for Kerala Innovation Challenge and will have the opportunity to pitch for an Rs 80-lakh innovation grant for implementing the solution in the state of Kerala. 

If this shoots up your adrenaline, do not miss the excitement at:

Facebook: www.fb.com/keralastartupmission/
Twitter: twitter.com/startup_mission