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10 Women Founded Technology Startups receive Women Entrepreneur Quest 2018 Award
NEW DELHI: The AnitaB.org India, a nonprofit organization focused on the advancement of women announced the Top 10 winners of the 8th edition of the Women Entrepreneur Quest (WEQ) 2018.
WEQ is a unique contest for technology startups founded by women. All the Top 10 winners received an all-expenses-paid experiential learning visit to the Silicon Valley, US.
The WEQ 2018 finale was held during AnitaB.org’s flagship conference in Bangalore, the Grace Hopper Celebration India 2018 (GHCI 18), the largest conference for women technologists in Asia. More than 5000 women from across the world attended the conference. The conference is being held from November 14-16, 2018 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC).
The Top 10 winners were selected from 266 applications received from across India. The applicants were evaluated on their product/solutions and business model.
The Top 10 winners of WEQ 2018 are
| # | Name | Designation | Startup | City |
| 1 | Anushka Shetty | Founder | Plop chat | Bangalore |
| 2 | Kalyani Khona | Founder & CEO | Inclov | Delhi |
| 3 | Neha Satak | Founder & CEO | Astrome | Bangalore |
| 4 | Pallavi Gupta | Founder | Espresso Labs | Delhi |
| 5 | Radhika Patil | Founder & CEO | Cradlewise | Bangalore |
| 6 | Shampa Choudhury | Founder & CEO | Citility | Bangalore |
| 7 | Shruthi Reddy | Founder & CEO | Anthyesti | Kolkata |
| 8 | Surabhi Das | Founder & Chief Legal Officer | Ziroh Labs | Bangalore |
| 9 | Suruchi Rao | Founder | Ossus Biorenewables | Bangalore |
| 10 | Tarusha Mittal | Founder & COO | Ethx.co | Delhi |
WEQ 2018 is sponsored by the AnitaB.org India and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. The Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) also plays an integral role in supporting and organizing WEQ 2018. The joint partnership has existed since 2014 and is strongly committed to supporting the Government of India’s policies and programs, promoting entrepreneurship among women in India.
“WEQ has always had the ambitious objective to identify and reward strong women founders with technology startups. Over the years we have seen tremendous growth in the quality and number of women entrepreneurs, with the potential to build successful businesses. Among the past WEQ winners 75% of the startups have witnessed significant growth in their operations and customer base. Each WEQ 2018 winner is highly talented and we are sure the experience and exposure in Silicon Valley will significantly add to the growth of their startup,” said Geetha Kannan, Managing Director, AnitaB.org India.
Dr. Anita Gupta, Scientist G/Adviser and Associate Head-Innovation and Entrepreneurship, DST, Government of India said, “Government, Industry and Academia partnership is key to catapulting economic development. The Government of India has instituted policy measures to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, especially among women. The government aims to bring women to the forefront of India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing access to finance, networks, markets and learning. Our association with AnitaB.org is part of that continued exercise.”
Dr. Rajiv Tayal , Executive Director, Indo-U.S Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) said, “Startups need the knowledge and capability in every aspect that is vital to the business. The WEQ initiative is one such platform which goes beyond borders in helping women entrepreneurs get a holistic learning that will help them grow their business. IUSSTF is rightly positioned to leverage its vast network in India and United States to support the top winners of WEQ Contest to go that extra mile by providing unique exposure to the globally recognized Silicon Valley Ecosystem.”
Founder: Neha Satak
Startup: Astrome
About: We are connecting the unconnected to internet using our patent-pending next generation satellite communication technology.
Product: We are developing the next generation millimeter wave satellite communication technology to stream internet using a constellation of satellites in space. With our technology each of our satellite will have 12 times more capacity than our competition. Our constellation of
200 satellites will provide direct-to-home internet to all developing countries.
Traction: Over the last 2 years, a number of individuals, companies and partners have approached us to use our internet services once our constellation is operational. We are now preparing to sign pre-purchase capacity agreements with some of these customers.
WEQ#: 137
Founder: Surabhi Das
Startup: Ziroh Labs
About: We ensure privacy, enhance the security of your information using technology while you use the internet for storage and computation.
Product: We invented cryptographic algorithms that allow computing on top of the encrypted text. Using Ziroh Labs algorithms, the data can be computed on top of encrypted text without requiring decryption at all. Our products include SDK’s/libraries, reference architectures for enterprises which intend or use cloud computing for storage and computing.
Traction: Yes, we do have traction. Our OStor reference architecture is used by two federal organizations: in India and in Australia. Besides these, we have six paid PoC’s on the pipeline and dozen more in several different stages.
WEQ#: 198
Founder: Suruchi Rao
Startup: Ossus Biorenewables
About: Ossus is renewing world’s water supplies and delivering carbon-free energy systems derived from wastewater using specially designed microbial cell factories.
Product: Ossus offers industries and municipalities an integrated, biohardware-based solution named the OB bH2 Plus Biorefinery. This unique process deploys retrofittable biohardware, for the continuous treatment of any source of wastewater while converting its chemical content into biohydrogen, all without any additional land/energy needs, profitable economies of scale and optimised productivities.
Traction: Our technology is in the process of being deployed at assets owned by major oil and gas companies including Shell, ONGC, Indian Oil, Oil India Limited and Exxon Mobil. We have received strategic investment from the Shell E4 program in Bangalore and have been selected for the ONGC Start-up Fund.
Founder: Anushka Shetty
Startup: Plop chat
About: Reinvent storytelling for the mobile first generation
Product: We are a content, entertainment platform that creates stories which read like chat messages. It is a mobile-first platform which helps us make the stories immersive and interactive by adding multimedia – images, videos, audio scores, voice notes, video call/phone call simulations, vibrations etc.
Traction: 2005 users 385 DAU
WEQ#: 273
Founder: Shruthi Reddy
Startup: Anthyesti
About: One stop solution for post death rites and everything pertaining to funerals, be arranging a hearse van to shraadh priests.
Product: Anthyesti Funeral Services is a end to end funeral planning product that comes with single or multiple package to suit as per one’s individual and religious needs. We also specialise in the much complex repatriation of human remains i.e dead body transport from one city to another city.
Traction: We have started with our first customer in Mar 2016 and have reached 1000+ mark in Apr 2018. We have clients taking a simple hearse service to carrying the body to cremation ground and the complex ones like shraadh ritual arrangements. We also serve clients for repatriation of human remains.
WEQ#: 274
Founder: Shampa Choudhury
Startup: Citility
About: CITILITY, an end to end mobility platform making Cities & Transit connected, efficient, Sustainable while better mobility experience for citizens.
Product: CITILITY is based on pillar of LPWAN infrastructure gateway including management of sensor network. Helps citizen in finding parking faster, enable cashless payment and
multi-modal transit. Enabling solutions through sensor, video analytics, Platform processes real time data and provides visualisations for asset management, policies management and notifications for efficient enforcement.
Traction: We have executed 2 Smart city – Jaipur and Kakinada Current work in progress (implementation stage) – Panjim, Hubli, Allahabad Bidding for Shimoga, Davangere, Patna Currently executing 2 large campus, township in Bangalore. Work in progress for 40+ campus in PAN india.
Founder: Pallavi Gupta
Startup: Espresso Labs
About: We customize smart speakers like Amazon Alexa and Google home to be kept in a hotel room as virtual concierge.
Product: We build applications for smart speakers to be used as a virtual concierge in a hotel room. The guests can simply talk to our device in their own native language and the device understands the request, translates it, categorizes it and also automatically assigns it to the person in charge.
Traction: We have been successfully running pilots with 15 luxury hotels in the Delhi NCR region. The pilot brands include some leading hospitality chains like Hyatt, The Roseate, The Leela and Taj Palace.
WEQ#: 329
Founder: Tarusha Mittal
Startup: Ethx.co
About: Ethx is bringing blockchain and cryptocurrencies to everyday life by creating a decentralised internet.
Product: We’re creating an internet of value, which is completely decentralized and free from ads and censorship. On this new internet, users pay via cryptocurrency(micropayments) to access any website and website owners get paid. To make it convenient -we also offer an exchange to convert between crypto and their local currency.
Traction: We have over 900,000 users.
WEQ#: 355
Founder: Radhika Patil
Startup: Cradlewise
About: We make smart cradle for babies upto 1 year of age that ensures good quantity and quality of sleep.
Product: Our product is a smart cradle with responsive rocking and integrated contactless baby monitoring. Responsive rocking: Avoids unscheduled wakeup. Responds to startle reflex, baby cry and loud disturbing sounds by rocking and soothing music. Contactless baby monitor: Baby posture, activity, breath rate detection to prevent SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Traction: We have 3 paying customers. We have Letter of Intent from one of the biggest toy distributor in Bangalore and Pune. We have immense amount of interest from First Cry. They want to white label it as BabyHug. We have more than 100 queries on our website and Facebook.
Founder: Kalyani Khona
Startup: Inclov
About: Inclov is the world’s first matchmaking platform for people with disabilities to make friends and find love.
Product: Inclov is a social platform to discover new people with or without a disability. Inclov promotes inclusiveness within the community making it accessible and safe to users with visual impairment, polio, paraplegia, cerebral palsy, prosthetic, cancer, diabetes, thalassemia, skin diseases like Vitiligo and Albinism, etc
Traction: 50,000 users across India with 50+ meetups in 14 cities
NEW DELHI: Yotta Data Services, an end-to-end Digital Transformation service provider, has announced that its state-of-the-art data centre facility, “Yotta G1”, located in GIFT city, Gandhinagar is ready for service (RFS).
The opening of this data center marks the debut of Yotta in Gujarat and progresses the company’s mission to provide digital services in India’s high-growth markets.
G1 is Yotta’s fifth data center facility in the country. It joins four large operational data centers, two of which, at Navi Mumbai and Greater Noida are part of hyperscale campuses. Yotta G1 is uniquely located inside the International Financial Services Center (IFSC) zone of Gandhinagar’s Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT city).
G1 represents an investment of more than INR 500 cr. over five years across critical non-IT and IT / Cloud / AI compute infrastructure. The data center has a capacity of over 350 high-density racks and 2 MW power (which can be scaled further as per demand). The facility is designed to meet the most demanding digital needs of its customers, who may be located within GIFT City or anywhere in the world, by seamlessly delivering fault-tolerant facility infrastructure, high-performance Cloud compute and storage infrastructure, advanced physical and cyber security, unmatched connectivity, and steadfast sustainability.
For large global enterprises operating in the GIFT City IFSC zone, the G1 data center functions as a potential data embassy, whereby their data stored is subject to the laws and regulations of their home country, thus allowing them to maintain sovereignty over their data, even when stored in India. By storing data in a physically different location, global enterprises can ensure continuity of operations in case of major disruptions within their borders. The data center’s location also ensures compliance with the IFSC regulations, providing businesses in the zone with distinct advantages like free foreign exchange convertibility, a liberalised regulatory environment, and business-friendly policies. It also helps enterprises adhere to IFSC’s compliance requirements, including being mandated to host their data within the IFSC zone.
Commenting on the announcement, Darshan Hiranandani, Co-founder and Chairman, Yotta Data Services, said, “The state of Gujarat, with GIFT City, has been at the forefront of providing a viable and sustainable platform for global businesses to set up base in India. The setting up of the IFSC zone is a further testament to their vision for financial services companies. We are proud to support this vision of the Gujarat government with a state-of-the-art data center within the IFSC zone, providing the latest and best in cutting-edge technologies to help businesses set up and scale their businesses while also adhering to all regulatory requirements.”
Adding to this, Sunil Gupta, Co-Founder, MD & CEO, Yotta Data Services, said, “Yotta’s G1 marks a pivotal milestone in delivering high-end data center, Cloud, AI compute, storage, connectivity and cybersecurity services to enterprises both on a global and local scale in the Gujarat region. Besides serving the domestic enterprises within and outside GIFT City, our data center shall serve as a potential data embassy for global enterprises, enabling them to adhere to their respective country’s laws while offering a dependable and secure locale for offshore data storage.”
G1 data centre stands distinct in GIFT city for being a data center offering more than just colocation services. True to Yotta’s stature as the end-to-end digital transformation partner of choice for enterprises, G1 brings forth a suite of key features, ranging from advanced data security and customised business solutions to an indigenous hyperscale cloud offering, AI-GPU compute offering, state-of-the-art infrastructure, cybersecurity expertise, seamless integration with managed IT services, 24/7 customer support, cost optimisation, and an overall competitive edge.
This announcement follows on the heels of Yotta’s recent launch of its cloud services – Shakti Cloud and Yntraa Cloud. Powered by NVIDIA’s top-of-the-line GPUs, Shakti Cloud is India’s largest & fastest AI-HPC supercomputer, delivering cutting-edge GPU computing infrastructure, platforms, and services, including Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service. Yntraa Cloud, on the other hand, is a truly indigenous hyperscale cloud platform at par with global cloud platforms, offering an exhaustive range of cloud products and services.
NEW DELHI: Domestic contract manufacturer Optiemus Infracom has entered into a joint venture with US-based speciality glassmaker Corning International to set up India’s first manufacturing facility for producing high-quality finished cover glass parts for the mobile consumer electronics industry.
The collaboration between both the companies will help expand India’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem, as the Indian government strengthens its Make in India initiative. As a part of the joint venture, the companies strategically aim to set up a world-class manufacturing facility in India, powered by cutting-edge technologies and processes.
Driven by a shared commitment to innovation and technological excellence, this collaboration will pave the way for the manufacturing of “Made in India” finished cover glass parts for use in mobile consumer electronic devices, and other cover glass applications, to meet the needs of next-generation mobile consumer electronic devices.
The joint venture signifies a powerful synergy between Optiemus’s deep domestic industry and manufacturing knowledge of electronics and telecom market and Corning’s globally-acclaimed expertise in advanced glass technology. By combining these strengths, the joint venture aspires to not only establish cover glass manufacturing capabilities and capacity in India, but also to contribute significantly to the creation of jobs and skill development within India’s thriving technology sector, the companies said in a statement.
Ashok Kumar Gupta, Chairman, Optiemus Infracom, said, “It is a matter of great pride for us to actively contribute to the growing manufacturing ecosystem in the country. With this joint venture, initiated in line with the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India of ‘Make in India’ programme and the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiative, we are committed to make available world-class high-quality products for global and local brands.”
“Embarking on this new journey, we intend to emerge as one of the top manufacturers of finished cover glass parts for use in mobile consumer electronic devices in the next five years. Our collective expertise in innovation, design, and manufacturing, will provide holistic solutions for the brands,” Gupta added.
NEW DELHI: Chipset maker MediaTek, which claims to power more than two billion connected devices every year, hosted ‘Catch-up with Tech’ in collaboration with handset brand Infinix on August 28 to share insightful and engaging conversations about the new-age smartphones and innovative technologies powering everyday lives.
The meet-up threw the spotlight on the MediaTek Dimensity Auto, Satellite solutions and Generative AI along with an extensive showcase of newly-launched Infinix Zero 30 5G powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8020, Infinix GT 10 Pro powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8050, and Infinix QLED TV powered by MediaTek.
In terms of specs, the Infinix Zero 30 5G is tailored for young storytellers and creators, featuring the first-ever smartphone to deliver 4K 60fps video recording from its 108 MP OIS rear camera and ultra-high resolution 50MP front camera. The Zero 30 series powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8020 is said to be a game changer for the front camera vlogging experience along with being the slimmest curved AMOLED smartphone in the segment with glass and a vegan leather back panel. It also claims to be one of the most premium-looking devices in the segment.
The event witnessed a panel discussion moderated by Anuj Sidharth, Deputy Director Marketing & Corporate Communications, MediaTek and included expert panelists from Infinix, MediaTek and two renowned professional photographers.
“With the fifth edition of Catch-up with Tech, we aim to bring consumers closer to the technology and enable them to make informed buying decisions based on their diverse needs. In collaboration with Infinix, this meet-up is in-line with MediaTek’s vision of technology democratization and making innovative technology accessible to everyone,” said Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek India. “The MediaTek Dimensity 8020 in Infinix Zero 30 5G brings faster displays, brilliant cameras and ultra-fast performance. Further, MediaTek Imagiq technologies enrich the capture experience by combining dedicated AI, imaging processors and accelerators to provide incredible results,” he added.
Anish Kapoor, CEO, Infinix Mobile India, said, “Featuring India’s first 50MP 4K 60 fps video recording, Infinix Zero 30 5G is primed to redefine smartphone imaging capabilities, setting a new standard for the creators and vlogging enthusiasts. Our collaboration with MediaTek has played a pivotal role in shaping our exceptional smartphone portfolio, and the Zero 30 5G stands as evidence of our unwavering commitment to innovation and delivering unmatched experiences to our users. The display and design of the device represent a leap forward in smartphone technology. As Infinix Zero 30 5G hits the shelves, we are positive that our customers will find this new offering as exhilarating as we do, further empowering creators to capture their story like never before.”
Radhakrishnan Chakyat, a photography evangelist, founder and host of Pixel Viilage, said, “Infinix Zero 30 5G smartphone powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8020 chipset has amazing hardware features, an excellent camera, dual-view video mode and is primed for optimal content creation and saves a tremendous amount of editing time.”
Aarzoo Khurana, a wildlife photographer, said, “Over the last few days, I clicked various pictures and recorded a few videos with the newly-launched Infinix Zero 30 5G powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8020, and the experience has been truly inspiring. Infinix’s smartphone’s OIS feature helps content creators click shake-free pictures and the front camera, which is extremely sharp and detailed, enables content creators to click countless selfies.”
