The start-up ecosystem in India has emerged as a significant force in recent years, owing largely to the efforts of stakeholders and government policies to encourage the establishment of start-ups. Investments in start-ups have risen considerably from $550 million in 2010 to $14.5 billion in 2019[1]
Sequoia Capital sent a memo titled Coronavirus: The Black Swan of 2020, addressing its portfolio firm founders and CEOs, emphasizing the necessity to be “adaptable” in order to survive the down-curve. The message emphasized the importance of challenging every assumption about one’s firm, including cash-flows, fund-raising, marketing, sales forecasting, capital spending, and so on.[2]
The lockdown has had an adverse effect on not only small diurnal business operations, but it has also pushed several start-ups to prepare survival plans to reduce personnel and employee compensation. Recently founders of a number of start-ups have also made substantial curtailment with respect to worker’s (or employee’s) pay in order to minimize their losses.
To keep up with the adversities, essential service entrepreneurs built flexible business structures and demonstrated considerable ingenuity and self-sufficiency. Though the pandemic put India’s startup environment to the test, it also presented an opportunity with great promise in several sectors.
Here are the top 10 start-ups that are specifically designed and distributed to cater Covid needs:
- Ethereal Machines
In India, the need for ventilators is paramount with the profusion of daily rise in the COVID-19 cases.
While myriad startups and tech businesses have begun manufacturing ventilators or similar alternatives to satisfy the demand, Bengaluru-based Ethereal Machines has a unique answer. Ethereal Machines, a 3D printing ventilator splitter company founded by Kaushik Mudda and Navin Jain in 2014, is designed exclusively for treating two patients with differing ventilatory needs by differential pressure splitting.
When two patients require two different oxygen supply from the ventilator, these splitters are employed. The team was able to come up with a device that also helps to avoid cross-contamination between paired patients courtesy to the doctors’ expertise in Bengaluru
This is the Two Way Ventilator Splitter taken from https://www.etherealmachines.com/covid.
| ADDRESS | · Primary Office:
· Number 202, 12th Main Road · 3rd Phase Peenya Industrial Area, Laxmi Devi Nagar · Bangalore, Karnataka 560058 · India
|
| CONTACT NUMBER |
+91 8792757504
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| info@etherealmachines.com sales@etherealmachines.com |
|
| WEBSITE | https://www.etherealmachines.com |
- bio
To accommodate rising demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mumbai-based healthtech firm sense.bio has opened an e-com selling COVID-19 basics and personal protective gear. The IOT-based health and fitness app has announced the launch of a platform designed to decrease the potential risk of virus transmission. Customers can shop for sense.bio items while staying indoors while protecting them and boosting their immunity. They ensured high-quality products that are manufactured in India.
| ADDRESS | · Primary Office:
6th floor, 91springboard Ackruti Trade Centre, Andheri East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400093 |
| CONTACT NUMBER |
9000544544 |
| hello@sense.bio | |
| WEBSITE | https://sense.bio/ |
- Sicora Technologies
The significance of cleaning, sanitation, and being healthy has also been highlighted by COVID-19. It has increased the demand for disinfection services to keep surfaces clean and free of microbes. Sicora Technologies, based in Mumbai, is fulfilling this demand.
Sicora, founded in 2020 by Yash Jain and Geeta Tolia, makes an antimicrobial surface coating called Dr Nanoxa that sanitizes surfaces and protects them from germs and viruses, including Sars-CoV-2. The coating will be effective for 30 days before needing to be reapplied.
Dr Nanoxa has been found to be effective against germs and viruses, according to the report, the product has been found to be effective against bacteria and viruses, including E.Coli, Salmonella, and Sars-CoV 2, among others.
The product should be sprayed from a distance of 1 foot after taking all necessary procedures and wearing PPE gear. After applying the product, clean the surfaces with a microfiber towel. After that, leave the surface alone for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
Dr Nanoxa taken from https://drnanoxa.com/product/dr-nanoxa/
| ADDRESS | 4th Floor, Legacy, Dadabhai Rd, Andheri west Dadabhai Rd Mumbai Maharashtra India – 400058 |
| CONTACT NUMBER | +91 9609454493 |
| yash@drnanoxa.com | |
| WEBSITE | https://drnanoxa.com/ |
- Helyxon
While doctors and healthcare workers battle to save the lives of thousands of people, they are also putting their own lives in danger by constantly monitoring coronavirus patients in hospitals. Many startups, on the other hand, have developed unique technologies that allow for remote monitoring of these patients. Helyxon, located in Chennai, has created OXY 2, a real-time body temperature, heart rate, and oxygen saturation monitoring gadget that notifies doctors or attendants if any of the parameters change abnormally.
The device appears to be a complicated wiring equipment, but it is reported to be simple to operate. One side of the device is attached to a finger and is rolled up like a band on the hand. The device sends data to a mobile application via Bluetooth, which is then forwarded to the company’s servers over internet connectivity.
OXY2 with BLE but no connector and 98.6 Fever Watch – Continuous Fever monitoring system taken from https://helyxon.com/product/
| ADDRESS | IIT Madras Research Park, No.1,Kanagam Road, Taramani, Chennai – 600113, Tamil Nadu, India. |
| CONTACT NUMBER | +91 9444148584 |
| info@helyxon.com | |
| WEBSITE | https://helyxon.com/ |
- E-TEX Kawach Antiviral T-Shirt and Kawach Mask
The experts from IIT Delhi’s Chemical and Textile department have endorsed the products.
According to officials, the antiviral E-TEX’s fabric was created utilizing modern technology that minimizes the likelihood and speed of contaminations and transmissions by eliminating microorganisms on touch. According to officials, two firms incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) here have released antiviral T-shirts and a COVID-19 protective lotion at inexpensive pricing. V Ramgopal Rao, the institute’s director, revealed the goods, which are part of an antiviral package.
Kawach antiviral polo t-shirt and Kawach N95 protective face mask taken from https://etex.in/product-category/new-launch/
| ADDRESS | Etex Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. A47, Kalu Sarai,New Delhi |
| CONTACT NUMBER | +91 8800471437 |
| support@etex.in | |
| WEBSITE | https://etex.in/ |
- Clensta
For up to 24 hours, the COVID-19 Protection Lotion, developed by the start-up “Clensta,” provides 99.9% virus protection with antiviral and antiseptic qualities.
The product is an advancement in engineering chemistry with sui generis PAP Technology (Prolonged Antiviral Technology) to prevent bacterial, viral, and fungal infections without harming the environment or human health, and advanced hand sanitizer is formulated with increased alcohol retention time to be effective prevention against multiple viruses.
The product can be applied to any exposed body part, including the face and hands. The application of the solution protects users from infections for nearly 24 hours, reducing the requirement of alcohol-based sanitizers and washing hands several times each day.
| ADDRESS |
Research & Development Center:
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| CONTACT NUMBER | Customer Care: 1800 5721 782
Bulk orders or stockiest: 1800 5721 782 |
| info@clensta.com | |
| WEBSITE | https://clensta.com/ |
- Staqu
Gurugram-based Staqu, a company that makes facial recognition systems, has invented a thermal camera that uses artificial intelligence to detect possible Covid-19 positive cases. Normally, the corporation sells its smart cameras to law enforcement agencies for surveillance purposes.
If it detects a human with an elevated body temperature, the camera named JARVIS sends out a real-time alarm. The camera can monitor numerous persons at once and has a range of up to 100 meters.
Law enforcement agencies can identify people with Covid-19 symptoms using these cameras in public settings, ultimately halting the pandemic. The fact that they are also equipped with facial recognition capabilities makes it easier for law authorities to apprehend these individuals.
Staqu, which was founded in 2015 by Atul Rai, Chetan Rexwal, Anurag Saini, and Pankaj Sharma, says that its technology is practical and successful in scanning crowded venues such as airports, train stations, and malls.
The startup is utilizing and merging current technology into facial recognition cameras rather than creating the hardware for thermal cameras. JARVIS, he added, works in situations where conventional thermal cameras fail due to ambient light. Staqu was employing these cameras at its workplace before the lockout and was in talks with a few airport officials.
| ADDRESS |
301, JMD Regent Plaza Mall, Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, DLF Phase-I, Sector 26, Gurgaon, Haryana 122002
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| CONTACT NUMBER | +91 84488 02842 |
| hello@staqu.com | |
| WEBSITE | https://www.staqu.com/ |
- Adverto
Following the coronavirus outbreak, cities such as Mumbai and Delhi, as well as the state of Uttar Pradesh, have made wearing masks in public areas mandatory. Many people in these places, however, continue to go about without wearing a face mask. Adverto, based in Jabalpur, has created a face mask recognition technology that uses a camera stream to determine whether or not someone is wearing a mask.
If a person is spotted without a mask, the system raises an alarm and alerts law authorities to apprehend the perpetrator. The camera also takes a picture of the person so that they may be easily identified.
The business, which was founded by Anurag Soni, is also trying to add a thermal detection feature to these cameras. The camera will therefore be able to tell if a person has a temperature, which is a common indication of Covid-19. The startup is currently working on a proof of concept at the Jabalpur Incubation Centre.
According to Soni, the startup will install one of these cameras at the district collector’s office. Some hospitals have also inquired about Adverto’s technology.
| ADDRESS |
Udyog Bhavan, 3rd Floor, Howbagh Railway Stn Road, MCI Colony, Gorakhpur, Jabalpur, MP – 482001, India |
| CONTACT NUMBER |
+91-7747889999 |
| WEBSITE | https://www.adverto.in/ |
- CoviDx mPlex 3R and 4R
E V Ramana Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of IT, said the department has aided in the development of the 22 products and will assist them in engaging with appropriate commercial partners through the Karnataka Startup Cell and the BBC. According to officials, a MoU was signed between IIT-SINE in Mumbai and the BBC to establish a co-incubation model in which financing and technical expertise would be combined with networking support. CoviDx mPlex 3R and 4R, an in-vitro RT-PCR qualitative test for the detection of COVID-19 using three and four genes identification, was one of the products.
Emvlio, a portable medical-grade refrigeration device, is also used to transport biologicals such as vaccinations, blood, and serums in a safe manner. AskDoc, a Doctor VideoBot that answers questions on COVID-19 disease transmission and control, now has multilingual voice and text capabilities.
CoviDx mPlex 3R and 4R taken from https://www.dssimage.com/covidxtm-mplex-4r.html
| ADDRESS |
A-5 Mohan Co-op Indl. Estate Mathura Road, New Delhi-110044 |
| CONTACT NUMBER | +91-84480 81331 |
| enquiry@dssimage.com | |
| WEBSITE | https://www.dssimage.com/covidxtm-mplex-4r.html |
- MedIoTek Health
Patients with Covid-19, especially the elderly and children, require continuous temperature, heart rate, and oxygen saturation monitoring. Monitoring is a challenging task if patients are under home quarantine or in a vast Covid-19 unit with few healthcare professionals.
To help relieve the massive strain on the healthcare system, the Chennai-based MedIoTek Health System has introduced Vincense, a wearable device that continuously detects pulse rate, oxygen levels, skin temperature, and respiration rate. The data from the gadget is sent from the wearables to a secure cloud server that a healthcare provider can access at any time by smartphone. VinCense promptly warns doctors and nurses if any of the crucial metrics ever exceed the default or user-defined limitations.
It also sends an ambulance to the patient’s home in critical situations after receiving confirmation from family or residents. In the event of an emergency, the patient can also use the device’s help button to raise an alert.
In addition, MedIoTek Health has applied for a patent license for Vincense, which costs INR 27,000. Vincense has also been selected for the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms’ (C-CAMP) accelerator program as one of 13 businesses.
VinCense Risk Detection Protocol taken from https://www.vincense.com/covid-19-risk-detection-protocol.html
| ADDRESS |
III Floor Sindhur Pantheon Plaza, 346 Pantheon road, Egmore Chennai – 600 008.
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| CONTACT NUMBER | +91-44-2345 1972 |
| support@vincense.com
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| WEBSITE | https://www.vincense.com/about.html |
These startup businesses are integral and facilitate overcoming challenges and helping the Indian economy grow even during incongruous times such as COVID-19 pandemic.
Author: Vinita R. Gaud, Pravin Gandhi College of Law
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[1] Peerzada Abrar, “Indian start-ups raised a record $14.5 bn in 1185 funding rounds this year”, Business Standard, https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/indian-start-ups-raised-a-record-14-5-bn-in-1185-funding-rounds-this-year-119122700061_1.html
[2] “Coronavirus: The Black Swan of 2020”, https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/coronavirus-the-black-swan-of-2020/,
