In today’s world, the need to fight climate change has never been clearer. In the middle of this global call to action, climate-focused startups have now become crucial players in creating real solutions for a sustainable future. With a focus on innovation and sustainability, Avaana Capital, in collaboration with Startup India, recently concluded the Avaana Capital – Startup India Grand Challenge in an initiative to support ClimateTech Innovations.
The event was held at Vanijya Bhawan, supported by key organizations such as NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), and other vital partners who aimed to find and nurture startups focused on solving climate change challenges.
The grand finale brought together over 400 applications across various sectors like Energy Transition, Mobility and Supply Chains, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems, Circular Economy and Resource Management, Water and Industrial Decarbonization, and Built Environment and Carbon Capture. The event featured 12 outstanding finalists, each presenting visionary solutions to combat climate change.
Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa of India said, “We witnessed the prowess of India’s startup ecosystem in spearheading ClimateTech innovation.”
Led by Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa, the Grand Jury consisted of distinguished members and industry giants like Tata Power, Nestle, Tata Steel, Lodha, HSBC, and SBI, who carefully evaluated these presentations, recognizing the potential for these startups to create significant change.
A highlight of the event was the focus on Low Carbon Pathways and Green Financing, offering new ways to fund and support climate-focused startups. Winners were awarded from a total corpus of ₹1 Cr, with an additional ₹2 Cr in grants allocated from ACT, along with support from AWS and Google.
The breakdown of awards, with 20 lakh rupees for the winner, 15 lakh rupees for the runner-up, and 10 lakh rupees for the second runner-up, showed the commitment to help these startups grow. Moreover, all participants were offered mentorship through a series of masterclasses, diving into topics like fundraising for climate tech startups and the key role of startups in driving the energy transition.
Anjali Bansal, founding partner at Avaana Climate and Sustainability Fund expressed excitement over the event’s success and thanking the stakeholders of the event she said, “ The event showcased innovative startup solutions and highlighted the importance of collaboration in driving impactful change.”
Organizations like SIDBI played a crucial role, offering 3 lakh rupees each to the top nine finalists from its green seeding pool, helping to provide financial support to startups to expand their impact. The event came to an end with Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Anjali Bansal, Founding Partner at Avaana Capital, presenting the Grand Challenge Awards to the winners.
As India embarks on its journey towards a net-zero economy, initiatives like the Avaana Capital – Startup India Grand Challenge serve as a beacon of hope and inspiration. Here is an overview of all the winners and finalists of the Startup India Grand Challenge for ClimateTech Innovation.
1. GreenPod Labs- Winner
Sector: Food and Agriculture Tech
Green Pod Labs is at the forefront of sustainable food preservation, offering innovative solutions to increase the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Using their cutting-edge technology, they slow down the ripening process and minimize microbial growth, ensuring that each fruit and vegetable maintains its crispness, flavor, and nutritional value for a longer period.
Website: Link
2. Ambiator Private Limited- Winner
Sector: Energy Tech, Environment Tech
Ambiator Private Limited is a highly efficient, climate-appropriate cooling technology firm focused on solving human thermal comfort. Their first product, the Ambiator 5TR, is a modular, scalable cooling solution designed for Residential, Commercial, Institutional, and Industrial use.
Website: Link
3. Nexus Power- Winner
Sector: Nanotechnology Research
Nexus Power specializes in creating rechargeable batteries made from crop residue. These bio-organic and bio-degradable batteries are versatile and can power a range of devices such as mobile phones, electric cars, electronic gadgets, and commercial vehicles. Nexus Power’s patented technology ensures that its batteries are more efficient and effective than traditional Li-ion batteries. They have the potential to charge faster and last longer, offering a sustainable and reliable power source for various applications.
Website: Link
4. Nature Dots- Finalist
Sector: Data Infrastructure and Analytics
NatureDots creates intelligent nature-based systems and solutions combined with DeepTech to build a Climate-Resilient New Nature Economy. AquaNurch is a groundbreaking hard-tech product of Nature Dots that merges ‘Nature-based Science + DeepTech tools’. It helps make aquaculture resilient to ecological challenges, creating healthier water ecosystems and boosting revenue for aqua farmers while creating value for everyone.
Website: Link
5. Banofi Leather- Finalist
Sector: Climate Technology Product Manufacturing
Banofi is a material innovation company specializing in plant-based leather made from banana crop waste. This innovative material is supplied to fashion brands as an alternative to animal leather, aiming to eliminate toxic waste and reduce carbon emissions and water consumption. The cruelty-free and sustainable alternative offers a greener choice for everyday materials.
Website: Link
6. Baud Resources- Finalist
Sector: Mechanical Or Industrial Engineering
Founded in 2017, Baud Resources specializes in developing cost-efficient and long-duration energy storage technology for renewable energy. They offer two technologies – gravity storage and wind turbines, providing the lowest cost of electricity or unit compared to all other existing energy storage alternatives.
Website: Link
7. Cancrie- Finalist
Sector: Chemical Raw Materials Manufacturing
Cancrie specializes in producing advanced materials from waste to power up energy storage devices. Their material is energy efficient and easy to adopt. At Cancrie, the vision is to assist companies in reducing GHG emissions through advanced material technology. They believe that compassion and collaboration are the keys to combating the climate crisis.
Website: Link
8. Carbon Trail- Finalist
Sector: Retail Apparel and Fashion
Carbon Trail is an AI-powered sustainability platform designed for the fashion and retail industry, enabling brands, manufacturers, and retailers to measure their environmental impact using primary supply chain data at scale. They offer audit-proof results and reporting according to standards like GHG protocol and CSRD, while making supplier data collection and audits seamless through OCR and AI/ML technology.
Website– Link
9. Mini Mines- Finalist
Sector: Environmental Services
Mini Mines offers a sustainable and efficient Li-Ion battery recycling clean-tech solution. As part of the electric vehicle ecosystem revolution, Mini Mines contributes to creating a circular economy for energy storage devices (Li-Ion). This includes sourcing and collecting spent batteries and recovering precious battery-grade materials. The entire ecosystem is built on advanced research and environmentally sustainable processes.
Website: Link
10. Recycler India- Finalist
Sector: Manufacturing
Established in 2018, Saltech Design Labs Pvt. Ltd. is a recognized entity under Startup India (DPIIT) and Inter-Ministerial Board (IMB), focusing on innovative technologies in the waste-to-value segment. Saltech Design Labs creates circularity by employing advanced closed-loop recycling technology to extract maximum value from waste. Their patented process transforms Single-Use Plastics, Construction & Demolition Waste, and Industrial Minerals / Aggregate / Fly Ash wastes into sustainable alternate building materials.
Website: Link
11. Sangti- Finalist
Sector: Software Development
Sangti is a logistics-focused climate tech platform that offers tools and capabilities for companies to measure their shipment emissions, identify actions to decarbonize and activate low-carbon delivery options. Their automated platform and cutting-edge analytics aim to equip forward-looking logistics providers and Shippers with the right tools to empower them to take climate action.
Website: Link
12. ZeroCircle- Finalist
Sector: Biotechnology Research
ZeroCircle specializes in creating ocean-safe materials from seaweed. They develop bio-alternatives to everyday products, enabling organizations to use perfectly circular solutions that leave nothing behind. In the humble shapeless form, the many varieties of seaweed that grow wild in the sea hold the key to unlocking the answers to climate change, food scarcity, sustainable packaging, and so much more. ZeroCircle intends to use this key to create bio-alternatives to products used in daily lives and enable organizations to develop solutions that are perfectly circular and emit zero waste.
Website: Link
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