Cohort 3.0 by CoWrks Foundry Introduces 8 Innovative, Disruptive Startups

The CoWrks Foundry announced the successful conclusion of its third cohort, comprising of eight startups. The CoWrks Foundry offers rigorous 24-week accelerator program for early stage startups that are looking to forge their innovative solutions in Urban Tech, Enterprise Tech and Social Enterprise.

A total of 450+ startups have applied for the third cohort program and 15 were shortlisted from them, which were further reviewed by the investment committee. After the conclusion of the review process, 8 startups were finalized to be a part of the accelerator program.

The Cohort 3.0 consists of an electric mix of eight tech and enterprise businesses which offer disruptive business solutions which are futuristic and potential growth drivers. The shortlisted startups are:

1. Instoried - AI-driven deep tech content startup Instoried helps brands predict the emotional impact of their content upon their customers' minds. Instoried has created a tool, which helps brands to strategies, execute, and deliver content using predictive analysis to increase customer engagement. The B2B SaaS-based startup helps brands to boost engagement and increase content productivity in real-time.


2. Botspace - BotSpace helps businesses build chatbots in 5 mins without training, coding or bot deployment knowledge. BotSpace works with both big and small businesses. Enterprises and Agencies can use BotSpace Creator Studio to deploy chatbots from a list of pre-built templates.


3. Happy Locate - Founded by Ajay Tiwari & Sainadh Duvvuru, Happylocate is India's first automation based relocation management system of the country that takes care of corporate relocations end to end. The key attraction of the startup is its proprietary cloud-based relocation management solution that helps corporates manage even 1000 relocations under 1 minute. That's 1/100th of the time taken otherwise. With verified movers serviceable across 15000 Pin Codes and with 16,000+ hotels across India, custom in-built approval flow, asset light operation model and a range of other benefits, Happylocate is already the exclusive relocation partner for some of the largest corporates including Quess Corp, ITC Infotech, Coca Cola and a lot more


4. Yogya - Yogya is a talent capability enhancer which acts as an assistant to leaders to identify the skill gaps in their organisations and empower them to close gaps faster powered by AI. For Employees, Yogya is a real time performance support system which will make them more productive and future proof.


5. Lockn - Lockn transforms the way people access and interact with their environment. Lockn builds a world where every object around us can securely recognise our physical presence with our permission to provide us with a frictionless experience, personalized to our individual needs and preferences.


6. Huviair - Huviair is an Enterprise Drone Technology Startup. Using GIS and deep learning techniques, the Huviair Software analyzes on-site drone data to accurately monitor and measure the progress and deviations of projects in the Real Estate, Infrastructure and Mining sectors.


7. Bhorzvan - is a Power-Train designer and Manufacturer for Electric Vehicles right from Scooters up to Trucks. It has developed one of the highest power dense yet highly efficient Motors and Controls for EVs combined with an active liquid cooling battery pack that can deliver both High power as well as increased range with the same Lithium cells used by other manufacturers.


8. Refresh - Refresh re-cycles and up-cycles old and unusable textile waste into handmade rugs, and furnishings by training and skilling women communities across India. Refresh uses waste fabric to make home furnishing through upcycling and recycling methods.

Speaking about Cohort 3.0, Nruthya Madappa, Managing Partner, The CoWrks Foundry said, “We are proud to introduce Cohort 3.0. Since the inception of The CoWrks Foundry in 2017, we have mentored and worked with 24 start-ups. Their journeys have been inspiring and it’s a huge driving force for all of us at The CoWrks Foundry. We endeavor to offer world-class mentorship, international exposure and assist with everything from initial seed capital to client acquisition to help them engineer advanced solutions to business challenges. Cohort 3.0 brings together eight passionate and innovative startups which could potentially be the growth drivers for the Indian Economy.”

During the 24-week accelerator program these startups have achieved a growth in business of 20x and have altered both their mindsets and growth trajectories. Over the course of the program, these eight startups have been equipped with a seed capital of up to $50,000 and were provided with a diverse range of resources including industry experts providing targeted world-class mentorship to each startup, which has helped them gain a strong appeal in the marketplace.

About The CoWrks Foundry

The CoWrks Foundry, based out of Bangalore, is a premier acceleration program for early stage businesses in the fields of Urban Tech, Enterprise Tech and Social Enterprise. The CoWrks Foundry was built to inspire and enable entrepreneurs to build innovative, scalable solutions in tough industries. Through a challenging curriculum developed with global experts and strong post-program support, The CoWrks Foundry provides entrepreneurs with frameworks, tailored mentorship, intelligent capital and a deep network to build resilient technology companies out of India.

Uprise India Initiative Foundation Conducts Business Ecosystem Workshop at CoWrks

Uprise India Initiative Foundation, which is the inimitable Women Entrepreneur Initiative, organized Business Ecosystem women entrepreneur workshop at CoWrks, Powai Mumbai. The renowned mentors addressed aspiring entrepreneurs through their robust knowledge and skills about aspects of novel business opportunities.

Mr. Brijesh Singh, Inspector General of Police, Cyber, Government of India as our Chief Guest, Mr. P K Kaundinya, Economist and Strategic Investor enlightened the participants concerning the tools for cyber security and legal obstacles while establishing new business. Mr. Akash Shukla, Founder of Uprise India Initiative Foundation, Mr. Vikram Shankar, Co-Founder, Uprise India Initiative Foundation and Mr. Adarsh Agnihotri, Head of Advisory, Uprise India Initiative Foundation has also thrown some light on the on-going initiative, which is providing a unique platform and inspiring many women entrepreneurs from PAN India.



The Chief Guest, Mr. Brijesh Singh, Inspector General of Police, Cyber, Government of India, “I am really happy to see that Uprise India Initiative Foundation has taken this step and providing a unique platform for women entrepreneurs. No one has ever talked or guided about cyber security in establishing small and medium enterprise. I am glad that this initiative is educating women about cyber-crime and I wish all women entrepreneurs will surely get to learn innovative tactics through this platform.”

During the occasion, Akash Shukla, Founder, Uprise India Initiative Foundation said, “I am really thankful to Mr. Brijesh Singh and Mr. P K Kaundinya, who inspired us through their sturdy skills and has joined us to take this initiative to another level. In today’s time, we are missing the mind-set of seeking out new knowledge and challenges and most importantly we are missing long term development plans. Uprise India Foundation, provided the platform for women who are trying to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams. Women who will enrol with the program would be getting 360 business training, support & guidance for making their dream career successful. Any women can enrol irrespective of any business/profile, any women who own start-up, SME’S or two individual professionals. ”

The initiative is all set to foray its footprint in every part of India, right from rural to urban development. Many budding entrepreneurs enthusiastically participated and consulted the thought leaders about their doubts in setting new business. With its way forward Uprise India Foundation will target around more than 2000 women from PAN India. Uprise India Initiative Foundation will reach many other metropolitan cities to provide free consultation and guidance.

About Uprise India Foundation

Uprise India Foundation is a unique initiative towards encouragement, business education and empowerment for WOMEN and is officially launched for the first time in India. This initiative attracted up to 8,174,170 women viewers and overall 34,538,669 viewers through various social media platforms, YouTube channels and over 250+ business women registered themselves.

CoWrks Acquires The UnCube ; To Provide flexible workspace in Cafes, Hotels

Leading co-working operator CoWrks on Wednesday announced acquisition of The UnCube, which provides on-demand workspace solution.

The development signals consolidation in the fast-growing co-working segment, which is accounting for 15-20 per cent of the total office space leasing across major cities. Recently, Oyo acquired Innov8 to enter into this business.

After the acquisition, Bengaluru-based CoWrks will now rename the entity to CoWrks Go.

Currently, CoWrks has 25 operational centres and 25,000 members spread across 2 million sq ft area with presence in major cities.

Founded by Sakshi Khanna in 2017, The UnCube provides co-working space for professionals on transit by partnering with restaurants and cafes. It currently has 2,500 members working across 200 locations in seven cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Indore and Chandigarh.

Under the new brand CoWrks Go, it plans to expand to over 20,000 locations.

CoWrks Chief Executive Officer Abhishek Goenka said, "We realised that the business complements our current offerings and we understand the importance that it holds for enterprises. Organisations seek the flexibility of operations and we are in a space now to extend the opportunity to enterprises to be productive anywhere, even when in transit."

With this development, he said CoWrks is expanding its network of productive spaces by bringing on board a chain of cafes, restaurants, hotels, business lounges, etc.

Sakshi Khanna, founder of The UnCube, said, "We believe that our mutual synergies of the business will truly provide holistic and differentiated solutions in the market." PTI MJH

CoWrks Foundry and Yale Institute Launch Health Accelerator Program; Cohort 6 Startups

Earlier this year, the CoWrks Foundry partnered with the Yale Institute for Global Health (YIGH), supported by RMZ Foundation, to announce the collaborative Sustainable Health Initiative (SHI).

The SHI is a 24-week long interdisciplinary business accelerator program for young & early stage startups building innovative solutions in healthcare. On 7th June, the program officially launched with an event at CoWrks Residency Road to commemorate the partnership, by announcing the startups selected for the prestigious program.

In attendance from Yale were Sten H. Vermund, M.D., Ph.D., (Dean, Yale School of Public Health) and Michael Skonieczny (Deputy Director, Yale Institute for Global Health). The event was an exclusive gathering of healthcare entrepreneurs, experts in policy and seasoned practitioners. The objective of the event was to inspire and align and connect founders, investors and coaches. The event aimed at creating a community, with a shared focus on ushering innovative and scalable solutions to the Indian healthcare sector.

A keynote speech was delivered by Yale School of Public Health’s Dean Sten Vermund on the important role of social entrepreneurship in healthcare. Vermund’s speech was followed by a fireside chat between Vikram Damodaran, (Founder of five.eight), Anand Anandkumar (Founder of Bugworks) and Dr. Charit Bhograj (Founder of Tricog Health).

Moderated by Sten Vermund, the panel discussion was centered around the key challenges, opportunities and strategies in healthcare sectors in both rural and urban India. The event came to a close with all the shortlisted startups delivering immersive product pitches to the audience. The inaugural cohort of the Sustainable Health Initiative (SHI) program comprised innovative startups building new age solutions across maternal health, infectious diseases, and healthcare accessibility and affordability.

The SHI program has been designed to power ‘Innovation’ for long-term social, health and environmental impact in emerging economies. With the ecosystem ripe for innovation, healthcare companies in India are effectively poised to impact billions in the country as well as globally.

The 6 startups cohorted are -

NAPS & NIBBLES

A one-stop solution platform for child wellness, providing parents access to high-quality, structured, and medically accurate information from top doctors and specialists.
Website: http://www.napsandnibbles.com/

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JIOVIO

Providing hassle-free and timely maternal care to expecting mothers and connecting high-risk patients to local healthcare providers. Jiovio’s wearable devices helps expecting mothers monitor their vitals, get expert consultation within minutes, and ensures a risk-free pregnancy.
Website: https://www.jiovio.com/

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ONWARD ASSIST: 

Using Machine Learning and AI to analyse, diagnose and predict the behaviour of cancer cells in patients. Onward Assist’s computer-based algorithm allows oncopathologists to gain deeper insights on the tumor and the neighbouring tissue and ensure more accurate prognosis and treatment protocols.
Website: http://www.onwardhealth.ai/

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METAMAGICS: 

Metamagics is a data analytics platform aimed at bridging the information gap in the organ transplant process - from pre-transplant regulatory compliance to patient care. Using dynamic and semantic technology, Metamagics facilitates successful organ transplants by enabling doctors, patients and caregivers to preempt and address complications before they turn fatal.
Website: http://www.metamagics.com/

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KHUSHI BABY: 

Khushi-TB (KTB) is a new technology adaptation of a successful platform currently used to track maternal and child health in rural India. This technology is being reapplied for tuberculosis treatment in urban slums. The platform provides TB patients with a wearable digital health record and health workers with a mobile application. With the app doctors can scan the wearable tag, see what medication to provide today, and update treatment progress.
Website: https://www.khushibaby.org/

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PREMIE BREATHE

Globally, 2.6 million newborns die within their first month of life every year, with nearly 90 percent of preterm deaths occurring in low- and middle- income countries due to complications including respiratory distress. To help end these preventable neonatal deaths , we have developed an affordable humidified high flow nasal cannula (HHFNC) device, designed and engineered to provide respiratory support to infants in district and referral hospitals in resource poor settings.

Website: https://news.yale.edu/2018/02/21/premiebreathe-gives-premature-babies-better-chance

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"The cohort that we've assembled today is the culmination of a highly selective global application process. After a tough and intensive review that included multiple rounds of interviews and diligence, we've shortlisted companies from both the Indian ecosystem and Yale that are solving a diverse set of complex problems with a mission to impact the life and health of millions across the world. We find this class to consist of humble founders, passionate missions and resilient business models and look forward to arm these companies with the expertise, frameworks and network required to succeed at scale,” said Nruthya Madappa, Managing Partner, The CoWrks Foundry.

As part of this program, each startup will receive up to USD $70,000 in seed funding, mentorship from Yale’s faculty and alumni, as well as benefits from a network of Indian industry experts. In addition, the program includes structured sessions to help startups evolve into a sustainable and scalable business model, refine their go-to-market strategy and build a global network.

“Around the world, we face growing health and economic disparities. The public sector cannot fully address the scope and scale of these challenges without private sector ingenuity and creativity,” stated Sten Vermund, Dean, Yale School of Public Health. “We are enthusiastic about the launch today of the Sustainable Health Initiative to further find innovate solutions that will have a significant impact on the health of communities in India, the U.S., and around the world.”

CoWrks Launches Second Centre and Community App - CoWrks Connect

Bengaluru headquartered co-working community venture, CoWrks, opened its doors to their second co-working facility on Old Madras Road (OMR) at RMZ Infinity. An ode to the technological and entrepreneurship spirit of Bengaluru, the facility boasts of a large format offering of 400 desks across 30000 square feet of space. An estimated 1100 people making up a homogenous mix of professionals from small scale enterprises, startups to a pool of freelancers, independent professionals & entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies are expected to move in within the next month.

Commenting on the evolution of co-working spaces in India, Sidharth Menda, Founder and CEO, CoWrks said, “The concept of shared, collaborative spaces has gained a tremendous thrust in India in the recent years. The innovation possibilities that this category brings with it, remains a key driver for us. As a brand, community building and bringing like-minded people within the same ecosystem remains core to our business. Old Madras Road is an emerging destination where IT/ITeS influence from the neighboring areas and rapid infrastructure development have resulted in considerable growth in a short time. Keeping the uniqueness and diversity of this megacity in mind, we have upped the ante on the design front for the OMR space specifically to suit the needs of the likes of an independent artist to a large MNC team.”

The creation of this vibrant and diverse community at the two spaces has set the stage perfectly for the launch of their community-building mobile app ‘CoWrks Connect’. An important milestone in their goal of merging technology and physical spaces, the app will allow users to bring further efficiency to their everyday work. In phase 1, tasks like membership management, booking of meeting rooms, printing files, filing support tickets and keeping track of events will be streamlined. Commenting on the long-term vision for the app, Nikhil Sud, CTO, CoWrks said, “As our community grows, we aim to create a layer of technology to supplement and enhance our physical presence. This will empower one of India’s most dynamic and fastest growing network of millennial professionals as they collaborate, share industry expertise and grow in their careers. In the long term, we will bring in more high-tech features like an artificially intelligent chat-bot and an online knowledge-sharing forum to bring in even more social collaboration and convenience to our members. We are confident that insights gained from usage patterns will help us understand their needs better and enhance our offerings right from location selection to space design.”

This latest phase of its market expansion comes hot on the heels of the tremendous success witnessed at its first facility at RMZ Ecoworld in August earlier this year which is already at full capacity. CoWrks is now focused on opening 10 facilities, across 4 metros in the next 6 months as part of a growth strategy encompassing both, entering key markets, and member growth. The two facilities combined, now offer 1.9 lakh square feet of space including 3200 desks designed to stimulate a work culture that dwells on collaboration between communities of like-minded individuals.