Shark Tales Week 4 | Social Entrepreneurs Rise to Solve India's Bigger Problems

A month since Shark Tank India Season 2 went on air, and 20+ episodes later, it's clear the wave of entrepreneurship has reached India's remotest areas. So far, 50+ startups pitched to sharks and several of them went on to get funded while few didn't. One startup, 'Snitch' even got an All Shark Deal. The common thing amongst these entrepreneurs is the passion to create a company that impacts people's lives.

Week 4 of Shark Tank India continued to showcase the best of entrepreneurial spirit. Several startups featured this week were aimed at social impact and benefitting the segment of society often left ignored. Check out all the startups of this week and whether or not they raised funding.

Key takeaways from this week’s episodes are:

• Technology to make cleaning humane - Manual scavenging is a major problem. To solve this, 'Solinas' created 'HomoSEP', a robot that cleans septic tanks.
• Economic empowerment for all - 'Ekatra' founded by the mother-daughter duo is on a mission to enable women to attain financial freedom by creating sustainable products.
• Serving the underserved - India is home to 21+ mn differently-abled people. 'NeoMotion' through its products 'NeoFly' and 'NeoBolt' aims to improve mobility and enable wheelchair users to move freely both indoors and outdoors.
• Making finance fun, one game at a time - Stock market may look complex to many. Through gamification 'Bullspree' aims to simplify learning and increase financial literacy. It enables users to learn about the stock market through fun games.
• Nothing stops him from steering forward - The entrepreneurial journey of Siddharth R Dungarwal, founder of 'Snitch' is full of ups and downs. But what was constant was his drive to overcome every obstacle along the way.

EPISODE 16

Episode 16, Brand 1:

• VS Mani & Co.

Founders:

• Yashas Alur
• GD Prasad
• Rahul Bajaj

Ye inki expertise hai:

• They sell filter coffee decoction, instant coffee, filter coffee, spices, and several varieties of snacks that are native to the southern part of India. Users can buy these delicacies from their website and marketplaces.

The problem it solves:

• Getting authentic filter coffee is challenging in many parts of India and the world. Through its ‘Filter Coffee Decoction’ and ‘Filter Coffee’ product range, VS Mani & Co. is ensuring that a cup of good filter coffee is never far away.

Ask:

• ₹60 L for 1.5% equity (₹40 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

• DEAL - VS Mani & Co raised ₹19 L from Namita Thapar for 1% equity at a valuation of ₹19 Cr. Namita Thapar will also provide an additional ₹41 L in debt at 10% interest.

Episode 16, Brand 2:

• SEPAL

Founders:

• Kashyap Addepally
• Vidhey Addepally

Ye inki expertise hai:

• Its flagship product called 'SEPAL SHIELD' protects bike riders from rain, sun, and pollution. Built with fibre-reinforced plastic it can withstand high speed.

The problem it solves:

• During rain, bike riders often need to pause their journey and take shelter. SEPAL through its all-weather protection shield aims to make bike rides comfortable even during rain.

Ask:

• ₹50 L for 1% equity (₹50 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

• DEAL - SEPAL raised ₹50 L from Peyush Bansal for 2% equity at a valuation of ₹25 Cr.

Episode 16, Brand 3:

• Solinas

Founders:

• Bhavesh Narayani
• Divanshu Kumar
• Moinak Banerjee
• Linda Jasline

Ye inki expertise hai:

• Through technology, they make pipeline infrastructure monitoring and maintenance seamless. Their other product is making septic tank cleaning automated and humane.

The problem it solves:

• Underground water pipe maintenance and septic tank cleaning is a huge challenge. Solinas through their innovative products 'Endobot' and 'HomoSEP' aims to solve these 2 major problems faced across India.

Ask:

• ₹90 L for 2% equity (₹45 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

• DEAL - Solinas raised ₹90 L from Anupam Mittal and Peyush Bansal for 3% equity at a valuation of ₹30 Cr.

EPISODE 17

Episode 17, Brand 1:

• Avimee Herbal

Founders:

• Siddhant Agarwal
• Ambika Agarwal
• Radha Krishna Choudhary
• Vinita Agarwal
• Vibhor Agarwal

Ye inki expertise hai:

• Hair care products ranging from oil to serum, shampoo and even comb! It also sells a range of products for skin care and beard care. Users can buy their products on their website and marketplaces.

The problem it solves:

• Hair fall is a major problem affecting 40% of India's population. Avimee Herbal through its flagship product 'Keshpallav Hair Oil' aims to provide a solution. Additionally, it also sells skin care and pain relief products.

Ask:

• ₹2.8 Cr for 0.5% equity (₹560 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

• No Deal.

Episode 17, Brand 2:

• Eyenic Eyewear

Founders:

• Piyuesh Kalra
• Sunil Chhabra

Ye inki expertise hai:

• With 20+ years of experience in the eyewear industry, Eyenic is addressing the vision-related problem faced by a large population. They sell eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses on their website and in offline stores.

The problem it solves:

• A significant population of India needs vision correction. Eyenic through its wide range of products that include eyeglasses and contact lenses aim to address this issue. They have priced their products affordably for mass reach.

Ask:

• ₹75 L for 6% equity (₹ Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

• No Deal.

Episode 17, Brand 3:

• Ekatra

Founders:

• Aishwarya Jhawar
• Minakshi Jhawar

Ye inki expertise hai:

• Handmade daily use products made by local women. Their products draw inspiration from Indian art. Shoppers can buy the product on their website and marketplaces.

The problem it solves:

• Low participation of women in the workforce is a major problem in India. Ekatra is enabling women to utilise their skills to create products and in the process empower them economically. Women associated with Ekatra work at Ekatra's factory or from the comfort of their homes. This is giving them the freedom to work on their own time and earn a livelihood.

Ask:

• ₹40 L for 10% equity (₹4 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

• DEAL - Ekatra raised ₹20 L from Amit Jain and Peyush Bansal for 20% equity at a valuation of ₹1 Cr. Amit Jain and Peyush Bansal will also provide an additional ₹20 L in debt

EPISODE 18

Episode 18, Brand 1:

• Raasa

Founders:

• Manik Sehgal

Ye inki expertise hai:

• RAASA aims to be a one-stop solution provider to street food vendors. It helps them with branding, obtaining FSSAI licenses, onboarding them on food delivery apps, and even supplying them with groceries.

The problem it solves:

• Lack of knowledge regarding government regulations, marketplace onboarding, and branding hamper the growth of food cart owners in India. RAASA is on a mission to improve the life of 1 million food cart owners in India.

Ask:

• ₹50 L for 5% equity (₹10 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

• DEAL - Raasa raised ₹50 L from Anupam Mittal for 25% equity at a valuation of ₹2 Cr.

Episode 18, Brand 2:

• NeoMotion

Founders:

• Ashish Sharma
• Swostik Dash
• Siddarth Daga

Ye inki expertise hai:

• A customised wheelchair called 'NeoFly' to suit a user's specific needs. The customisation helps users maintain their posture and is designed for easy mobility. NeoMotion's other innovation is 'NeoBolt' which lets users move outdoors freely. 'NeoBolt' gives its users the freedom to pursue opportunities which were difficult earlier.

The problem it solves:

• Wheelchairs commonly available in the market aren't customized to suit a user's needs. NeoMotion is addressing this issue through its product 'NeoFly'. It has also developed another product 'NeoBolt' that solves outdoor mobility issues and gives users a chance to freely work and move.

Ask:

• ₹1 Cr for 1% equity (₹100 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

• DEAL - NeoMotion raised ₹1 Cr from Peyush Bansal for 1% equity at a valuation of ₹100 Cr.

Episode 18, Brand 3:

• Licksters

Founders:

• Parimal Kalikar
• Dhivya Subburaju

Ye inki expertise hai:

• Wide range of ice creams that are healthier than the ones commonly available. Licksters ice-cream is rich in fruit concentration. They also provide Vegan options to their users. Products are available online and at offline stores.

The problem it solves:

• Commonly sold ice-creams contain a variety of additives and lots of added sugar in them. Licksters through its products is giving users healthy treats that are rich in fruits and contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

Ask:

• ₹50 L for 5% equity (₹10 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

• DEAL - Licksters raised ₹25 L from Amit Jain for 5% equity at a valuation of ₹5 Cr. Amit Jain will also provide an additional ₹25 L in debt

EPISODE 19

Episode 19, Brand 1:

• PMV ELECTRIC

Founders:

• Kalpit Patel

Ye inki expertise hai:

• Its flagship model is a car that's compact, electric, and feature-rich. It lets you control many key features remotely. Being electric the car requires less maintenance and can go up to 160 km on a single charge.

The problem it solves:

• Venturing out in your car during peak hours can be problematic. Add to that parking issues and the overall experience becomes bad. PMV ELECTRIC through its compact car aims to become every family's go-to car for their daily commuting.

Ask:

• ₹1 Cr for 1% equity (₹100 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

• No Deal.

Episode 19, Brand 2:

• Spice Story

Founders:

• Vibhor Rastogi
• Soumyadeep Mukherjee
• Gayatri Gogate

Ye inki expertise hai:

• Wide range of Indian Chutneys and Hot Sauces from various parts of India. Be it Nolen Gur from Bengal, Agra ki Saunth or Gujarati Tamarind Date Twister, users have multiple options to choose from. They sell online and offline in retail stores.

The problem it solves:

• There are many chutney and sauce brands in India but very few whose flavours take inspiration from India's rich culinary heritage. Spice Story through its wide range of Indian Chutneys and Hot Sauces is changing this one flavour at a time.

Ask:

• ₹70 L for 2% equity (₹35 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

• DEAL - Spice Story raised ₹70 L from Namita Thapar for 5% equity at a valuation of ₹14 Cr.

Episode 19, Brand 3:

• Bullspree

Founders:

• Divyansh Mathur
• Dharmil Bavishi
• Harsh Dhanawat

Ye inki expertise hai:

• They have used the gamification approach to increase awareness about the stock market and help users learn. Their app has been downloaded 2L+ times and 1500+ contests have been played on them.

The problem it solves:

• Only 27% of Indian adults have a minimum level of financial literacy in India. Bullspree through its gamification approach lets its users choose from multiple games, each created with the aim to make the stock market fun and increase financial literacy.

Ask:

• ₹75 L for 1.5% equity (₹50 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

• DEAL - Bullspree raised ₹75 L from Aman Gupta and Peyush Bansal for 2.86% equity at a valuation of ₹26.22 Cr.

EPISODE 20

Episode 20, Brand 1:

• Snitch

Founders:

• Siddharth R Dungarwal

Ye inki expertise hai:

• They started their journey in 2020 and now ships 2000+ orders daily! Snitch specialises in the menswear category. Users can buy their products on their website and marketplaces.

The problem it solves:

• Most menswear brands release few collections in a year and the designs and patterns are repetitive. Snitch through its fast fashion model is aiming to disrupt this market and give the menswear segment a modern and trendy look.

Ask:

• ₹1.5 Cr for 0.5% equity (₹300 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

• ALL SHARK DEAL - Snitch raised ₹1.5 Cr from Aman Gupta, Anupam Mittal, Namita Thapar, Peyush Bansal, and Vineeta Singh for 1.5% equity at a valuation of ₹100 Cr.

Episode 20, Brand 2:

• PORTL

Founders:

• Indraneel Gupta
• Armaan Kandhari
• Vishal Chandapeta

Ye inki expertise hai:

• Life-size interactive fitness mirror with a built-in personal trainer. Being a smart mirror it personalises exercises most suitable to you. Also, the PORTL device can be placed anywhere easily. When in use, it’s a gym trainer and when not, it’s your regular mirror.

The problem it solves:

• In a busy life, it may be difficult for many to hit the gym. PORTL through its smart mirror gives users an in-built personal trainer that lets them train at a place and time of their convenience.

Ask:

• ₹1.5 Cr for 1% equity (₹150 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

• DEAL - PORTL raised ₹1.5 Cr from Aman Gupta, Namita Thapar, and Peyush Bansal for 2.5% equity at a valuation of ₹60 Cr.

Episode 20, Brand 3:

• Fat To Slim

Founders:

• Shikha Aggarwal Sharma

Ye inki expertise hai:

• Through its weight loss program, they help its subscriber base lose weight.

The problem it solves:

• Nearly one in four Indians suffer from obesity. Fat To Slim aims to address this issue and help people lose weight.

Ask:

• ₹20 L for 1% equity (₹20 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

• No Deal.

klub’s conclusion:

It's heartening to see the spirit of entrepreneurship rise in each sector. Who would have thought millions of street food vendors across India can have 1 identity, 'RAASA' is aiming to disrupt this sector through its unique approach to branding and standardisation. 'VS Mani & Co.' on the other hand exemplifies that getting a business idea is anyone's cup of tea, well cup of coffee in this case! Their coffee, snacks, and spices are loved by users across India!

Entrepreneurship will continue to be a roller coaster ride, some times the journey will be up while at other times down. But what will be constant is that you'll continue to move forward.

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