Sarah R
The Internet of Things (IoT) has been a major turning point in the IT industry from 2015. Applications for the IoT are being leveraged in most of the domains, such as energy management, retail, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing and agritech, these days, especially shaping the learning for the next generation. But there are many more aspects that are not so obvious, how IoT can be helpful. With the number of connected devices expected to reach approximately over 50 billion by 2020. Our dependence on it has been increasing by the day and it would be fair to say that the IoT has become an important and rather unavoidable part.
We have witnessed a surge in the adoption of AI platforms to drive customer engagement and enable service providers to deal with the high volumes of requests. Our world is rapidly changing with the adaptation of AI. Machine learning and automation have become very essential due to the processing speed, scaling and complexity of the customer data that needs to be processed. Based on the intelligence that it possesses, operators can anticipate issues that are likely to lead to complaints, feedback and pre-emptively engage with those customers before they can contact. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are jointly contributing to the gradual build-up of the “Intelligent Digital Mesh”
There has been a constant focus on the number and diversity of connected devices towards a broader vision in which business goals, and the consumers take centre stage. This shift goes hand in hand with an equally broader vision of IoT as a combination of connected devices, connectivity, software, platforms, partners, data and apps in function of these goals. This shift encompasses an understanding that IoT impacts and is impacted by artificial intelligence, advanced analytics and many other technologies. We’ll be seeing how IoT and AI projects become business projects which include IoT, Cloud computing, Analytics and AI, which is needed to reach the outcome in the evolutions of IoT platforms and other layers of the IoT stack.
Emerging technologies like AI, Big Data and IoT have catapulted the need for Intelligent Analytics systems powered by robotic assistants and self-teaching algorithms. This valued trend indicates that the future IT companies leads and managers will have more time to invest on critical business issues as day-to-day Data Management tasks will be taken over by intelligent machines. The most important layer of ML-driven AI capabilities has taken the afore-mentioned technologies to the ultimate era of technological freedom.
The IoT, AI and Big Data space have become the vital start-up ecosystem enablers across the globe. While it was the Internet that drove the emergence of ecommerce start-ups in the early 2000s, IoT and AI have been facilitating the growth of the ongoing decade’s tech start-ups. The IoT, Cloud and AI services help to bring all the technological elements together to create a comprehensive solution that will benefit organisations and help them achieve a quicker time to value.
Here are a few Indian start-ups to watch out for this year:
- Smartron
Based out of: Hyderabad
Founded in: 2014
Founders: Rohit Rathi, Mahesh Lingareddy, Narsi Reddy Posham
Investors: Sachin Tendulkar, Sanjay Jha
Products:
- TronX – allows users to interact and control various devices household appliances such as TV, Kitchen appliances, lights, ACs and automatic doors and windows through touch or voice or gestures. TronX enables intelligent and customised experiences, ranging from entertainment to shopping to security to energy management and climate control. It’s a connected platform offering highly customized and personalized experiences through IoT services.
- TronX Infra – An infrastructure that is powered by artificial Intelligence and the power of the Internet of Things to transform the living space by connecting with a range of smart things for home that work seamlessly with each other.
- tphone and t.book
Recently, the company announced an acquisition in the home automation space for $10 Mn (INR 6.4 Cr). Post the acquisition, MiQasa has been brought under the banner of Smartron and has been rebranded as TronX Things. The move is aimed at enriching Smartron’s IoT platform.
- Stellapps
Based out of: Bengaluru
Founded in: 2011
Founders: Ranjith Mukundan and Venkatesh Seshasayee
Investors: Omnivore Ventures, Blume Ventures, Venture Highway
Products:
- SmartFarms – A platform for bovine monitoring, dairy farm optimization and monitoring services with special focus on small and medium herd size farm. A cloud based farm and herd management system for animal recording, productivity and peak-yield management, breeding, preventive health care, fodder management and veterinary care, powered by a powerful proactive analytics module.
- SmartAMCU – An Automatic Milk Collection Unit (AMCU) optimizes and simplifies milk procurement for dairy farmers, milk collection centers, and societies. Advanced analytics and seamless integration enable real-time acquisition and dissemination of milk procurement data.
- SmartMoo – The SmartMoo IoT router and in-premise IoT Controller acquire data via sensors that are embedded in milking systems, animal wearable’s, milk chilling equipment and milk procurement Peripherals. They transmit the same to the Stellapps SmartMoo Big Data Cloud Service Delivery Platform (SDP).
- ConTrak – optimizes cold chain management through an advanced, web-based, real-time monitoring and reporting system designed for Bulk Milk Coolers, Silos, and Cold Rooms.
- AgRupay – allows farmers to make real-time payments at the point-of-purchase of crops. Wallet application for farmers.
- MooKare – cattle insurance application that leverages herd management data to equip dairy farmers with accurate health, mortality, and yield estimates.
Stellapps produces and procures comprehensive farm optimisation and monitoring support solution to help dairy farmers and cooperatives maximise profits. Stellapps leverages Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, cloud, mobility, and data analytics to improve agri-supply chain parameters.
- Arya.ai
Based out of: Mumbai
Founded in: 2013
Founders: Vinay Kumar Sankarapu and Deekshith Marla
Investors: YourNest, Venture Nursery
Products:
Arya.ai is a deep learning platform offering multiple tools to build manage and scale complex deep learning applications. Provides advanced AI tools offered as modules in language, vision, speech and reasoning for developers to build their own AI computing systems.
- Locus.sh
Based out of: Bengaluru
Founded in: 2015
Founders: Nishith Rastogi and Geet Garg
Investors: Exfinity Venture Partners, Blume Ventures and BeeNext
Products:
Locus has developed route-planning algorithms so companies can chart the best possible route to deliver an order and allow a salesperson to cover the maximum number of points in the shortest time possible. Locus is an intelligent logistics automation platform with in-built route planning and vehicle allocation engine which improves consistency and efficiency of operations, higher customer satisfaction with high adherence to SLAs & last mile live tracking.
Locus aims to automate all the human decisions involved in sending a package. Locus also offers companies a weekly schedule of the most efficient routes and outlets for their sales teams.
Companies provide Locus the origin of the package, destination and expected time of delivery. Locus sources all the possible routes from Google Maps or sifts through data on past deliveries.
- Niki.ai
Based out of: Bengaluru
Founded in: 2015
Founders: Sachin Jaiswal, Keshav Prawasi, Nitin Babel and Shishir Modi
Investors: Unilazer Ventures, Tata Sons chairman emeritus Ratan Tata and True North
Products:
Niki is used for over 20 services, including hotel, cab and movie ticket bookings, ordering food and paying bills. Niki is one of the earliest chatbots developed in India and is designed to serve as a virtual shopkeeper that assists in the purchase of products and services. It can help you book a cab, order food from the nearest restaurant, book tickets for movies and events, and pay general utility bills. It works on a series of sophisticated algorithms that understand human language by breaking it down into structured queries that the machine can understand.
The core of the platform rests on language-recognition systems.
