TOP 25
STARTUPS
Seventh Edition of India’s most Prestigious Startup Awards
Nominations by Leaders in Startup Ecosystem
Awards in Nine Categories I Five Shortlisted in Each Category
Knowledge partner: Tracxn
The Economic Times presents 2021’s Top 25 startups, a
list of companies which stood out as the most disruptive
in their respective fields. Derived from the nominees and
winners at this year’s ET Startup Awards, these ventures
range from large consumer internet firms to space-tech
upstarts. Handpicked by top founders, investors and
influential members of the startup community, these
companies represent the finest examples of
entrepreneurship in the country.
AWARD CATEGORIES
Bootstrap Champ
Top Innovator
Best on Campus
Social Enterprise
Startup of the Year
Bootstrap Champ
The Bootstrap Champ will have demonstrated the ability to win customers and earn revenue
for at least a year. It should possess the potential to scale into a large enterprise.
Flexiple 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2016 Based: Bengaluru STARTUPS
Founding Team
Karthik Sridharan Hrishikesh Pardeshi Suvansh Bansal
What it does: In a normal scenario, companies would go through
traditional recruitment agencies and spend money, time and training.
With Flexiple, they pay zero recruitment fees and are charged a
commission for the duration the freelancer works with the company.
Most openings are closed within seven days and a maximum of three
weeks, typically the freelancers are highly skilled professionals.
Bootstrap Champ
The Bootstrap Champ will have demonstrated the ability to win customers and earn revenue
for at least a year. It should possess the potential to scale into a large enterprise.
Cardinality.ai 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2017 Based: Chennai STARTUPS
Founding Team
Thiag Loganathan Ganesh RVR Vijay Krishna V
What it does: Cardinality has a suite of cloud-based business
solutions built with configurable modules. These solutions deliver a
personalized user experience powered by a purpose-built AI engine.
The company says its modular offering enables agencies to
modernize existing systems up to 50% faster than low-code platforms
and 200% faster than custom or unproven solutions.
Bootstrap Champ
The Bootstrap Champ will have demonstrated the ability to win customers and earn revenue
for at least a year. It should possess the potential to scale into a large enterprise.
Kovai.co 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2009 Based: Coimbatore STARTUPS
Founding Team
Saravana Kumar
What it does: Kovai.co offers a wide range of business software
products, from robust enterprise software for Microsoft BizTalk and
Azure Serverless platforms to Knowledge Management SaaS.
Its main product, Document360, helps teams create a self-service
knowledge base for customers and employees instantly, and can be
accessed either publicly or privately.
Bootstrap Champ
The Bootstrap Champ will have demonstrated the ability to win customers and earn revenue
for at least a year. It should possess the potential to scale into a large enterprise.
Highway Delite 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2015 Based: Bengaluru STARTUPS
Founding Team
Rajesh Ghatanatti
What it does: Highway Delite aims to solve problems commuters
face on Indian highways.
It provides a verified and reviewed database of restaurants and other
necessary services required during travel, including medical facilities,
petrol stations, repair shops, toilets, and hotels, through a mobile app
that provides real-time information.
Bootstrap Champ
The Bootstrap Champ will have demonstrated the ability to win customers and earn revenue
for at least a year. It should possess the potential to scale into a large enterprise.
SocialPilot 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2014 Based: Ahmedabad STARTUPS
Founding Team
Jimit Bagadiya Tejas M
What it does: SocialPilot is a marketing technology company
focussed on increasing brands’ presence on social media. It offers
automated solutions for professionals, teams, and businesses to
manage their social media channels.
The firm sells its services through marketing agencies, and counts
Walmart, State of New York, United Nations, State of New Hampshire,
Compass, Automatic and the US Army as clients.
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Top Innovator
The award will recognise innovations that launch a business or give it a big boost. It should be an original idea
that is core to the business or one that provides the differentiation that sets it apart from competition.
Qure.ai 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2016 Based: Bengaluru STARTUPS
Founding Team
Prashant Warier Pooja Rao
What it does: Qure.ai uses artificial intelligence and machine
learning to analyse images like X-rays and CT scans to detect
diseases like lung cancer, tuberculosis, and Covid-19, early.
It is expanding its portfolio to go deeper into areas like lung and
neuroimaging. The company recently launched a brain MRI product.
Top Innovator
The award will recognise innovations that launch a business or give it a big boost. It should be an original idea
that is core to the business or one that provides the differentiation that sets it apart from competition.
EPNS 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2020 Based: Mumbai STARTUPS
Founding Team
Harsh Rajat Richa Joshi
What it does: EPNS (Ethereum Push Notification Service) is building
a notification layer for Web 3.0.
It sends a DeFi (decentralised finance) notification protocol (smart
contract), which any dApps or services can use to send notifications
to the wallet addresses of Ethereum. Users also earn from receiving
the notifications.
Top Innovator
The award will recognise innovations that launch a business or give it a big boost. It should be an original idea
that is core to the business or one that provides the differentiation that sets it apart from competition.
Skyroot Aerospace 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2018 Based: Hyderabad STARTUPS
Founding Team
Pawan Kumar Chandana Naga Bharath Daka
What it does: Skyroot Aerospace is a space-tech startup that is
looking to build small and affordable satellite launch vehicles.
Last year, it became the first private Indian firm to test-fire a solid
propulsion rocket engine. It is planning to launch its first satellite into
orbit in the third quarter of 2022.
Top Innovator
The award will recognise innovations that launch a business or give it a big boost. It should be an original idea
that is core to the business or one that provides the differentiation that sets it apart from competition.
Log 9 Materials 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2015 Based: Bengaluru STARTUPS
Founding Team
Akshay Singhal Kartik Hajela
What it does: Log 9 Materials is a material sciences company that is
developing battery and fuel-cell technology for electric vehicles.
The company’s rapid-charging lithium-ion battery packs are ready for
commercial deployment. Log 9 aims to equip 30,000-40,000
two- and three-wheelers with its technology next year.
Top Innovator
The award will recognise innovations that launch a business or give it a big boost. It should be an original idea
that is core to the business or one that provides the differentiation that sets it apart from competition.
Steradian Semiconductors 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2016 Based: Bengaluru STARTUPS
Founding Team
Gireesh Ashish Rakesh Alok Apu
Rajendran Lachhwani Kumar Joshi Sivadas
What it does: Steradian Semiconductors is a fabless semiconductor
company that has developed 4D imaging radar sensors for use in
autonomous vehicles, among other use cases.
Founded by former Texas Instruments and Qualcomm executives, the
company is expecting to deploy its sensors in production vehicles
within two years. Its customers include OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, and
robo-taxi providers.
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Best on Campus
The award will showcase a startup whose impact can be judged both by the idea and the execution.
The founders should have been students whose aim was to build a commercial enterprise. There must
be some level of validation either through an investor or a customer. College projects don’t qualify.
Pixxel 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2019 Based: Bengaluru STARTUPS
Founding Team
Awais Ahmed Kshitij Khandelwal
What it does: Pixxel is a space-tech startup that is building a
constellation of hyperspectral imaging satellites which will be able to
detect oil and gas leaks, determine crop and soil health, and air and
water pollution levels.
The company plans to launch its first satellite in October and a
second one in December.
Best on Campus
The award will showcase a startup whose impact can be judged both by the idea and the execution.
The founders should have been students whose aim was to build a commercial enterprise. There must
be some level of validation either through an investor or a customer. College projects don’t qualify.
HaystackAnalytics 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2018 Based: Mumbai STARTUPS
Founding Team
Anirvan Chatterjee Gaurav Srivastava Kiran Kondabagil
What it does: HaystackAnalytics is a provider of genomic-based
diagnostic services for tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.
Incubated out of SINE at IIT-Bombay, the startup has developed a
proprietary low-compute genomic analysis platform that can
sequence genomes in a few minutes. Its genomic-based diagnostic
test for TB has received regulatory approval in India.
Best on Campus
The award will showcase a startup whose impact can be judged both by the idea and the execution.
The founders should have been students whose aim was to build a commercial enterprise. There must
be some level of validation either through an investor or a customer. College projects don’t qualify.
The ePlane Company 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2019 Based: Chennai STARTUPS
Founding Team
Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy Pranjal Mehta
What it does: The ePlane Company is developing compact,
affordable, and battery-powered flying taxis to help citizens
commute quickly in future.
Incubated at IIT-Madras, the startup’s business case rests on
short-range flights as these require less battery capacity. The duo
has chosen electric-based propulsion as it is cheaper than
conventional fuel.
Best on Campus
The award will showcase a startup whose impact can be judged both by the idea and the execution.
The founders should have been students whose aim was to build a commercial enterprise. There must
be some level of validation either through an investor or a customer. College projects don’t qualify.
FamPay 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2019 Based: Bengaluru STARTUPS
Founding Team
Kush Taneja Sambhav Jain
What it does: FamPay offers digital wallets and financial services to
children aged below 18, but with parental controls and transaction limits.
The startup provides numberless cards and the means to do UPI
transactions along with offline payments, even without a bank
account. The startup gained traction during the Covid-19 pandemic
as it enabled teenagers to own a quasi-digital bank account.
Best on Campus
The award will showcase a startup whose impact can be judged both by the idea and the execution.
The founders should have been students whose aim was to build a commercial enterprise. There must
be some level of validation either through an investor or a customer. College projects don’t qualify.
PepperContent 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2017 Based: Mumbai STARTUPS
Founding Team
Anirudh Singla Rishabh Shekhar
What it does: PepperContent aims to be the biggest marketplace for
content globally. It counts Amazon and Facebook as clients and works
leading media firms, educational institutions, ecommerce, technology
and pharma companies.
It has started operations in the United States and is looking to
expand aggressively across categories such as graphics design,
language translations, video, and audio content.
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Social Enterprise
This award will recognise the startup that best embodies the ‘double bottomline’
model that combines profits and public good.
YourDost 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2014 Based: Bengaluru STARTUPS
Founding Team
Richa Singh Puneet Manuja
What it does: YourDost is a digital platform to foster mental
wellness, catering to over 300 clients and over 900 experts offering
counselling services.
Its journey began as a blog, but in 2014 pivoted to an online
counselling portal as its founders realised that they had to leverage
technology to remove the social stigma attached with therapy.
Social Enterprise
This award will recognise the startup that best embodies the ‘double bottomline’
model that combines profits and public good.
Genrobotic Innovations 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2017 Based: Thiruvananthapuram STARTUPS
Founding Team
Vimal Govind MK Nikhil PN Arun George Rashid Bin Abdulla
What it does: Genrobotic designs and develops robotic solutions to
address various sanitation and healthcare issues such as manual
scavenging and rehabilitation of paraplegic patients. Its primary goal is
to use technology to alleviate social issues.
Its clients include governments, municipal corporations, hospitals,
rehabilitation centres, refineries, private bodies, and contractors.
Social Enterprise
This award will recognise the startup that best embodies the ‘double bottomline’
model that combines profits and public good.
Jai Kisan 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2017 Based: Mumbai STARTUPS
Founding Team
Arjun Ahluwalia Adriel Maniego
What it does: Jai Kisan provides financing for income-generating
activities in agriculture and allied industries, financing inputs such as
seeds, fertilizers and crop protection products as well as associated
equipment.
It also provides an agriculture marketplace - Bharat Khata - for users
to buy inputs, facilitates market linkages with buyers and farmers,
and offers advisory services.
Social Enterprise
This award will recognise the startup that best embodies the ‘double bottomline’
model that combines profits and public good.
Goodera 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2014 Based: Bengaluru STARTUPS
Founding Team
Abhishek Humbad Richa Bajpai
What it does: With an aim to transform Corporat Social Responsibility
and donations using technology, Goodera set out to help corporates
effectively measure, manage, and report their CSR projects.
Today, Goodera is the world’s largest volunteering company,
enabling more than 5 million employees to volunteer with thousands
of non-profits in more than 100 countries.
Social Enterprise
This award will recognise the startup that best embodies the ‘double bottomline’
model that combines profits and public good.
iKure Techsoft 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2010 Based: Kolkata STARTUPS
Founding Team
Sujay Santra
What it does: iKure offers affordable and accessible primary healthcare
to the last mile using technology. Till date, the company has impacted
a population of 12 million, and treated more than 2.5 million patients in
6,200 villages across eight states in India.
The company has its own proprietary platform consisting of data
analytics, artificial intelligence, and device integration.
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Startup of the Year
The award will aim to pick the startup that has the potential to become a blue-chip corporation. The ET Startup of
the Year will be characterised by breakthrough innovation, top-class execution and fast-paced growth. The quality
of the founding and management team was an important component in decision-making.
PharmEasy 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2015 Based: Mumbai STARTUPS
Founding Team
Siddharth Shah Dharmil Sheth Dhaval Shah Harsh Parekh Hardik Dedhia
What it does: PharmEasy, run by API Holdings, offers medicine delivery,
diagnostic services and online doctor consultation, apart from having a
business-to-business (B2B) pharma distribution vertical. It’s been on an
acquisition spree to scale up its non-medicine delivery business with
acquisitions like pathology chain Thyrocare and hospital supply chain
startup Aknamed. The number of doctors and pharmacists on its
platform has doubled in the last one year.
Startup of the Year
The award will aim to pick the startup that has the potential to become a blue-chip corporation. The ET Startup of
the Year will be characterised by breakthrough innovation, top-class execution and fast-paced growth. The quality
of the founding and management team was an important component in decision-making.
Nykaa 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2012 Based: Mumbai STARTUPS
Founding Team
Falguni Nayar Adwaita Nayar
What it does: Nykaa is an omni-channel beauty and personal care
products retailer that has filed for an IPO later this year. It would be
the first profitable unicorn ecommerce firm going for a listing in India.
Nykaa’s gross merchandise value (GMV) jumped over 50% to
almost Rs 4,046 crore in FY21.
It is also expecting strong growth in the current financial year.
Startup of the Year
The award will aim to pick the startup that has the potential to become a blue-chip corporation. The ET Startup of
the Year will be characterised by breakthrough innovation, top-class execution and fast-paced growth. The quality
of the founding and management team was an important component in decision-making.
Byju’s 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2011 Based: Bengaluru STARTUPS
Founding Team
Byju Raveendran Divya Gokulnath
What it does: Byju’s is the largest online education firm in India as well
as the most valued startup at $16.5 billion. It has seen cumulative
downloads of over 100 million, with 6.5 million of them being paid
subscribers. It has spent well over $2 billion on acquisitions this year.
The startup is expanding aggressively in the United States and other
global markets.
Startup of the Year
The award will aim to pick the startup that has the potential to become a blue-chip corporation. The ET Startup of
the Year will be characterised by breakthrough innovation, top-class execution and fast-paced growth. The quality
of the founding and management team was an important component in decision-making.
Zomato 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2010 Based: Gurugram STARTUPS
Founding Team
Deepinder Goyal Pankaj Chaddah
What it does: Zomato is one of the leading online food delivery firms
and became the first large new-age consumer internet startups to go
public in India this year, setting the stage for a whole bunch of
companies to tap the domestic IPO market.
Its other businesses include table booking for dining out, fresh
supplies to restaurants and a customer loyalty programme.
Startup of the Year
The award will aim to pick the startup that has the potential to become a blue-chip corporation. The ET Startup of
the Year will be characterised by breakthrough innovation, top-class execution and fast-paced growth. The quality
of the founding and management team was an important component in decision-making.
BrowserStack 2021
TOP 25
Founded: 2011 Based: Mumbai STARTUPS
Founding Team
Ritesh Arora Nakul Aggarwal
What it does: BrowserStack offers a subscription-based web and
mobile app testing platform. The startup was bootstrapped till 2018
when it first raised venture funding from Accel. Earlier this year, it raised
$200 million more and was valued at $4 billion.
It eventually wants to do an IPO but is currently aiming to become the
largest testing platform in the world with a 50% market share.
NEWSLETTERS
We at ETtech are passionate about all things tech
& startups -- and we think you are too.
To keep you up to date with the latest news, we have a trio of free
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concise format.
DAILY TOP 5 MORNING DISPATCH UNWRAPPED
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