AI is among the most disruptive technologies the world is seeing today. With a number of applications in big data, computer vision, natural language processing, and more, the technology is revolutionising businesses, industries, and people’s lives. It is creating jobs, contributing to economic dynamism, pushing innovation, generating competition, lowering costs, creating new industries and much more – and nowhere is its disruptive power being felt more keenly than in the startup ecosystem.
“In 2018, India had about eight percent of the AI talent of the world. In just three years, two of which were Covid-stricken years, I’m happy to say that India now has 12 percent of the AI talent and continues to grow,” said Nivruti Rai, Country Head, Intel India & Vice President, Intel Foundry Services delivering the opening note at the Intel Startup Showcase, held on December 16, 2021, where Intel spotlighted eight deep tech startups of the 39 it has helped accelerate through its program.
“The cumulative valuation of the startups from the Intel Startup Program is almost $1 billion,” she said while adding that the true value came from the solutions they are driving, not just for India, but also for the world.
Here are the eight startups spotlighted at the Intel Startup Program Startup Showcase.
Addverb Technologies
Addverb Technologies is a leading global robotics company, providing intra-logistics automation solutions that enables smarter motion for the warehouse and supply chain industry. Leveraging robotics and warehouse automation, Addverb improves the space utilisation in warehouses and factories. They are working to improve the throughput and accuracy level at which the existing warehouses and factories are operating.
DaveAI
DaveAI is an AI-powered sales augmentation platform that helps brands drive sales with improved and interactive product discovery experiences using a Virtual Sales Avatar that mimics a human sales brain. DaveAI helps brands create compelling digital sales experiences by combining the power of conversation and visualisation to showcase, demonstrate, and recommend products. These sales conversations are personalised to each customer based on their preferences and persona in real time. Their services are highly relevant for complex product segments such as lifestyle, retail, BFSI, automobile, etc. to improve lead qualification rate and optimise the products being sold.
LetsVing
LetsVing is a SaaS offering that simplifies video collaboration between any VC room, using any OEM camera, across any meeting platform, providing a unified experience for complex hybrid work scenarios. Compatible with any video platform, the startup’s plug-n-play solution can convert any OEM camera into a cross border, cross platform collaboration tool that can be centrally managed. It removes the complexity and fail points of additional peripherals such as touch panels and remotes by enabling users to control the room device and the meeting from their mobile phones or laptops.
Qualitas Technologies
Qualitas EagleEye Platform is a machine vision system that is built to automate quality and visual processes across all manufacturing industries. Its easy-to-train AI software gives an edge to achieving higher accuracy and faster processing time. Its mission has been to enable manufacturing companies and machine builders to realise the full potential of Machine Vision and Artificial Intelligence to enable them to exponentially increase their product’s competitive and financial value. It leverages the power of the cloud to reduce training cost, increase accuracy, and decrease installation time. It offers solutions like automated vision inspection, robotic guidance, optical character recognition, inventory tracking, gauging and measurement, 3D inspection, and code reading.
Qure.ai
Qure.ai is a breakthrough AI solution provider disrupting the radiology status quo by enhancing imaging accuracy and improving health outcomes with the assistance of machine-supported tools. Recommended by WHO, Qure.ai’s automated medical imaging tools provide faster patient diagnoses, while enabling physicians and radiologists to more effectively triage medical cases. This helps healthcare providers to identify critical scenarios within seconds versus hours to avert fatalities and improve the quality of patient care. Qure.ai operates in close to 50 countries, and makes leading edge medical imaging services accessible to smaller, remote medical care teams with limited to no in-house radiology capability. The startup’s two flagship products—qER and qXR—are making measured strides in diagnosing traumatic brain injuries and lung disease.
Senseforth
Senseforth is a premier conversational AI platform helping large enterprises throughout APAC, North America, and Europe to transform their customer experience. The startup’s unique approach to natural language understanding (NLU) and intent identification simplifies bot building, improves accuracy, and reduces response time significantly. Senseforth trains intents separately from entities to get a precise understanding of user intentions and map them onto relevant responses quickly and accurately. Its solutions help enterprises increase revenue with AI-powered bots that address queries, resolve issues, perform tasks, make product recommendations, and even provide meaningful insights.
SimYog
SimYog offers a virtual EMI (electromagnetic interference) and EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) laboratory to facilitate electronics designers to validate and improve their hardware at early stages of development. The startup provides deep learning-based software solutions which allow hardware developers to test electronic components’ resistance to electromagnetic interference in the design stage using data analytics and machine learning. Usually, auto component makers develop multiple prototypes and test for EMI before mass production. Their product, Compliance-Scope, is a virtual EMI and EMC laboratory where designers can validate and improve their hardware at an early stage by uploading their design files.
Staqu
Staqu is an AI startup working in the audio video analytics domain to automate the monitoring of security, safety and operational analytics on existing CCTV cameras and provide real time alerts and live streaming through its product, Jarvis. The startup is working to bring much-needed reformation in the paradigms of security. From utilising AI for digital and centralised criminal records to custom video analytics for security, safety, and compliance, they assist stakeholders with quick decision making and proactive generation of responses.
The Intel Startup Program: powering innovation to scale
“We at Intel, look for deep tech startups across a variety of use cases,” said Neel H Bhatia, Director and Head, Startup Ecosystem and Strategic Collaborations, Intel India, who presented the overview of the Program at the Startup Showcase.
“We don’t believe in mentoring startups. We believe in collaborating with them and enabling them to create magic together,” he added, talking about how the program truly believes that disruptions happen through collaboration and how it engages with leading corporations and academia to nurture innovations.
“Our philosophy is to nurture innovations keeping in mind use cases that are disruptive, scalable, and solve real-world problems,” said Ashok Chandavarkar, Director – Strategic Initiatives, Intel India, speaking about how Intel’s startup engagements are either vertically aligned or focus on emerging technologies.
“If you are as innovative and mature as the startups in the Startup Showcase, across different technology domains, from cloud to edge, feel free to reach out to the Intel Startup Program to interact with us and know more about our program,” he said.
About the Intel Startup Program
The Intel Startup Program is Intel India’s flagship program to engage with technology startups who have an IP or innovative solutions that have the potential to create impact on customers and align with Intel’s focus areas. The program is at the forefront of engaging with India’s startup ecosystem through high impact collaborations with the industry, academia and government and runs multiple initiatives that are either vertically aligned or focused on emerging technologies.
It engages with startups that have a unique global or local value proposition to solve genuine customer problems, enabling them with domain and business expertise from the industry and the best mentorship from Intel.
