India set to produce more unicorns in 2022, says Aman Puri at Elevate session
Startups from UAE, Russia and Netherlands, too, are seen pitching at the Innovation Hub
Dubai: India is expected to produce more unicorns in 2022 after the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem saw a series of high-profile IPOs last year.
“We are absolutely certain that this year will also be very productive for Indian startups and we have several startups that we are hoping will turn into unicorns,” said Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai. “We are also hoping to bring some of the existing unicorns to Dubai, to engage with the global investor community.”
Puri was speaking on the sidelines of Elevate VII. The Elevate sessions were started as a platform to showcase 500 startups from India at the innovation hub outside the Indian pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. “We are proud to be seeing startups not only from India, but from several other parts of the world, including from UAE, Russia, and from the Netherlands,” said Puri. “The Elevate sessions are becoming a vibrant platform for innovators and startups from various countries.”
UAE businessmen are already showing interest in these companies. “Some of these have really good ideas and I am studying them very carefully,” said Kamal Vachani, Group Director at UAE’s Al Maya Group. Some of the startups that showcased at the latest Elevation session were:
1) Kamaxi Skills: Kamaxi Skills Centers makes high-quality culinary training and non-technical skills more accessible to students everywhere. The company offers a unique hybrid blend of online/offline sessions and industry training to ensure students obtain the necessary practical and soft skills in the shortest time possible.
2) Wakao Foods: India’s first jackfruit (vegan) meat brand makes products that are not only healthy and tasty, but good for the planet too. The company processes raw jackfruit into a different form, providing consumers with ready-to-cook versions of this superfood.
3) Sterve: Sterve is on a mission to build no-code full-stack digital infrastructure for 45 million MSMEs in the Middle East and Africa. Sterve helps MSMEs efficiently run and grow their business with its integrated ecosystem of finance and commerce solutions.
4) Panacea: It is a deep learning and hard-coded hybrid software designed to optimise the virtual learning experience for people of determination and facilitate the coaching experience for instructors. The software evaluates the facial orientation, pupil orientation, and facial expressions of a student on a virtual lesson to determine their level of attentiveness.
5) Sehaa: This is a healthcare platform which utilises assisted aid technology and durable medical equipment for elderly care, long term critical care and post-op care.