Lateral Sparks, the weekly quiz from YourStory, tests your domain knowledge, business acumen, and lateral thinking skills (see the previous edition here). In this 255th edition of the quiz, we present issues tackled by real-life entrepreneurs in their startup journeys.
What would you do if you were in their shoes? At the end of the quiz, you will find out what the entrepreneurs and innovators themselves actually did. Would you do things differently?
Check out YourStory’s Book Review section as well, with takeaways from over 355 titles on creativity and entrepreneurship, and our weekend PhotoSparks section on creativity in the arts.
Q1: Weeds
Most weeds in farms are currently removed manually or eliminated via spraying of pesticides, both of which are time consuming. What are some better ways of removing weeds?
Q2: The sports ecosystem
Sports and fitness for many people are moving past occasional events to a frequent, daily household habit. Where is the broader business opportunity here?
Q3: Marketing in the AI era
Digital tools help simplify digital advertising. But in a fast-moving and tech-immersed world, the broader question is how to improve marketing. Where is the business opportunity here?
Q4: Hydrogen fuel
There are many companies producing hydrogen fuel, with others manufacturing hydrogen-powered vehicles. But how will vehicles effectively get access to hydrogen fuelling infrastructure?
Q5: Robotics
Many tasks require precise, repetitive movements, often in hazardous conditions. How can robotics be speeded up here to enable operations across diverse contexts and inputs?
Answers!
Congratulations on having come this far! But there’s more to come – answers to these five questions (below), as well as links to articles with more details on the entrepreneurs’ solutions. Happy reading, happy learning – and happy creating!
A1: Weeds
Founded by Rahul Arepaka and George Mathew, Harvested Robotics is building RAKSHAK, a tractor-mounted machine for de-weeding. It uses cameras to identify weeds and lasers to burn them as the tractor moves through a field.
Computer vision models help distinguish weeds from crops, and the onboard computer enables operation without an internet connection. Read more here about how this Tech30 startup's device can remove upto 100 weeds a minute for crop farms of potatoes and cauliflowers.
A2: The sports ecosystem
Founded by Pallav Bihani, Boldfit is a sports brand capitalisng on the fundamental shift in how people are engaging with fitness and sports. Its offerings include sportswear, gym equipment, fitness accessories, nutritional supplements, and wellness products.
It has invested in product innovation, manufacturing excellence and nationwide retail to serve India’s sporting ambitions at scale. Read more here about its fundraise from Wealth Company Alternates and Bessemer Venture Partners.
A3: Marketing in the AI era
Founded by Karthik Venkateswaran, Nandha Kumar Ravi, Sundar Natesan, and Mukund Srivathsan, Zocket leverages AI for consumer brands. It has built a context and orchestration layer for AI-native marketing.
This helps in understanding the broader context of the brand, consumer and business setting and making that intelligence available across marketing workflows. Read more here about how it works with enterprise brands across 25 countries, with investment from Kalaari Capital and Kettleborough VC.
A4: Hydrogen fuel
Founded by Akshay Muley, Tejas Dattatray Chikhale and Nilesh Jadhav, Hyperonic Engineering is building indigenous hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, starting with gas dispensers. The founders have extensive experience in hydrogen production, fuel cells, and high-pressure gas systems.
Its flagship product is a hydrogen gas dispenser designed for refuelling stations. Read more here about its roadmap, and how it has received Rs 50 lakh support through the Startup India Seed Fund.
A5: Robotics
Founded by Abhit Kumar and Cameron Norris, Integra Robotics is building modular robotic hardware and software. It begins by allowing operators to control machines remotely, and then gradually automate more of their work.
The software operates in three modes: teleoperation, supervised autonomy, and fully autonomous operation. Read more here about its Indian patent for the teleoperation system, and its fundraise from Inflexion Point Ventures, India Accelerator Fund, and GrowthCap Ventures.
YourStory has also published the pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups’ as a creative and motivational guide for innovators.