POP UP India 2.0
After the successful launch and implementation of the first phase of Pop Up India, Veolia India had launched the second phase - Pop Up India 2.0 in 2020 with the objective to work with startups that are innovating in the field of waste to energy. This program is in collaboration with the social incubator - Ennovent.
From the call for application, we had received over 30 distinctive applications. These applications went through a round of assessment by experts based on predefined parameters. Based on the 2 rounds of a preliminary assessment, 4 startups were chosen based on relevance, uniqueness, impact, and scalability. The selected startups were Grassroot Energy, RaddiConnect, Agri to Power, and Krimanshi. A team comprising of representatives from Veolia India and Ennovent performed due diligence of these 4 startups through field visits.
As a next step, a two-day workshop was organized for co-creating potential projects with the 4 startups and supporting them in analyzing their business canvas. On the first day, each of the startups spent around 2 hours with Veolia India and Ennovent to discuss their business model and what kind of project under Pop Up India 2.0 can support them in addressing their current challenge or taking the next step. Later, the startups also got the opportunity for a round table discussion with: Mr Guillaume Dourdin - MD and CEO of Veolia India, Mr Merzak Belkhodja - Industrial Operations Director (Veolia India), Ms Sheilaja Singh - DGM - Health & Safety, MarCom, Sustainability (Veolia India), and, Mr Aniruddha Sharma - CEO and Co-Founder of Carbon Clean Solutions Limited. This round table brought out many insightful discussions on market trends and technologies in the waste-to-energy sector.
On the second day, each of the start-ups presented their project proposal in front of the jury panel composed of Mr Guillaume Dourdin, Mr Merzak Belkhodja, Ms Sheilaja Singh, and Mr Aniruddha Sharma. The presentation was followed by questions and answers from the jury. Towards the end, two startups were selected as the finalist - Agri to Power and Krimanshi.
Agri to Power (A2P) Energy uses AI to track and collect waste biomass to convert into NextGen biofuels. Simultaneously, it also generates additional income for farmers.
Krimanshi transforms organic food waste into nutritious alternate ingredients for animal feed. By doing so, it helps in cutting down CO2 and GHGs emissions from otherwise decaying agro-products.
