MinionLabs, an energy efficiency, and IOT (internet of things) company, emerged as the winner of Mercom’s First Startup Pitch Competition for Cleantech Companies, held during the Mercom India Renewables Summit — a flagship annual event where industry leaders converge to discuss the future of clean energy in India.

The company’s advanced machine learning and AI-based edge computing approach detects the energy consumption of individual electrical assets and provides real-time analysis through its  Minion Analytics/SaaS platform.

The platform identifies anomalies, energy waste, cost-saving measures, operational efficiency, and policy violations and sends actionable notifications to save energy costs up to 45% annually.

The company won:–

• Two free passes for a six-day online training “Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (EAP) 2.0” by India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) Academy
• One-year complimentary access to select courses on IESA Academy’s online e-learning portal worth ₹40,000 (~$490)
• An advertising and marketing package worth $7,500 from Mercom

Mercom India’s Summit this year added a new dimension by hosting its first startup pitch competition.  The competition brought together the most innovative startups in India’s clean energy industry.

It gave the startups a unique opportunity to showcase their innovative products and solutions to key players in the renewable energy industry, including potential investors, customers, and partners.

The competition was organized on April 27, 2023, at the Summit in New Delhi, and companies were notified of their selection by April 10, 2023.

The competition featured ten finalists selected from the numerous applications received from across the country. The finalists pitched their ideas to a panel of judges comprising eminent experts and leaders from the renewable energy sector.

An expert panel of judges featuring Shishir Garemalla, Head of International BD, PV Evolution Labs; Sunil Cavale, Investment Associate at Speciale Invest; Aswani Chaitanya, VP, Founder at Capital-A; Sumeet Singh, Partner, Climate Angels, and Raj Prabhu, CEO & Co-Founder at Mercom Capital Group, selected the winner of the startup pitch competition based on four themes: team, innovation, traction, and competition.

The other nine finalists were xefficient, SundayGrids, SuryaLogix, Centaur Automotive, GoVidyouth Mobility, RenKube, TriNano, Electrik Bee, and Sheru.

The competition showcased the immense potential of the country’s startup ecosystem to innovate and address the pressing challenges. The Summit also gave the participants a valuable platform to connect with key industry players, investors, and partners.

Mercom’s first startup pitch competition for clean tech companies is a significant initiative to promote technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship in India’s renewable energy sector. The competition allows startups to gain visibility, grow their brand profile, and access potential investors, customers, and partners.

The strong lineup of startups is a testament to the vibrant startup ecosystem emerging in India’s clean energy industry by leveraging cutting-edge technologies and applying innovative business models to drive the transition towards a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.