Top 10 Promising & Scalable Startups in Kolkata

Top 10 Promising & Scalable Startups In Kolkata

Kolkata is a well-known Indian city famous for its traditional culture and delicacies. It also serves as the state capital of West Bengal. The city has established itself as a prominent startup hub in recent years. Many entrepreneurs started their businesses in Kolkata and were able to satisfy their consumers.

If you want to learn about the most outstanding startups in Kolkata, this article will provide you with that information. But, before you go any further, you need to understand what a startup is and how to make yours successful.

What does the term “startup” imply?

A startup is a company whose primary goal is to innovate and delight its customers. The firm isn’t focused on making a profit; instead, it works to meet the needs of its clients. A startup does not have a flawless business model to work on, but it may be replicated until it meets its end goal.

Because the firm lacks sufficient cash, it must raise funds from other sources such as friends, family members, or venture capitalists.

In simple terms, a startup is the first step of manufacturing or business formation. It will no longer be a startup until it has gained enough recognition and success to give funding to other businesses.
One or more entrepreneurs can start the company. A startup’s primary goal is to disrupt markets and outperform its competitors in the area. Its purpose is to fulfil its goal, not run long in the market. When the startup’s aim is met, the entrepreneur can call it a day.

What distinguishes a startup from a business?

Most people mistakenly believe that a startup and a business are the same things, but they are different. The business’s goal differs from that of a startup. The fundamental distinction is that a firm uses the traditional technique of creating products and services. Still, a startup relies on generating new products or services before the client needs.

Startups focus on creating new things and putting fresh ideas into action, whereas businesses follow the same old approach as previous business people. The following are some things that might help you understand the difference between a startup and a business.
The startup’s primary goal is to attain the pinnacle of success as quickly as possible by outperforming its competition. On the other hand, a business requires time to establish itself in the market and achieve success.

Expiry – businesses always want to make their company successful, but at the end of the day, they can sell their company to anybody or pass it on to their family to continue. On the other hand, a person who started a startup does not have to pass it on to a family member or sell it to anybody.

Risk element — a startup has a higher amount of risk since its products and services are new to the market, and there is a greater probability of failure. On the other side, there is risk in the company, but it is less risky than a startup because it follows the established business model.

Funding – A startup can raise money from a variety of sources, including venture capitalists, angel investors, family, and friends. They must delegate some powers to the fundraisers. On the other hand, businessmen obtain finances from a variety of sources, including loans, asset-based financing, and so on.

Business model – a startup does not have a stable business model; instead, it relies on a repeatable firm model, whereas a business relies on a stable business model and adheres to strict standards in order to succeed.

Kolkata is a well-known Indian city with several entrepreneurs that have established businesses to serve and satisfy its clients. It boasts a number of successful startups that are making their customers pleased with their products. You’ve come to the right spot if you’re looking for information about Kolkata companies that have reached the pinnacle of success.
Kolkata’s startup culture began around a decade ago, but it has only spread like wildfire in the last two to three years. People were first hesitant about the overall entrepreneurial and startup culture. However, Kolkata is currently booming with a slew of aspiring entrepreneurs who are establishing their own businesses, as well as a slew of already-established firms. Kolkata has a thriving startup scene.

Here are some of our favourite companies in Kolkata that we think to have a chance to succeed. Many of these businesses are housed in Kolkata’s coworking spaces. Let’s have a look at the list.

1. TaxMantra

Taxmantra is a Kolkata-based fintech business that assists consumers with fundraising, legal services, and cross-border tax and legal compliance. Alok Patnia, the founder and CEO of Taxmantra, is a Chartered Accountant who founded the company after a few years of work experience.

Founded in 1983, the Taxmantra Worldwide (TMG) group was redesigned and renamed as a digital-first tax and regulatory organization in 2010, to provide top-notch advising, tax, and regulatory services to global corporations. TMG has offices in Singapore, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Delhi.

The worldwide workforce of 600+ employees is diversified, comprising people with multi-sector experience and subject matter knowledge. We deal with a wide range of clients, from startups to Fortune 500 corporations to investors, and the work we perform with them is as diverse as they are. TMG has a customer base of around 40K people worldwide.

To assist global firms handle their growth difficulties and capitalizing on opportunities, Taxmantra combines its interdisciplinary approach, deep industry understanding, a network of specialists, and subject matter experience. It can deliver unique and significant insights because of the ability to draw on substantial national and international experience, in addition to strong industry expertise.

Alok Patnia is a graduate of St. Xavier’s College in Calcutta, and his goal is to make Taxmantra a global force in tax and legal matters. India, the United States, and Singapore are all home to the corporation. It also helps Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) with tax and legal matters.

This is one of Kolkata’s key new companies that has made a name for itself in West Bengal and has also been promoted to the rest of the country as a tax adviser. Since the day it was launched, it has incorporated over 5000 enterprises, managed 8000 more, and filed over 300,000 tax reports.

It has also been able to aid in funding over 500 million to all large and small businesses, which is why it remains one of Kolkata’s most talked-about startups with the capacity to bring about the necessary change.
In addition, you will receive GST support in the areas of GST compliance, litigation, and refunds. Its official website, www.taxmantra.com, is undoubtedly one of the top resources for all small and large-scale business owners.

Company Overview

2. Mihup Communications

Have you heard of an SMS-based online searching module that may keep your internet browsing addiction going even if you don’t have access to your computer or laptop? This is one of the most innovative firms in Kolkata, which has pioneered the message-based net research system. One can discover classified material on news, reviews, affordability ratings, and current topics.

Since its inception, it has attracted over 5 million members, and the number continues to grow. The primary goal of this firm is to significantly increase the scope of analytics in Kolkata. It supports all of its clients by providing sales, customer-oriented projections, and marketing analytics.

It’s a voice assistant powered by artificial intelligence that supports regional languages like Hindi and Bengali. According to a recent estimate, the market for voice assistants will be worth $26 billion by 2030. As a result, Mihup is one of the most intriguing companies in Joy City.

Conversational AI’s new frontier is Mihup. Enterprise developers may use this platform to create bespoke voice interfaces with complete control over brand identification and privacy. Mihup’s interaction analytics technology analyses all client contacts in a call centre to produce actionable insights for improving sales, collection, and customer service.

It is an enterprise-ready platform deployed in the cloud or on the edge. Mihup was created in 2016 by Biplab Chakraborty, Sandipan Chattopadhyay, Sandipan Mandal, and Tapan Barman.

Mihup has raised around Rs.575 million in two fundraising rounds to date. Consequently, it is ranked 11,693 on Crunchbase, which is a fantastic global position.
Mihup Communications, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, claims to have established a new frontier in Conversational AI with their intelligence-based personal mobile support software. Mihup’s platform allows business developers to create bespoke speech interfaces that offer them complete control over their brand identification and privacy.

Mihup is a personal mobile assistant app powered by artificial intelligence that offers customized suggestions based on social interests.

It includes, among other things, information on local events, travel, sports, news, entertainment, weather, and e-commerce. It has an inter-platform recommendation engine built-in, which is based on the user’s e-commerce behaviour and may propose songs on a music streaming site.

The app is based on a unique voice recognition system that includes Indian language support and natural language processing. According to the business, the device translates the user in a unified common language by eliminating personal prejudices or unique terminology and replacing them with a generic, impartial one. It can only be used on Android smartphones.

In addition, the firm offers a unique and robust interaction analytics solution that provides a complete study of a contact centre’s customer interactions in order to generate actionable insights and improve sales, collections, and customer service.
Mihup Communications has raised a total of $10M in funding over three rounds.

Their latest funding was raised on Dec 9, 2020, from a Series A round.
Four investors fund Mihup Communications. Accel and Ideaspring Capital are the most recent investors.

Company Overview

3. MindHour

Within six months of the company’s official launch, this academic-focused firm had enrolled over 10,000 clients. This is a website that offers online training sessions in difficult areas like mathematics and science and a unique learning approach.
This website employs adaptive learning techniques and unique study resources to ensure that the learner does not become bored in any way.

One of the co-founders has structured approximately 25000 difficult questions ranging from fifth to tenth grade so that children may solve the difficulties and improve their aptitude.
MindHour focuses on teaching and promoting education in the fields of logical thinking and aptitude, as the name indicates. It offers an app and a website where enrolled students may access interactive courses and specially-designed content.
The firm also considers India’s rural areas, ensuring that students in villages and small towns are not left out.

For children in grades 6 through 12, MindHour offers over 25,000 questions. MindHour has over 5,00,000 satisfied pupils, according to its website.

“I learned the value of revenues in the industrial sector, but I wanted to try my hand at a more scalable strategy. With MindHour, we’re attempting to develop a long-term business,” Sumit explains. MindHour is an educational technology company that allows students to ‘practice, play, and grow.’

It’s a curriculum-based Adaptive Learning Program that ensures a child’s entire math and science readiness. “Our comprehensive and in-depth analysis reports identify specific shortcomings and strengths of the kid to aid wise planning and resource management,” adds Varun.

Somya Agarwal, co-founder and head of content creation has amassed a pool of 25,000 questions for students in Classes VI to X with the help of her staff. Swati Maheshwari, the fourth co-founder, manages the ‘customer service’ department.

Since its formal debut six months ago, the four have been working on MindHour for a year and have amassed 10,000 registered members. They just announced premium options, and a tiny percentage of its users have already made the switch to paying customers.

The idea is based on providing incentives for children to answer questions and earn points, which they can then use to win vouchers at local businesses. “To engage the kids, we’ve worked with online portals as well as offline neighborhood businesses,” adds Sumit. Consider the early days of Freecharge.

Mindhour is a gamified learning platform that allows grades K through 12 to study and practice their curriculum. Adaptive learning packages and activities are available to students. For completing the tasks, students are given points and badges.

Teachers get a student’s performance report based on examining the student’s topic-by-topic performance, time management efficiency, accuracy level, weaknesses, and strengths.

Company Overview

4. IKure

iKure, founded in Kolkata, West Bengal, is a social company that uses innovative technology, educates frontline health workers, a network of Hub & Spoke Clinics, and emphasizes a continuum of care to provide primary healthcare, wellness, and preventative services to communities across India.

iKure focuses on prior healthcare requirements in all contexts, including rural, semi-urban, and metropolitan settings. Wireless Health Incident Monitoring System is a patent-pending technological platform created by iKure (WHIMS).

The technical integration is supported by an army of rural health professionals who have been educated and equipped by iKure to deliver primary healthcare to remote patients via a hub and spoke approach.

iKure is a social company that uses innovative technology, skilled frontline health workers, a network of Hub & Spoke Clinics, and an emphasis on a continuum of care to provide primary healthcare, wellness, and preventative services to communities in India. iKure focuses on primary healthcare requirements in all contexts, including rural, semi-urban, and metropolitan settings.

The COVID-19 epidemic has wreaked havoc worldwide, posing several obstacles for healthcare practitioners. At iKure, we’ve been concentrating on various solutions and projects to solve some of these issues.

iKure Techsoft, founded in October 2010, is a one-of-a-kind humanitarian company dedicated to making healthcare more accessible and cheaper to people in rural India. In villages and small towns, iKure focuses on women’s and children’s health. Too far, it has established rural clinics that have provided exceptional healthcare to almost 3.5 million people.
Not just in the domains of technology and academia, but other entrepreneurs have also launched great enterprises for a social reason, such as healthcare services for rural regions, and IKure is at the top of the list. Its major goal is to make healthcare more inexpensive in rural regions, and it does this through the use of an updated cloud-based monitoring system known as the WHIMS.

WHIMS is an acronym for Wireless Health Incident Monitoring System, which allows for mapping the main kinds and causes of various diseases in rural regions so that the finest medical personnel may be dispatched to help those in need.
WHIMS is installed on smartphones carried by health personnel to diagnose, monitor, and track patients in difficult-to-reach rural terrains.

Basic bio-medical instruments support it. Recognizing that many outlying communities lack access to a PHC within a 20-kilometer radius, iKure has established its network of health clinics for them, hiring a medical team of physicians, paramedics, and health workers.

Using WHIMS data analytics, the iKure team collaborates with research institutes, NGOs, and healthcare partners to identify endemic health issues in communities and develop holistic disease prevention solutions that include sanitation, hygiene, and nutritional components to treat the disease at its source.

iKure is a revenue-positive, award-winning, tech-driven social company that addresses primary health care and preventative needs through a unique combination of health outreach, skills development, and technological intervention.

The company is ready to expand beyond its therapeutic strategy, focusing on illness prevention and wellness for India’s rural, semi-urban, and urban populations.

iKure’s healthcare concept has received widespread praise and acclaim for being creative, technologically sophisticated, and long-term. iKure provides primary healthcare to people in rural, semi-urban, and metropolitan areas. In 2010, Sujay Santra created iKure to disrupt the healthcare business and put India on the global map of healthcare.

It recently received funding from Ratan Tata, making it one of the country’s most talked-about early-stage firms. iKure plans to utilize the money to develop both locally and worldwide, according to the company. iKure has raised a total of $1.5M in investment iand is currently rated 17,751 on Crunchbase.

iKure Techsoft has raised a total of $1.5M in funding over five rounds. Their latest funding was raised on Nov 10, 2020, from a Venture-Series Unknown round. iKure Techsoft is funded by nine investors. Ratan Tata and Inflection Point Ventures are the most recent investors.

Company Overview

5. SweetHandi

Sweets, notably sandesh and rosogolla, are popular in Kolkata. The city, on the other hand, has a wide range of tastes to offer, which Sweethandi just highlights. This e-commerce company based in Kolkata distributes Bengali sweets all throughout the country, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

Customers can place orders through the website. The order can be adjusted based on the customer’s location. Sweethandi has partnered with all of India’s leading sweets sellers, making delivery of Bengali sweets across the country as simple as ABC.
It is a great enterprise that started for Kolkata’s sweet dish fans and has been able to export a lot of sweets out of town.

It is located in Ballygunge. ‘Ektu mishti hoye jaak!‘ is their tagline, which is rather intriguing. Kolkata was already well-known for its sweets, but this forum has only increased its appeal.

There are an infinite amount of flavours to pick from, and these entrepreneurs have come up with some excellent combinations. You’ll notice flavours here that you never thought was conceivable in a plain mishti.

There is a pre-made list of sweets available, but you may also create your own personalised sweets variety. This is one of the most popular sites for purchasing sweets for your loved ones, and before making a purchase, make sure to check out their official Facebook page.

Company Overview

6. Tripmamu

Do you get tired of traveling on vacations with your normal travel agent who won’t allow you to create your own plans? This may be a painful experience, which is why Tripmamu has emerged, one of the most popular businesses located in Kolkata and created by Somdev Sutta Gupta.

Now you may plan your own travels to any location you like and stay wherever you want without any restrictions. This also allows you to compare the rates and services of numerous travel agencies to find the greatest discounts and have the most pleasing travel experience possible.

Only the most pleasant, memorable, and thrilling holidays are worth remembering. Tripmamu assists consumers in locating the most cost-effective travel agency for their vacation spots. It also functions as a marketplace where consumers may connect with one another. The travel agents that join Tripmamu have a lot in store for them.

Company Overview

7. Pick Ji

Pickji, the most excellent delivery startup platform, can cater to all your delivery needs if you need something delivered quickly and don’t know how to get it done.

This delivery method operates through an app, and after the dispatching is completed, you can follow all of the data, so you don’t have to worry about the shipment.
This software is compatible with both Android and iOS devices, and it has a corporate function and pay-on-delivery alternatives. You can also request that the delivery be picked up, regardless of your location.

Pickji is a company that delivers food to people’s homes. Grocery shopping for everyday requirements necessitates leaving the cosiness of one’s home. While we were engrossed in our favourite television shows, our mothers would send us out to grab a package of milk or bread.

Only if the groceries could be delivered to my house! Pickji makes this fantasy a reality. The business has made internet delivery techniques simple, rapid, and cost-effective. The Pickji app may be used to order food from a nearby grocery shop or Kirana, and the item will be delivered to your home in minutes. The software is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.

PickJi is a smartphone app that provides on-demand intra-city courier services. It is a brand of Auspice Transitions. Users may order courier service through an app or phone call, and a rider near their location will be alerted to pick up the package.
Users can keep track of their packages. Starting at INR 50, delivery rates are computed based on the weight of the item and the distance between pickup and drop places.

Pickji credits may be purchased via the app or from the delivery boy using cash, Paytm, credit cards, and debit cards.
Provide insurance coverage of up to INR 500/- per package, or the declared worth of the products when placing the order for delivery. In the month of December.

Company Overview

8. EazyCoach

EazyCoach assists students from all around the world in getting into their ideal institution. Another business in Kolkata takes an academic approach but does it uniquely and originally.
It connects you with some of the world’s most brilliant coaches. It assists you in a variety of areas such as college applications, school routines, and the top college recommendations with scholarship opportunities.

It also supports students who want to study abroad in creating the most outstanding applications possible. It provides the greatest possible mentoring to all students for them to reach their goals. Everything on this forum is available online so that you can get help from the comfort of your own home.

EazyCoach links students with coaching institutes, universities, and schools all around India. It’s a simple method to learn more about India’s many educational institutions.
When it comes to transferring schools, students suffer, especially those whose parents must frequently migrate due to employment commitments. For such pupils, EazyCoach is a lifesaver.

Eazy Coach is a mentor marketplace that connects students with mentors who can help them get into their chosen schools. Users may sign up to be a coach and advise prospective students, or they can search for personal mentors who have excelled in various academic fields.

Company Overview

9. Outbox

Are you seeking the ideal gift for your loved ones, one that will truly delight them? Well, ponder no more, since there’s a new business in Kolkata called Outbox that delivers the greatest flowers and presents to your door, as well as a variety of exciting ideas for surprise people. Beautiful proposal ideas include proposing to your girlfriend in a lush green setting with heart-shaped helium balloons strewn about.

A romantic canopy, a private movie screening, and many other options are available. There is a wide range of personalized ideas to pick from, and you would be interested in seeing the collection. The finest aspect is that they provide services on the same day.
Outbox has been featured in shark Tank India.

Founders Sukriti Agarwal and Kaushal Modi pitched Outbox for a Rs 50 lacs finance in exchange for a 5% equity stake in the firm. They could not find a suitable investment, and the sharks proclaimed a no-deal situation. Outbox hopes to expand in other locations by capitalizing on the forthcoming Valentine’s Day fever.

Outbox, an app-based delivery service, takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary by adding a splash of flare to make not just the goods being delivered but also the process of delivery memorable.

Our lightbulb moment came when we needed to rent a fleet of cars and a dozen drivers only to distribute invitation cards at a relative’s wedding. That’s when we understood we were dealing with a serious issue in Kolkata.
So we let our clients enjoy the celebrations while we take care of their deliveries in style,” says Sukriti Agarwal, co-founder of Outbox, who quit her high-paying MNC job to devote her time to the initiative.

OUTBOX IT PRIVATE LIMITED is a Private Company that was formed on Nov 19, 2015, and is 6 year(s) 3 month(s) 18 day(s) old. OUTBOX IT PRIVATE LIMITED is a Non-govt business based in ROC-KOLKATA that is registered with the Registrar of Companies.
The authorised share capital and paid up capital of OUTBOX IT PRIVATE LIMITED Company at the time of registration were Rs. 100000 and Rs. 100000, respectively.

Company Overview

10. Labkafe

Educational institutions play a critical part in the development and progress of a country. Schools, colleges, universities, and educational institutes are all venues that develop the nation’s future workforce.

Having the correct infrastructure is essential for establishing effective institutions. The act of gathering, organising, and putting in place the essential infrastructure, on the other hand, can be exhausting. This is where Labkafe steps in to help.

Labkafe is India’s leading laboratory furniture and equipment maker. For the young scientists, we provide lab apparatus, lab furniture, DIY STEM kits, lab supplies, glassware, machines, and more!

We are a recognised OEM on GeM and the leading school and college lab equipment distributor within the education sector, having been founded by NIT graduates in 2015.

Labkafe was founded by Aniket Thakur and Hitesh Kumar. Sunil Panda and Amrit Raj eventually became co-founders of the company, providing it a boost. At the Jindal Stainless Steel facility, the four collaborated. They currently work together at Labkafe thanks to joint executive duties.

Company Overview

The aforementioned names are, in some ways, the greatest among the rising Kolkata companies that have effectively broken the shackles of tradition and are at the forefront of the trend. Kolkata offers a number of coworking spaces to select from if you want to establish a business and require an office space.

Article Proofread & Published by Gauri Malhotra.