KARSTEN MIRANDA
karsten@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: In a major development that put Goa on the world map, a Goan startup run by Vishwesh Bhat based in Ponda, clinched the top prize in a global green business ideas competition that saw the participation of 2,136 climate tech start-ups from 55 countries.
“Overall winner, SMDPower Solutions from India is about Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven internet of things (IoT) designed for existing air conditioners to cool a room sensibly. The team aims to reduce wastage of electricity,” reads the statement issued from The Netherlands, by the organisers of the competition “ClimateLaunchpad 2021”.
The “ClimateLaunchpad” programme, powered by among other things Europe’s main climate innovation initiative EIT-Climate KIC, offers aspiring clean tech entrepreneurs in 55 countries a pathway to business success and global impact in the fight against climate change.
This year, the programme attracted over 2,000 green startups from across the globe, which competed in six Regional Finals across all continents. After months of intense boot camps, training and coaching, 70 finalists made it to the Global Grand Final that took place online recently.
“We at SMDPower Solutions are very excited upon receiving this award for our innovation. It was a big surprise for us to be recognised at an international level after having faced rejection for our innovation and business concept locally! This award is a major morale booster. Product development is at an intermediate stage for market launch, prize money won will help us in taking the development forward to make it market ready faster,” said Bhat, while speaking to Herald.
“We have developed an IoT for air conditioners which makes it efficient so that it consumes 50 per cent less electricity, maintaining the same cooling for your space. We started working on this concept in 2018, but failed to take it as business in Goa due to subsidised cost of electricity! That is why IoT as an application came to shape which can take our business to any corner of the world. Present IoT is supported with our data analytics Cloud software, which adds AI-ML for its functioning. Research and Development to execution has been going slow due to fund crunch! Concept being unique, the investors are hesitant! But we are optimistic about the future,” Bhat added.
Given that this comes at a time when world leaders are talking about reducing the global carbon footprint, Bhat’s product also helped hold India in good stead, given that it beat the competition from other countries. This also led to an outpouring of messages to Bhat, not just from India but across the world. NRI Commissioner Adv Narendra Sawaikar amongst other people from Goa praised Bhat’s achievement highly.
“For quite some time, but with consistency, Vishwesh has been working on Green energy, optimum use of electricity to reduce wastage and cost reduction. I am thrilled to know that his start-up SMDP has won first prize in Europe’s largest clean tech business idea competition. My heartiest congratulations to Vishwesh and his team,” said Sawaikar.
Responding to such feedback from the public, Bhat expressed his deep gratitude to everyone who has celebrated their recognition at the global event.
“It means a lot to all of us at SMDP. We have developed our product for the people! So that they won’t pay anything extra to use it. The more they use the more electricity will be saved for the nation! It is estimated that 40 million ACs are in use in India, if we could serve even 10 per cent of them at the earliest by the next five years, we will be saving 800 million units of electricity per month whose cost is an average Rs 10/unit of electricity in India. High net worth individuals (HNIs) from Goa, we welcome you to be part of this journey further,” said Bhat.
It has been a long journey for Bhat, who is an engineer.
“My passion has been in controlling electricity since my student days till my first job where I was building heavy duty UPS of 300 kva capacity on the site and have worked across Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka. But passion doesn’t pay for your needs. So I learnt business development by working in my home State with a few MNCs over 15 years and have contributed in growing their business,” said Bhat.
Bhat started his entrepreneurship with SMDP in 2017 trading a few energy efficiency products and services and has been actively working on research for AC solutions since 2019.
“These entrepreneurs are unlocking the world’s clean tech potential with breakthrough solutions in emissions reduction and climate adaptation that can revolutionise the way we consume, move and live,” stated ClimateLaunchpad 2021 while speaking about the winners.
For perspective, to know a little more about who Bhat had to compete with in the nerve wrecking Global Grand Final — the second place winner was Zambia-based Entomo Farm, whose idea is turning organic household waste into livestock feed; whereas the third place winner was Qaptis from Switzerland with the innovation that transforms conventional trucks into low-emission vehicles with a plug-in carbon capture kit.
