 "Hardware startups get legup at Intel Maker's lab")
Jayalaxmi Agrotech has built a local server (Agripole) which is used to help farmers download agriculture-related applications in local language at village fairs using the Intel Edison platform.
The Bellari-based Jayalaxmi provides timely information on crops to farmers on their mobile apps. It has set up a router in village centres so that villagers can download information on their apps without relying on data plans on their mobile network.
Another startup, Klassik Klonec has completed building an IOT-enabled hydroponic system, which is a prcoess that enables growing vegetables on sand and water without using soil. This involves growing green leafs and vegetables in households and industrial areas.
The startup has developed a box that maintains temperature and other conditions automatically inside the box. It has various individual customers across India and has also got customers from abroad looking to import the equipment to grow plants within an enclosed space.
Smartron is a Bengaluru-based OEM startup that has come up with the t-phone and t-book. The company has its own t-store to buy applications and has already started selling its product through Amazon in India.
These firms were part of the nine startups to have first batch of products made from the Intel makers' laboratory.
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Intel says that they achieved higher success rates because of the method of choosing startups that were best suited for the acceleration program.
"We took in people, who really needed some technology help and required mentorship that could accelerate what they were doing. It was more on with the thought process around, how do we speed this thing up for them. The startups selected not only needed space, but they need a lot of equipments to validate and test their product, " said, Jitendra Chaddah, senior director, strategy and operations, Intel India.
Intel says that it started the Maker Lab last year to help small hardware firms build prototypes and test their devices. At present, five startups are testing their products that will be launched shortly, while three others are developing their prototypes at the Maker's Lab.