SocialCops: Powering decision making for firms' data woes

It has built a data intelligence platform that functions in three layers - a data layer, technology layer and solutions layer

SocialCops aims to help any organisation confront critical problems with data and technology. Founded by Prukalpa Sankar and Varun Banka in 2013, it raised $320,000 in 2014, in which Google India Managing Director (MD) Rajan Anandan, Frost & Sullivan APAC MD Manoj Menon and 500 Startups participated.

SocialCops has built a data intelligence platform that functions in three layers — a data layer, technology layer and solutions layer. The first layer is all the data aggregated, over a billion data points from 600 sources. The second layer is the tools and capabilities it has built to ingest, merge and analyse any data. The third is pre-built solutions, where it has customised data for a particular use per case, such as hyperlocal geo-targeting and survey management. For this, purpose, it also leverages government data in the form of Big Data, which is like online data generated on Google and Facebook. The start-up earns revenue by charging clients for usage based on these layers, dependent on number of users, what data is being used, data size and granularity, and complexity of analytics. 

Having worked with 150 companies across seven countries, the start-up’s platform has a little over 10 billion data points stored in its repository. Also, its mobile data collection platform, Collect, has captured more than 250 million primary data points across the world. Up to 60,000 responses have been recorded on the app in a day. 

In the past, the company focused on projects with a positive impact on society, working in public infrastructure, public health, education, livelihoods and similar sectors. Their partners include the Government of India, UNICEF and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among others.

For instance, a minister can have a national programme on his tablet and drill down to every district to assess performance. The petroleum ministry uses SocialCops’ data intelligence platform to track and monitor over 30 million cooking gas connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana scheme. 

Similarly, Tata Trusts uses its data collection platform to survey 250,000 households in Andhra. The start-up is also powering the Swachh Bharat Mission audits, conducted by Quality Council of India.

SocialCops was featured on Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 in 2016 and was recognised by Nasscom, the information technology sector’s apex association, as one of India’s top 10 start-ups. With a current team strength of 50, it aims to power decision making through better data from the grassroots.

SocialCops Fact box:

• Founded: August 2013
• Area of business: Data intelligence
• Funding: Seed funding of $320,000 in 2014
• Team strength: 50