Sequoia India’s Surge unveils first batch of startups. They’ve collectively raised $36m

Surge, Sequoia India’s new startup accelerator, has revealed the 17 startups that form the first batch of its program. Surge has invested seed money of US$1.5 million each in these companies, who hail from India, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.

Shailendra Singh, managing director, Sequoia India

Some of these startups have additional co-investors on top of Surge, bringing the total haul for the batch to around US$36 million.

Along with the unveiling of the first batch, Surge has announced a program that connects these startups with engineering talent.

Here’s the list of startups (there’s a stealth fintech company that’s not included here):

1. Azani Sport

Launched: November 2017
Founder: Siddharth Suchde
Co-investors in the round: Fireside Venture
Based in: India

Azani Sport is a performance sportswear brand that offers high-quality footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women and kids. With its direct-to-consumer model, Azani Sport democratizes access to a wide collection of world-class gear across sporting disciplines for a fast-growing segment of fitness-conscious consumers.

The company’s in-house design and manufacturing facilities are geared to reduce the gap between design and delivery from six months, which is the industry standard, to just two weeks.

Azani Sport was founded by Indian squash champion Siddharth Suchde, who captained the Indian junior team, won the US Collegiate National Championship while at Harvard University, and entered the top 40 in global squash rankings.

2. Bobobox

Launched: June 2018
Founders: Indra Gunawan and Antonius Bong
Co-investors in the round: AlphaJWC, Genesia, Agaeti, Everhaus
Based in: Indonesia

Bobobox is an Indonesian capsule hotel brand built for millennial adventurers and business travelers. The first hotel the company opened boasts an 88% occupancy rate. Bobobox aims to create a new category of “on demand” sleep that anyone who needs a quality rest can book.

The company was founded by Indra Gunawan, who has 10 years of experience running his own budget hotel chain, and Antonius Bong, who spent a decade in finance and real estate.

At present, about 80% of their guests are domestic travelers, and there is a chance for Bobobox to carve a niche among staycationers.

The company plans to make Bobobox available across a wide range of facilities, like airports, train stations, coworking spaces, and hospitals.

3. Bulbul

4. DancingMind

5. Doubtnut

6. Flynote

7. Hippo Video

8. InterviewBit Academy

9. Khatabook

10. Qoala

11. ShopUp

12. Skillmatics

13. Telio

14. Uiza

15. Vybes

16. Zenyum