Tlabs’ chosen ones: these 8 startups will enter the Indian accelerator’s 8th boot camp

Photo by woodleywonderworks

The lucky number of the moment is apparently 8, as Indian tech startup seed investor Tlabs has announced its eighth batch of startups, conveniently containing eight up-and-coming companies. The batch marks the newest addition to its now 50-strong portfolio which kicked off in August.

Started in 2010, Tlabs has invested approximately INR 3 million (US$45,000) per early-stage startup picked for the accelerator. It offers a four-month mentoring program powered by a panel of over a hundred mentors that can offer advice from seasoned entrepreneurs and domain experts. Included in its benefits is a working space for the chosen ones.

“Most of the companies that make it through our initial screening process have good traction to support their applications,” says Abhishek Gupta, head of Tlabs. He adds that the batch has high potential for raising seed rounds.

After a tedious application process that included more than 700 entries, Tlabs chose its super 8:

GetMyUni

Just nine months old, Bangalore-based GetMyUni is a student hub that empowers students throughout what it terms their “student lifecycle.” The startup helps them search for colleges with information, study abroad consultation, and over 25,000 student reviews.

Founded by Upneet Gover and Hardik Thakkar as a solution to their past struggles with choosing their post-grad universities, the website also helps students secure internships, projects, scholarships, and first jobs.

Cirtru

Cirtru is a local classifieds site that operates a lot like Craigslist. Their specialty, though, is safety. Users must be verified by either their employers or their universities. When people scan the classifieds, they already know something about the person from whom they’re buying.

Founded by Navish Jain and based in Mumbai, Cirtru boasts users from over a thousand companies and universities making use of the site in the San Francisco Bay Area, which has been drawing a greater, more diverse population over the past decade.

HopOn

Based in Bangalore, HopOn is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider designed specifically for corporate employees to fill their transportation needs. The software connects companies to transport administrators, employees, and vehicle service providers for smooth employee transportation management.

HopOn boasts 100 percent transparency, 90 percent automation of services, and 80 percent efficiency overall. Its website splits its founders into two trendy categories: “hackers” Kishore Sai and Vishwas Jayarama, and “hustlers” Arvind Krishnaswamy and Rajath Raman.

Prokure

Founded by Dhilbar Roshan and Shubham Agrawal, Prokure picks up where ecommerce leaves off, providing a mobile app for unorganized retailers to procure their stock.

While companies like China’s Alibaba exist for unorganized retail procurement around the world, Prokure focuses exclusively on India, taking away the geographic limits from distributors. Prokure allows retailers in India to compare prices, order in bulk, and get orders delivered directly to their homes.

Spoyl

Much like a boutique trip, Spoyl is an online fashion marketplace that connects customers to independent fashion makers and designs from across India.

Pyck

Medaino

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