Have you ever experienced a Wi-Fi connectivity failure at the most inconvenient time? Suppose, however, that we had not a city full of smart meters, streetlights, and water systems, we should have imagined the same. Chaos, right? That is the disheveled issue that one of the Bangalore-based startups, Comminent, is striving to resolve. And now that they have a new $2 million on the bank, they are not only repairing it, but readying to revitalize the smart infrastructure revolution that India has been undergoing. Talk about a glow-up!
It is not another startup tale with buzzwords and false hopes. Comminent is a bona fide deep-tech startup, which was created in 2018 by two entrepreneurs, Amarjeet Kumar and Vikas Kashyap. These are not newcomers on the scene; they have decades of experience, and their staff is more of a who’s who club of techno-savvy geniuses. They are so good that they are members of international standards development organizations such as IEEE and IEC. It is providing a certified tech wizard.
The Problem? Obsolete Technology is a Complete Dead Air Killer
Admittedly, the infrastructure in India is transforming on a huge scale. Smart meters, smart streetlights, and smart everything. However, all this smartness must communicate with one another, and this is where things become problematic. The old system of communication is usually untrustworthy, time-consuming, and incapable of managing the sheer magnitude of a contemporary metropolis. It is as though attempting to play a multiplayer gaming game over dial-up. Not cool.
The solution that Comminent has to offer is a complete game changer; a standards-based RF (Radio Frequency) mesh communication network. So, now, before your eyes are clouded, here is the TL;DR: this technology is device-agnostic, that is, it can be connected to virtually any smart device, and it is the self-healing one. In case one line fails, the network will automatically re-route the information. It is a superhero of connectivity and always finds a way out to keep things moving. In addition, it is open standards and IPv6 compliant, which implies that it is future-oriented. Talk about being a step ahead!
The Big Win: How to Get That Bag Transition VC?
Receiving a recent infusion of funds headed by Transition VC (a fund that just happens to be all about clean tech and sustainability, by the way) is a massive endorsement. This is not a cash injection to be spent on fancy office furnishings, but rather in the heart of their operations. The following is a list of the tasks on the to-do list:
- Rapid implementation of Smart Meter: India has a colossal target whereby it plans to roll out 250 million smart meters within the next 4-5 years. Comminent stands in the right place to play a major role in this. Contracts for over 1 million endpoints they have to deliver are only the start.
- Going Smart Cities: They are looking beyond meters to bigger urban systems such as smart street lights and smart water metering.
- Global Supremacy (Literally): They are already venturing into in-depth strategic alliances in the global markets, such as the US and Japan. Seems like Comminent is preparing to go on a world tour.
- Talent Recruiting and Technological Upgrades: In order to cope with all this expansion, they are recruiting the best and the brightest and ensuring their technology is state-of-the-art.
It is not only a matter of money but the belief in a vision. The mission of Comminent is to be a worldwide leader in communication solutions and data engineering, and to be passionate about innovation and sustainability. They are not merely selling products, but they are contributing to building a more efficient and greener world, one connected device after another. This is certainly making planetary decarbonization look up-to-date.
The Big Brand Persona to the Next World: The Comminent Team Spirit
The central aspect of this company is a team that embodies its mission on a personal level. Their CEO, Amarjeet Kumar, is not only a founder; he is an evangelist of technology. He is the one who creates the vision, drives the team, and produces killer presentations at conferences. No one is more knowledgeable about smart utility networks and embedded wireless devices. He is the genuine article, and his passion is catching.
The Comminent team has a very straightforward yet effective motto that is, Customers FIRST! They do not simply work on a cool piece of technology in the lab; they are developing solutions that are, in turn, specific to the requirements of infrastructure and service providers. All their products, such as communication modules and Edge DCUs, are aimed at improving efficiency and serving the customers more efficiently. That is all about being ubiquitous, bidirectional, reliable, and scalable.
What’s Next for Comminent? The Future is bright (and connected)!
Comminent has a targeting projected revenue of 300 crore by FY28, which will power it to grow exponentially. They are aligned with the national objectives of India and are prepared to address some of the most significant issues in the development of the cities. It is a deep-tech start-up that is a testament to the strength of innovation, vision, and a lot of hard work. Not only are they linking things together, but cities, industries, and eventually, even people, as things that could only have been previously achieved in sci-fi films.
Now, when you pass a smart streetlight, give it a nod. It likely operates on a small but mighty Bangalore company that is ensuring that the future is never out of touch or disconnected.
