NetApp announced the graduation of five startups from the 12th cohort of its flagship accelerator program, NetApp Excellerator at the demo day. Five data-driven deep tech startups: NEMA AI, Zeron, Chaos Genius, Kensu, and Blockfenders, pitched to investors, industry leaders, mentors, and NetApp leaders. Cohort 12 startups focused on developing cutting-edge solutions in data management, neuroscience, and AI-based consumer insights. These ventures exemplify the growing trend of enabling data orchestration and optimisation, as well as data security-focused new-age businesses.
Over the last year, Gen AI has cemented its position for its potential to automate tasks, and drive product innovation. Organisations today, including startups, require secure, high-performance access to data spread across complex hybrid and multicloud environments. At this juncture, NetApp’s approach to AI equips them with solutions that deliver management simplicity, anywhere data lives.
“Through the cohorts we have seen an increase in the number of startups that are leveraging deep tech to offer data-centric and unique business solutions. The entrepreneurs exemplify the power of collaboration and perseverance in shaping the future of technology” said Ravi Chhabria, Managing Director at NetApp India. “This cohort also marks the graduation of 18 startups mentored under NetApp ExcellerateHER – an initiative that mentors startups with women founders to help them navigate specific challenges. Congratulations to all the participating startups, we applaud the innovative spirit and transformative ideas that have emerged.”
In alignment with this focus, startups like NEMA AI, Chaos Genius, and Zeron, co-founded by women, are crucial contributors to addressing contemporary challenges. Ventures like NEMA AI have led to advancements in neuroscience and AI-based consumer insights, reshaping strategies across sectors like education, branding, and marketing. Additionally, Chaos Genius stands at the forefront of data optimisation, serving as a pivotal tool for Snowflake users and empowering organisations with valuable insights for informed decision-making. Zeron, on the other hand, plays a pivotal role in cybersecurity, offering a single point of truth for informed decision-making.
Three out of five graduating women co-founded startups received mentorship through NetApp ExcellerateHER, an initiative of the NetApp Excellerator program aimed at supporting women-led startups. Over the last seven years, NetApp has mentored a total of 77 startups, including 29 global startups and 18 women-led startups. In the past five years, eight startups have had successful exits.
Driven by a shared vision, the Excellerator ecosystem with NetApp’s mentors, leaders, startups, and investors, has spurred significant advancements in the realm of deep tech. The alumni startups have collectively raised over 360 million USD – a testament to the success of the program.
Launched in 2017, the NetApp Excellerator Program has garnered recognition as one of the top five accelerator programs in India for corporate innovation, by NexTT Awards. The program features a proof-of-concept (PoC) model that enables entrepreneurs to showcase the efficacy of their solutions in real-world scenarios.
From Cohort 12, Chaos Genius, Kensu, and Blockfenders have completed PoCs with NetApp. Chaos Genius revolutionised NetApp’s approach to Snowflake expenses as their targeted advice, user-friendly design, and simple implementation boosted organisational efficiency. This led to a 28% decrease in expenditure, delivering a 20-fold return on investment and unmistakable operational efficiency benefits.
Kensu’s POC demonstrates its AI-powered real-time data observation platform’s effectiveness in addressing ActiveIQ Data Lake challenges. With 10,000 tables ingested in real time, Kensu swiftly identifies bad data, ensuring efficient management.