Biotechnology Startup Clensta Raises Pre-Series A Round at Rs 25 Cr Valuation

With a noble mindset, to create an impact on the society Clensta, a biotechnology start-up was incorporated to improve the National Hygiene condition whilst addressing the aspect of water conservation and had raised funding in Pre-Series A Round at ₹250M Valuation from India and Netherlands based Investors to build up their in-house strong Formulations and Development and to secure Intellectual Property Rights across the globe.

Clensta with the research partnership of IIT Delhi is eyeing to deliver a solution for the Personal Hygiene segment by providing comprehensive body and head hygiene without zero use of water. The company also draws inspiration from the UNDP 2030 goals, while supporting “Good Health & Well Being”, With the broader agenda to support the government in power in their programs like “Swacch Bharat Swastha Bharat”, the product is also indigenously manufactured under the “Make in India” program which also aids the company support the authorities to improve the nation’s state of economic affairs. The company is also gaining support under the government programs of “Startup India” & “MSME” which has eased the regulatory compliances whilst assisted the company to have an efficient IPR filling. Clensta has been praised by the President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind in his speech at Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

The company is recently gaining accolade by being amongst the Top 3 global startups in World Startup Factory, Netherlands where they are exploring the potential business opportunity in the EU market with a head start funding awarded which includes partnership alliances with NATO, European Space Agency, UN, MoD and many more. They are also being considered by Krypto Labs, Abu Dhabi for a funding to the amount of $2,50,000 upon selection to which they are already in the Top 30. The Nexus, American Center of the US Embassy has also awarded Infrastructural Alliance in US Embassy and considered one of the top 4 startups across and shall open up alliances in the Americas and Central Asian markets.  Nexus Director Erik Azulay mentioned that Nexus prepares startups to adopt the best global practices for entrepreneurship, which helps the startups to take their businesses forward and continue on their growth path.

They have been also selected by "Startup Chile", the Acceptance rate for the program is under 1% which makes it highly competitive and harder than the top US Universities to be accepted which will open up an opportunity to scale our operation in latin America and government of Chile will help them in scaling.

The concept has a new approach to Bathing as it takes away the Rinsing from Water element and the wastage & inaccessibility (if any) of water, out of the equation whilst not compromising on the hygiene. The products are primarily targeting to address the needs of the personnel in armed forces deployed in water scarce areas, patients being treated in hospital and under home health care, long-distance travelers and adventure enthusiasts interested in trekking & camping.

The company being research focused is also eyeing to address concerns of dental hygiene with a Waterless (safe to swallow) Toothpaste and enable mosquito repelling capability in the current shampoo and body bath.

The core team is backed by several notable alumni. Dr. Puneet Gupta, Founder of Clensta International himself is an alumnus of IIM Calcutta and has established domain expertise in the field of imaging and healthcare. He is globally recognized for his contributions to several scientific and international military programs. This innovative idea is a result of his tenure at DRDO, MoD and MEA. His stint at these organizations helped him to comprehend the tribulations that our soldiers, posted at the remotest corners of the country, have to face. With the unavailability of safe drinking water and inadequate personal hygiene facilities they are even more susceptible to ailments and maintaining personal hygiene becomes a strenuous task. Living with the high command in extreme weather conditions instilled in him a sense of belongingness with the soldiers and so an innovative idea was born.

The startup recently entered into a supply with the Indian Army in Jul ’17 which was successfully executed & appreciated on Aug, ‘17. “The Army went through their extensive trials to establish the product's utility and was eventually convinced on the product’s utility and the potential to create an impact in the soldier's daily lives,” Puneet Gupta remarked. The products are under trails in Navy Submarines as well.

The team consists of other notable alumni from the best institutes of our country. Dr. Puneet Gupta (IIM Calcutta), Dr. Ashish Pandey (IIT Delhi), Mohit Chelani (IIM-C), Dr. Anurag Rathore (IIT Delhi), Dr. V.M Chariar (IIT Delhi).

The formulation of their products is completely safe which has been established through a series of stability testing and trials. The products launched under the name of CLENSTA Waterless Shampoo and CLENSTA Waterless Body Bath are completely devoid of the degenerative effects of SLS, Gluten, and Alcohol. As another addition to their list of accomplishments, they have successfully applied for a patent across four of their products which includes two variants of the available ones. Dr. Puneet Gupta claims that the formulation of the firm’s products ensures an effective cleaning process. “The formulation has several benefits removing dirt, dust, oil, and odor, maintaining pH levels of the skin,”, he asserts.

The concept is further bolstered by the “Make in India” campaign and the company plans to extend the entire manufacturing setup in India. It would be amusing to see the company making further breakthroughs in the healthcare sector.