SP Robotics Raises Rs. 2 Cr From IAN and Chennai Angels

Chennai Based SP Robotics raises 2 Crores from Indian Angel Network and Chennai Angels

• The Skill Development startup is focused on creating an ecosystem for school students to learn and experiment with robotics in solving India’s problems.
• Offers tailor-made courseware across age groups to provide engineering skills as per the industry standards.

Indian Angel Network (IAN), India’s largest business angel group, has invested $250K in Chennai-based startup SP Robotics Works which provides robotic education to school and college students. Nagaraja Prakasam has led this round on behalf of IAN and will also join the board of company. This round has been co-led by The Chennai Angels (TCA).

Robotics is one of the emerging sectors for investors and entrepreneurs. Just as IT had changed the spectrum across the world significantly, Robotics is set to disrupt.

SP Robotics is a young and dynamic R&D Company focused on robotic and automation products. The journey of the startup began in August, 2012 when two Anna University Electrical and Electronic Engineering Students, Pranavanand Sneha Priya, tried to decrease the usage of man-power for monotonous, hazardous and unstable works and rather use the brains for developing technologies for the future. Working together as a team for more than 7 years now, the pair has won accolades from all Major Universities in India and also representing India for their robotics expertise.

Having been as a team for more than 7 years now, this pair has won accolades from all Major Universities in India and also representing India for their robotics expertise.

SP Robotic Works Pvt. Ltd. provides robotic education (practical experiments with Mechanical, Electronics, Programming and Algorithm framing) – a multi—disciplinary engineering platform with enough fun quotient to school students from age 12 to 17 in the brand name called Kidobotikz. The program creates an ecosystem wherein the kids are not just learning, but also testing their technical skills gaining work-life skills and huge exposure through the competitions hosted by Kidobotikz every quarter. These children are not only getting a platform to enhance their techinical skills, but Kidobotikz also encourages them to work towards social issues like waste management, agriculture, hazardouse and non-hazardous handlings. Their unique methodology combines experimentation with participatory and creative techniques, ensuring success and fun for children.

 “Robotics is all about practical work. Children want to experiment and since they have time to make mistakes and learn from them, their basics get stronger. We wanted to change the phase of Indian Education in par with the international standards by providing practical experiences to the school students. IAN and TCA are excellent platforms to raise funds concepts with the best network of people and the guidance provided by the lead groups – who take an extra care even before funding is completed,” saidSneha Priya, Co-Founder at SP Robotics.

 The investment will be primarily used for the growth and expansion of the company. Kidobotikz plans to launch the digital version of its courseware to inspire more students. The same will be soft-launched in Chennai within few months and then expanded gradually to various geographies, initially South India.

“This will enable kids to start learning from their home – anytime they wish – with the kit shipped to them and complete online trainer support for queries. Moreover, knowledge canters will also be setup in prime locations to provide special trainings and act as common place wherein the kids can spend any amount of time to collaborate, work, experiment and get free guidance from our technical team,”added Sneha.

Commenting on the investment, lead IAN investor Nagaraja Prakasam said,who has led 5 other IAN deals including Uniphore (raising series B), GoCoOp (closing series A), Freshworld (raising series A), Saahas, Solaron (exited) said, “Proving my thesis around People, Problems, Tech (PPT), SP Robotics is enabling the younger generation think towards solving real problems Robotics way. One of my portfolios Saahas Zero Waste is working with them providing real time problems to solve. Similarly they are working torwards Agritech solutions for our farmers as well. I’m really glad to see these responsible younger generation thinking creatively like the Swatchhbots”. SP Robotics is Prakasam’s 13thinvestment in IAN.

 M.V.Subramanian, IAN Investor member said “Both Pranavan and Sneha Priya possess a strong vision to bring about a change in the education for the children. SP Robotics pioneers in the technical education and engineering skills to be provided to the children as well as hobbyists. The company also inculcates strong vocational skills right at a very nascent stage. Kidobotikz’s unique courseware and the tailor-made kit that enables children to learn the concepts with in-depth experimentation rather than plug and play modules has molded its students to be unique from others too. At IAN, we focus on the quality of the product as much as on the strengths of the team, and we strongly believe that SP robotics will bring the change they are aiming to.”

 The Swachh Bot, a beach cleaning robot, done by 40 school students who were inspired by the Swachh Bharath mission was a recent star of Chennai. With nearly 4 months of hard work by these kids in various fields – the robot was successfully made to collect and gather litter in the beaches of Chennai. This social robot has not only showcased the professional technical skills of these kids but also has given a lot of awareness for others to think things differently.