Sequoia-Backed DrinkPrime Enables Smart Filtration For Pocket-Friendly Potable Water

DrinkPrime aims to provide clean drinking water to 1 Mn households nationwide

Life in a metro can cost an arm and a leg, as young professionals migrating for work often find out. Software engineer Vijender Reddy Muthyala and corporate executive Manas Ranjan were no exceptions and decided to share a flat in Bengaluru to reduce high living costs. But their search for an affordable water purifier failed miserably as the traditional ones available in the market were too expensive. The duo tried to make do with water cans, but the erratic delivery (and, at times, water quality) irked them. They launched an on-demand mobile app for smooth ordering and delivery, but it could not solve the quality issue. Moreover, the water stored in plastic containers could also lead to contamination and pose health hazards for users in the long run. To deal with this, the roomies launched their second venture, DrinkPrime. The water utility service allows users to rent IoT-enabled water purifiers through its mobile app and website and pay a monthly subscription or a daily fee.

The startup has dispensed 5 Cr litres of potable water, installed more than 72K water purifiers and claims more than 1 Lakh subscribers. Its revenue for FY22 reached INR 14.66 Cr. It also started a CSR initiative in November 2022, providing safe drinking water to 750+ students from Bengaluru government schools.

Unlike the generic ROs-on-rent, DrinkPrime has introduced IoT-enabled smart filtering solutions to bring high-quality potable water at pocket-friendly rates. To begin with, the startup maps the water quality of a new service area to ensure that the right amount of filtration happens through its smart water purifiers to reduce the contaminants without filtering out the minerals and other essential components. The hardware is installed free of cost, and subscribers do not have to pay recurring maintenance fees, thus making it affordable for everyone.

DrinkPrime aims to be EBITDA-positive, gain more than 3 Lakh subscribers and expand to two more metro cities in 2023. In the long term, it aims to serve 1 Mn households in India and provide state government institutions and orphanages access to clean drinking water.