Karnataka Startup Cell Funds 8 Tech Startups To Support State Tourism

The Karnataka startup cell has recently funded eight startups with $300K (INR 2 Cr), that have  built unique tech solutions for the tourism industry in India.

The funding has been made in association with the Department of Tourism under the Idea2POC Scheme of the Karnataka Startup Policy. The selection of startups was made on the basis of parameters such as impact of solution given on tourism, its alignment with business plan, website status, and more.

The department further aims to grant funds to 100 startups each year. Priyank Kharge, Minister of IT & BT, Tourism, Government of Karnataka said, “This is a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country and it is a great opportunity for startups in the tourism sector to showcase their technology solutions and pitch to the government and a panel of industry experts directly on the occasion of World Tourism Day. I hope we can adopt a few ideas to boost tourism or tourist experiences in the State and Bengaluru,”

The selected startups include:

AAO Hostel: Based in Bengaluru, AAO Hostel provides affordable rooms for travellers with basic facilities such as WiFi, baggage store, laundry service, and more. It secured $60K (INR 40 Lakh) funding in the competition.

Highway Delite: Highway Delite is a transaction-based mobile app developed to comprehensively address pain points of highway commuters. The app provides real-time location-specific information about restaurants, washrooms, lodges, fuel stations, emergency numbers, medical assistance, automobile service centres, ATMs, and other necessary services on Indian highways. It raised $52.6K (INR 35 Lakh) from the startup cell.

Highir Technologies:  A resort discovery platform, Highir helps resort owners to get better visibility with single page responsive web designs, aerial 360-degree virtual tours, geo tagging of locations and more. It secured $37K (INR 25 Lakhs) funding.

Aseuro Technology. An IT solutions and services provider company, Aseuro helps clients reduce costs, enhances organisational flexibility, and improve business and IT performance. It raised $37K (INR 25 Lakhs) funding.

Trip on Food: It is a platform where food enthusiasts can enjoy local cuisine, without the constraints of language and cultural differences. It raised $7.5k (INR 5 Lakhs).

Other startups, namely Moving up Products, Trip Diary and Digitour Technologies, secured $7.5K (INR 5 Lakhs), $30K (INR 20 Lakhs), and $37K (INR 25 Lakhs) respectively.

The Karnataka State Government has been proactive in encouraging startups in the state. Earlier in July 2016, the Government of Karnataka, announced a set of schemes with an aim to bolster the startup ecosystem in the state which included a $60 Mn fund, the launch of a startup cell in Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services (KBITS), and more. In March 2016, it announced to set up four technology business incubators across the state in 2016-17.

Also, in September 2015, Karnataka was declared as the first state to have a dedicated startup council to look into state investment for startup infrastructure, incubation centres and similar facilities.

The development was first reported by Business Standard.