The journey of acceleration has just begun for the two winning startups of AkzoNobel's Paint the Future India startup challenge.
The two winning startups were selected by the jury of international experts and business leaders following an intense two-day Paint the Future bootcamp.
| Startup* | Location | Solution |
|
HyperReality Technologies |
Bengaluru | Collaborative platform for inspiration, visualization of your space in metaverse |
| Fluid AI | Mumbai | Multi-channel conversational immersive and interactive AI platform to guide consumers during their painting journey |
 |
Fluid AI and HyperReality Technologies win AkzoNobels Paint the Future India startup challenge
Winning the prestigious Paint the Future award has opened more doors for these startups. Having signed the letters of intent, the two winners now join AkzoNobel's accelerator program.
"Over the next six months, the goal is clear - to work together with our winners and develop a digital value proposition. The startups will have access to our global network of experts and resources leading up to 'Demo Day'. That's when they'll showcase the results that will shape the future of their collaboration with us. By bringing Paint the Future to the third largest startup ecosystem in the world, AkzoNobel is transforming the paints industry in India. We're bringing value - for our winning startups, our business and most importantly for Dulux consumers," says Oscar Wezenbeek, Managing Director, AkzoNobel Decorative Paints, South-East South Asia (SESA) and Chairman Akzo Nobel India Limited.
"This startup challenge is about collaborating with equally passionate Indian startups to boost the magic of Dulux and enhance the digital experience of our consumers'. Innovation is key to AkzoNobel's approach to sustainable business, and we see a lot of potential in these winning solutions," says Rajiv Rajgopal, Managing Director, Akzo Nobel India Limited.
Sobin Thombra, CEO, HyperReality Technologies* says, "From the depth of the expert sessions to the sheer amount of industry knowledge we've gained, this bootcamp has been a collaborative experience unlike any other. We're excited to partner with Akzo Nobel India Limited and paint the future in a win-win way."
Abhinav Aggarwal and Raghav Aggarwal, Co-founders of Fluid AI* says, "We're stoked about our win! AkzoNobel's astute understanding of our artificial intelligence solution is a gateway to bringing new consumer-centric disruptions in the paints sector."
The India startup challenge is the third regional edition of AkzoNobel's Paint the Future, and the first such challenge for the paints and coatings industry in India. Run in partnership with NASSCOM Industry Partnership Program (NIPP), the challenge on enhancing "Digital Consumer Experience" for Dulux paints in India attracted 207 submissions from 33 cities across India.
Nine finalists were invited to the two-day bootcamp program, where customized sessions with AkzoNobel experts helped them further refine their solution, before making their final pitch to Paint the Future jury.
* Corresponding entity names for winning startups:
1. HyperReality Technologies: HyperReality Technologies Private Limited
2. Fluid AI: Trutech Webs Private Limited
For more information, visit the Paint the Future India startup challenge 2022.
About Paint the Future
Launched in 2019, Paint the Future is AkzoNobel's global collaborative innovation ecosystem. It's a bold initiative to accelerate, test, launch and scale ideas and solutions for the paints and coatings industry. Paint the Future runs a variety of programs to accelerate innovation. Initially open to startups, it was quickly expanded to embrace academia, research institutes and two large groups of suppliers. As the ecosystem continues to grow and build on the success of each program, it's become the largest in the industry.
About AkzoNobel
We supply the sustainable and innovative paints and coatings that our customers, communities - and the environment - are increasingly relying on. That's why everything we do starts with People. Planet. Paint. Our world class portfolio of brands - including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon - is trusted by customers around the globe. We're active in more than 150 countries and have set our sights on becoming the global industry leader. It's what you'd expect from a pioneering paints company that's committed to science-based targets and is taking genuine action to address globally relevant challenges and protect future generations.
