Climate change is a daunting challenge, and one company is tackling it head-on by turning a problem into a groundbreaking solution.

teTerraMatter, founded by Shriyansh S, is a deep science climate technology company focused on creating a circular carbon economy by harnessing carbon emissions, specifically carbon dioxide (CO2), to create consumable protein.

This ambitious approach turns the harmful greenhouse gas, which is a significant contributor to global warming, into something beneficial for society.

A problem-solving approach to food security

Shriyansh, founder of TerraMatter, identifies as a problem solver. With the world’s population growing, we face increasing demand for food. At the same time, we cannot afford to harm the planet any further.

Shriyansh’s basic idea is to leverage a harmful pollutant like CO2 and use it as a part of the solution to food security. This solution involves feeding CO2 into a biological fermentation system, which, after multiple stages, results in a non-soluble protein powder that can be used as consumable protein.

The Proof of Concept and path to market

TerraMatter is currently in the early stages of development. The company has successfully completed a proof of concept at the laboratory level, where CO2 was processed through a fermentation system to produce a consumable protein.

Shriyansh compares their current state to the early days of solar power development in the early 2000s. The goal is now to scale up and complete the proof of concept on a larger scale, ultimately bringing a market-viable product to the masses.

Challenges and opportunities

Scaling up TerraMatter’s innovation involves several challenges. The main requirements are skill sets specific to handling fermentation processes involving gases like CO2 and the retrofitting of large-scale fermentation systems.

These fermentation systems are similar to those used in the production of alcohol or ethanol, but with different inputs. By keeping the process as simple as possible, TerraMatter aims to reduce market entry barriers, making the innovation accessible and economically viable.

Support needed to scale

TerraMatter is looking for support in various forms to take this innovation forward. Contract manufacturers, particularly those with fermenter facilities like microbreweries and ethanol production plants, are potential partners for scaling.

Shriyansh emphasises the need for collaboration, skill development, and funding to achieve their goals. The company has already raised an angel round and is currently fundraising for a higher-capacity pilot demonstration project.

A vision for the future

TerraMatter’s mission is to turn the vicious cycle of climate change into a virtuous cycle by utilising CO2 for the greater good. Shriyansh believes that innovation must be accessible to the masses to be truly impactful.

The company’s goal is not just to introduce a novel technology but to make it simple and scalable, thus reducing barriers to adoption. Shriyansh is hopeful that with government support and a growing focus on alternative proteins, TerraMatter’s innovation can become a key component in addressing both food security and climate change.

Imagine a world where the smartphone no longer fits in your pocket but rests comfortably on your head, blending seamlessly into your life.

This is the vision of Suraj, founder of QWR, a company determined to redefine how we interact with technology. Founded in 2017, QWR has taken on the challenge of creating head-worn computers, a leap that could transform industries and redefine connectivity.

From smartphones to headsets: A vision in motion

QWR’s journey began with a bold question: can computing take on a different form factor? As smartphones evolved from desktops to fit into our pockets, Suraj saw the next shift—wearable computing that can become an extension of us.

After rigorous research, he realised that the future of personal computing might very well be a head-worn device. “People will wear computers on their heads,” he says. This idea fueled QWR’s mission to bring wearable headsets to the market.

However, rather than competing directly in the heavily saturated consumer electronics market, QWR decided to focus on enterprise applications where the demand for wearable tech is immense, and the gaps in the market are ripe for disruption.

Addressing gaps in enterprise markets

Initially, Suraj faced difficulties in convincing investors. Back in 2017, when he knocked on VC doors, the market was just too early, and investors were hesitant. But QWR quickly pivoted from trying to tackle consumer markets to targeting enterprises—specifically education, healthcare, and defense sectors.

In education, the vision was clear: democratise learning. By utilising headsets, children can access quality education even without an experienced teacher present, ensuring learning continuity. Suraj emphasises that the pandemic highlighted major flaws in the education system, with children losing an entire academic year—a gap that QWR believes its technology can help fill.

Surviving the hardware challenge

Building complex electronics at scale, especially hardware, is capital-intensive and fraught with risks. “Hardware is hard,” Suraj says, acknowledging the challenge of developing consistent and sophisticated manufacturing in a landscape where SaaS companies often dominate due to lower capital requirements.

Despite this, QWR has managed to survive and operate profitably for five years, according to him, establishing a solid supply chain and brand presence.

Why India? The advantage of building at home

Suraj is proud of QWR’s roots in India. He emphasises the potential of India to emerge as a major manufacturing hub for electronics, much like Korea did with giants like Samsung and LG.

However, he believes that India’s young entrepreneurs need support from the government—particularly flexible entry points into incentives like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.

Another advantage of being in India is the availability of engineering talent. Suraj recently moved QWR’s production line from Mumbai to Pune to take advantage of the engineering graduates available in the city, particularly M-Tech and B-Tech talent. The move has proven beneficial, providing access to highly skilled engineers passionate about creating world-class products.

QWR: Looking ahead

Currently, QWR is competing with about 80 companies in the global wearable tech space. However, when it comes to actually delivering headsets, only about 15 brands are successfully doing so, he says, putting QWR in an exclusive league.

Suraj’s dream? To be among the top five wearable tech companies within the next two to three years and eventually reach number one.

For now, QWR is sticking to its focus on enterprise markets, continuing to scale and improve, with eyes firmly set on the future.

Once they grow ten times beyond where they are now, they may reportedly explore direct-to-consumer opportunities—but until then, their focus is on refining the technology and becoming an irreplaceable player in the enterprise market.

Amblyopia, commonly known as lazy eye, affects millions of children and adults worldwide. This condition occurs when the brain starts ignoring signals from one eye due to its weaker performance compared to the other.

Although the eye itself is physically healthy, the weakened communication with the brain leads to impaired vision, making it challenging for affected individuals to participate in sports and social activities, often resulting in low confidence and even bullying.

Traditionally, treatment for lazy eye involved ‘patch therapy,’ where the stronger eye is patched to force the weaker eye to work harder. However, this therapy often struggles with low acceptance among children due to discomfort and a lack of effectiveness in improving depth perception.

Neurasim: A game-changer?

Neurasim is an innovative solution developed to address the limitations of traditional lazy eye treatments. Utilising a virtual reality (VR) headset, Neurasim trains both eyes of the affected person to work together, significantly improving vision and depth perception in just 20 to 40 days, the startup claims.

Unlike patch therapy, this approach is non-invasive, comfortable, and engaging for children.

The treatment has reportedly been successful, enabling even complex cases of amblyopia to show marked improvement in vision. In a trial involving a seven-year-old child, Neurasim demonstrated a 300% improvement in vision after just 20 sessions, and depth perception increased by 600%, the startup claims.

A real-world solution in healthcare

Unlike previous VR technologies that have struggled to find practical applications, Neurasim is making an impact in the healthcare sector by offering a real, practical solution.

Founded with the help of an Indo-Polish educational grant, Neurasim has developed an end-to-end patented technology that provides accessible treatment options for children and adults with amblyopia. The company has obtained patents in both India and the US for this novel approach.

Neurasim has collaborated with leading eye hospitals to bring this innovative technology to those in need. The company has also taken steps to ensure the accessibility of its product by offering the treatment at home. Patients can now receive initial therapy sessions at clinics and continue their treatments at home using VR headsets provided by Neurasim, making the therapy more convenient and scalable.

Scaling and commercialising Neurasim

One of the key challenges faced by Neurasim in the early stages was hardware dependency, but the team overcame this by making their software device-agnostic. Today, Neurasim runs on VR headsets from local Indian suppliers, which has facilitated the scaling process. The company has partnered with major eye hospital chains across the country, providing treatment at over 70 hospitals through a centralised approach.

Neurasim operates on a B2B model and is expanding to a B2B2C model, allowing clinics to provide home-based therapy to children and adults. This model is not only scalable but also economically viable, with each clinic capable of treating dozens of patients at home every month. With plans for further expansion, Neurasim aims to make a meaningful impact on the millions of children and adults affected by amblyopia.