NetApp Graduates Five Startups from Excellerator Program, Showcases Innovation in Deep Tech
Apr 06, 2024: NetApp, the intelligent data infrastructure company, celebrated the graduation of five startups from its flagship accelerator program, NetApp Excellerator, showcasing cutting-edge solutions in data management, neuroscience, and AI-based consumer insights. The demo day featured pitches from NEMA AI, Zeron, Chaos Genius, Kensu, and Blockfenders, highlighting the growing trend of data orchestration and security-focused businesses in the deep tech space.
NetApp, a leading player in intelligent data infrastructure, marked a significant milestone with the graduation of five startups from its renowned accelerator program, NetApp Excellerator. The demo day witnessed dynamic pitches from innovative ventures at the forefront of data management, neuroscience, and AI-driven consumer insights. The startups, namely NEMA AI, Zeron, Chaos Genius, Kensu, and Blockfenders, demonstrated groundbreaking solutions aimed at addressing contemporary challenges and shaping the future of technology.
Ravi Chhabria, Managing Director at NetApp India, commended the entrepreneurial spirit and collaborative effort demonstrated by the graduating startups. He emphasized the pivotal role of deep tech in offering unique data-centric solutions and driving business innovation. The cohort’s diversity and inclusion efforts were also lauded, with 18 startups mentored under NetApp ExcellerateHER, an initiative supporting women-led startups in navigating specific challenges.
Among the graduating startups, NEMA AI, Chaos Genius, and Zeron, co-founded by women entrepreneurs, showcased their pioneering contributions to neuroscience, data optimization, and cybersecurity, respectively. NEMA AI’s advancements in AI-based consumer insights are reshaping strategies across sectors, while Chaos Genius empowers organizations with data optimization tools, yielding valuable insights for informed decision-making. Zeron, a cybersecurity venture, offers a comprehensive solution for enhanced data security and decision-making accuracy.
The Excellerator program’s impact extends beyond graduation, with alumni startups collectively raising over 360 million USD, underscoring its role as a catalyst for deep tech innovation. Notable successes include successful exits by eight startups in the past five years, highlighting the program’s efficacy in fostering entrepreneurial growth and industry disruption.
Launched in 2017, the NetApp Excellerator Program has garnered acclaim as one of India’s top five accelerator programs for corporate innovation, featuring a proof-of-concept (PoC) model that enables startups to showcase their solutions in real-world scenarios. From Cohort 12, Chaos Genius, Kensu, and Blockfenders have completed PoCs with NetApp, delivering tangible benefits such as operational efficiency improvements and cost savings.
Kensu’s AI-powered data observation platform, for instance, addresses challenges in ActiveIQ Data Lake management, ensuring efficient data quality control in real time. With 10,000 tables ingested in real time, Kensu’s platform swiftly identifies and addresses data discrepancies, enhancing overall data management efficiency.
NetApp’s Excellerator Program continues to be a beacon of innovation and collaboration in the deep tech landscape, empowering startups to drive meaningful change and business transformation. The graduation of Cohort 12 startups underscores the program’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship, diversity, and technological advancement, while delivering tangible value to industry stakeholders and society at large.
