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Startups · Kanpur

The startup picture in Kanpur

Everything startup in one place: who's building, how the landscape clusters, the people and investors behind it, and whether the capital is real.

AI verdict · codex · ground-checked

Venture funding is the ecosystem's obvious thin spot. Only 95 of 1195 tracked companies have ever raised outside money, while the nearby comparison puts Lucknow at 111 funded startups. Kanpur creates companies, but capital reaches a small minority and does not match the city's industrial or research depth.

WATCH Watch for repeat funding and a larger seed pipeline among the city's young companies.
AI verdict · codex · ground-checked

Startup formation is lively, but durability is mixed. Since 2018, 433 companies were founded, while 15.2% of all tracked companies have shut down and most remain unfunded. Kanpur is not short of entrepreneurial starts; the harder task is helping them survive and reach capital.

WATCH Watch whether young firms move from formation into seed funding and durable operation.
Who's building in Kanpur
JK Cement logo
JC

JK Cement

Manufacturer of cement, gypsum plaster, tile adhesives, and wood finishing products

est. 1975 · 4,196 staff · raised outside money
Madhavkrishna Singhania — CEO & Managing Director
Leayan logo
L

Leayan

Leather and footwear manufacturing

est. 1988 · 1,750 staff · raised outside money
Manoj Gyanchandani — Founder & Managing Director
Super Tannery logo
ST

Super Tannery

World's leading Buffalo leather tannery with sustainability

est. 1953 · 498 staff · raised outside money
Tanveer Amin — CEO
Phool logo
P

Phool

Phool.co - Turning Temple Flowers into Organic Products

est. 2015 · 229 staff · raised outside money
Ankit Agarwal — Founder & CEO · Symbiosis International University
Ganesha Ecosphere logo
GE

Ganesha Ecosphere

Leading manufacturer and provider of recycling products.

est. 1987 · 221 staff · raised outside money
Shyam Sunder Sharmma — Founder & Managing Director
MKU logo
M

MKU

Advanced Electro-Optic Armour Solutions

est. 1982 · 175 staff · raised outside money
G Gupta — Founder
Superhouse Group logo
SG

Superhouse Group

Multi-unit conglomerate in leather goods and footwear manufacturing

est. 1980 · 163 staff · raised outside money
Mukhtarul Amin — MD
David Freedman — CEO
Objectify Technologies logo
OT

Objectify Technologies

Objectify Technologies - Complete range of Additive Manufacturing Solutions in India

est. 2013 · 99 staff · raised outside money
Arpit Sahu — Co-Founder · MS Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Ankit Sahu — Co-Founder & CEO
Regency Healthcare logo
RH

Regency Healthcare

Regency Health: Established Healthcare Institution with Tech-Enabled Services

est. 1995 · 75 staff · raised outside money
Hikmah Yusida — CEO
Kothari Products logo
KP

Kothari Products

Real estate development and investment company

est. 1983 · 31 staff · raised outside money
Deepak Kothari — Managing Director
Trident Analytical Solutions logo
TA

Trident Analytical Solutions

Social media monitoring tool and analytics service provider

est. 2010 · 30 staff · raised outside money
Nikhil Tiwari — Co-Founder
Amaresh Misra — Co-Founder
CUGL logo
C

CUGL

Distributor of gas in Kanpur

est. 2005 · 25 staff · raised outside money
Ranjan Dwivedi — Managing Director
AhaTaxis logo
A

AhaTaxis

AHA Taxis - One-way outstation taxi service provider with a network of vendors across India.

est. 2015 · 22 staff · raised outside money
Praveen Samariya — Co-Founder
Kunal Krishna — Co-Founder
E-Spin Nanotech logo
EN

E-Spin Nanotech

High-tech enterprise specializing in manufacturing high quality and cost-effective multi-functional nanofibers

est. 2010 · 21 staff · raised outside money
Sandip Patil — Founder Director
Jagruti Sandip Patil — Founder
Empoweru logo
E

Empoweru

Cloud-based institute management system and analytics software provider

est. 2015 · 13 staff · raised outside money
Onkar Prasad — Founder and CEO · Master of Technology IIT Kanpur
IAITO logo
I

IAITO

Provider of diversified location tracking systems

est. 2006 · 9 staff · raised outside money
Mukesh Singh — Co-Founder
Anand Shenoy — Co-Founder
RF Nanocomposites logo
RN

RF Nanocomposites

RF Nanocomposites - Developing cutting-edge microwave absorbers for defense, space, and commercial applications

est. 2021 · 5 staff · raised outside money
Vishal Kumar — Founder
Saptkrishi Scientific logo
SS

Saptkrishi Scientific

SaptKrishi: Agri-Tech start-up focused on reducing waste and transforming rural South-East Asia.

est. 2019 · 4 staff · raised outside money
Rashmi Jha — Co-Founder
Nikky Jha — Co-Founder & CEO · MS Nalanda University
Greengine logo
G

Greengine

Environmental services and products for a sustainable future

est. 2015 · 1 staff · raised outside money
Nitin Srivastava — Founder · Master of Technology Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
HL Agro logo
HA

HL Agro

HL Agro: Combining Traditional Agriculture with Technology

est. 2010 · 1 staff · raised outside money
Ashok Sahu — Founder
Akhilesh Sahu — Managing Director
Reimagine Evolve Design logo
RE

Reimagine Evolve Design

Developer of medical devices for diagnosing urinary tract infections and cervical cancer

est. 2019 · raised outside money
Rahul Rajan — Co-Founder
Deeksha Pandey — Co-Founder & Director
VB

Vasundhara Biofibers

Manufacturer of biodegradable packaging materials derived from processed agricultural waste

est. 2022 · raised outside money
Preeti Singh — Founder & CEO
33Coupons logo
3

33Coupons

Online verified coupons and deals

est. 2015 · raised outside money
Sanjeev Kumar — Founder
Agnys logo
A

Agnys

Provider of waste management services

est. 2018 · raised outside money
Isha Vishan — Co-Founder
The startup landscape, clustered
cluster · 147 companies

Consumer Goods

33 founded since 2018 · 8 funded

Sub-themes
footwear brands · 29food & beverage products · 23pet care products · 21fashion accessories · 18home care products · 14beauty & personal care products · 11

e.g. Namaste India Foods, Leayan, AFPL Global

cluster · 141 companies

Business Services

51 founded since 2018 · 7 funded

Sub-themes
it services · 54marketing services · 39hr services · 8erp services · 8blockchain services · 6management consulting services · 5

e.g. SS4 Security, VSS, ALPINE TECHNOLOGIES

cluster · 125 companies

Retail

61 founded since 2018 · 12 funded

Sub-themes
fashion tech · 28beauty tech · 11horizontal e-commerce · 11b2c e-commerce · 10wholesalers · 10b2b e-commerce · 9

e.g. Z Square Mall, Phool, Stonemen Crafts India

cluster · 117 companies

Consumer

56 founded since 2018 · 5 funded

Sub-themes
fashion tech · 28local services · 19b2c e-commerce · 14religion tech · 10logistics tech · 10professional consumer services · 6

e.g. Phool, Truely Marry, Khanna Hyundai

cluster · 74 companies

Healthcare

22 founded since 2018 · 5 funded

Sub-themes
hospitals · 23biopharma outsourcing · 7pharmaceutical distributors · 6traditional medical devices · 5alternative medicine products · 4hospital chains · 4

e.g. Ramamedicalcolleges, NephroCare, Regency Healthcare

cluster · 66 companies

Food And Agriculture

16 founded since 2018 · 3 funded

Sub-themes
food & beverage products · 21food processing · 7food distributors · 6food packaging · 5food service chains · 4animal feed and nutrition · 4

e.g. Namaste India Foods, Mayur Group, Mohani Tea Leaves

cluster · 65 companies

Education

20 founded since 2018

Sub-themes
higher education institutions · 19k-12 schools · 16educational support services · 7continuing education chains · 6continuing education centres · 5test preparation centres · 4

e.g. Jaipuria, GSVM Medical College, Rama University

cluster · 57 companies

Enterprise Applications

22 founded since 2018 · 8 funded

Sub-themes
marketingtech · 13hrtech · 12enterprise resource planning · 8enterprise software · 7saas · 7adtech · 6

e.g. Objectify Technologies, Grahaak, Trident Analytical Solutions

cluster · 47 companies

Edtech

22 founded since 2018 · 1 funded

Sub-themes
k-12 edtech · 15test preparation tech · 13continued learning · 12higher education tech · 9mom & baby care · 3artificial intelligence · 2

e.g. Empoweru, NutSpace, My Pathshala

cluster · 43 companies

Chemicals And Materials

9 founded since 2018 · 1 funded

Sub-themes
diversified chemicals · 12polymers · 5metals and alloys · 4cleaning chemicals · 4flavors and fragrances · 2agrochemicals · 2

e.g. Resinova Chemie, Kanpur PLastipack, Lohia Group

Business models in play
diversified · 198horizontal · 121internet first brand · 67multi category · 67multi-category · 57retailer · 38b2c commerce · 38marketplace · 38ecommerce · 36full service marketing agency · 35suite · 35fashion · 31
The people behind them
founder & backgroundrolecompany
Tanveer Amin
University of Northampton BSc 2007
CEOSuper Tannery
Ankit Agarwal
Founder Phool, Unreasonable, Acumen, Asia Society | Ex-Oikos Foundation, Symantec | PICT 2011, Symbiosis International University
Founder & CEOPhool
Shyam Sunder Sharmma
Ex-Birla Group Companies.
Founder & Managing DirectorGanesha Ecosphere
G Gupta
Founder-MKU
FounderMKU
Arpit Sahu
IIT Kanpur MS 2013
Co-FounderObjectify Technologies
Ankit Sahu
RV College Of Engineering BE 2010, University of Warwick MS 2012.
Co-Founder & CEOObjectify Technologies
Deepak Kothari
Managing Director-Kothari Products
Managing DirectorKothari Products
Kunal Krishna
Aha Taxis, ex-Copper Mobile, ex-Carma Venture Services, Savitribai Phule Pune University, 2005
Co-FounderAhaTaxis
Sandip Patil
Founder At Ceo E Spin Nanotech, ex-Indian Institute Of Technology Kanpur, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, 2011
Founder DirectorE-Spin Nanotech
Onkar Prasad
Founder Promorph Capital- Your Fundraising Companion, ex-Aarsh Management Solutions. Bhilai Institute of Technology Durg BE 2009,
Founder and CEOEmpoweru
Mukesh Singh
Ex- IIT Kanpur. CCS University BE 2003
Co-FounderIAITO
Vishal Kumar
Rf Nanocomposites, ex-Indian Institute Of Technology Kanpur, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, 2021
FounderRF Nanocomposites
Nikky Jha
Co-Founder-Saptkrishi | Ex-Urinalytics healthcare,Co-Founder-SaptKrishi Scientific,YSI | GL Bajaj Institute of Technology and Mana
Co-Founder & CEOSaptkrishi Scientific
Nitin Srivastava
Ex-DIAGEO India, Toshiba India. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University BTech 2009, IIT Kanpur MTech 2011
FounderGreengine
Ashok Sahu
Founder-HL Agro Products
FounderHL Agro
Akhilesh Sahu
Managing Director-HL Agro Products
Managing DirectorHL Agro
Sanjeev Kumar
Regional Head Sales & Marketing - CERA Sanitaryware Ltd.
Founder33Coupons
Isha Vishan
HDFC Bank, Engineers India, SIDBI Innovation and Incubation Centre IIT Kanpur. Amity University Lucknow Campus BTech 2012, Indian
Co-FounderAgnys
Dhirendra Singh
Ex- IIT Kanpur, GsGeoEnvirons. Northern India Engineering College BE 2003, Institute of Engineering and Technology 2009, UPTU 2015
CEOAirshed
Amit Malik
Hitech Enviro Solutions, ex-HORIBA India, Gulf And World Traders, Transasia Bio-Medicals. BTE - Engineering 1997, SMU MBA
Co-Founder & CEOAmdus Technologies

backgrounds shown where available

Investors active in Kanpur

216 investors are on record backing Kanpur companies. The most committed:

Most active — backed 2+ companies
Startup Incubation and InnStartup Incubation and Innovation Centre: 3333Indian Institute of TechnoIndian Institute of Technology Kanpur: 1010BIRACBIRAC: 55Incubation Centre IIT PatnIncubation Centre IIT Patna: 33Draper Richards Kaplan FouDraper Richards Kaplan Foundation: 22Social AlphaSocial Alpha: 22Abhimanyu SinghAbhimanyu Singh: 22Rakesh SuriRakesh Suri: 22Rituraj KanudiaRituraj Kanudia: 22Rajkiran PanugantiRajkiran Panuganti: 22Yogesh ChaudharyYogesh Chaudhary: 22Darshan RathodDarshan Rathod: 22
Institutional
Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre · accelerator / incubatorSocial Alpha · accelerator / incubatorIIM Lucknow Enterprise Incubation Center · accelerator / incubatorSixth Sense Ventures · VC fundiYa Ventures · VC fundIIMA Ventures · VC fundIFCI Venture Capital Funds · VC fundNorwest · VC fundLead Angels · VC fundRosh Capital · VC fundBroadbean Capital · VC fundACT Grants · accelerator / incubatorVillage Capital · accelerator / incubatorBOLLEMPALLI VENKATA PHANI · VC fund+ 17 more
Private & corporate backers
Indian Institute of Technology KanpurBIRACIncubation Centre IIT PatnaDraper Richards Kaplan FoundationAbhimanyu SinghRakesh SuriRituraj KanudiaRajkiran PanugantiYogesh ChaudharyDarshan Rathod+ 175 more

hover a name to see who they backed

Venture capital
Funded startups — peer cities
LucknowLucknow: 111111KanpurKanpur: 9595VaranasiVaranasi: 1818AgraAgra: 1414PrayagrajPrayagraj: 1212
Companies that have raised
companyindustryroundslatest roundfounded
Leayanapparel & fashion12011-091988
33Couponsinternet12015-072015
Regency Healthcarehealth, wellness and fitness22023-111995
RF Nanocompositesother materials02025-022021
Saptkrishi Scientificfarming0—2019
Oat Mlkfood production12022-042021
Simactricalselectrical equipment32024-032020
SimDaaS Autonomy.automotive02025-012023
SyncPhasorAIanalytics02024-122022
Taralityfinancial services0—2021
Trident Analytical Solutionsinformation technology and services32016-052010
TDeFiinformation technology and services2—2020
TerrAqua UAVaviation & aerospace0—2018
Thecyclespirit.comautomotive0—2023
Space Philicaviation & aerospace0—2022
Superhouse Groupapparel & fashion0—1980
Super Tanneryconsumer goods0—1953
Treacle Technologiessecurity12025-012021
True Vinoconsumer goods0—2012
Urinalyticsmonitoring equipment0—2018
REGENMEDICAbiotechnology0—2022
Kinoko biotechpharmaceuticals0—2020
Naveli India Biotechpersonal products0—2022
Clifton Securitiesreal estate32021-101994
Techsolver Communications and Innovative Platformsbiotechnology0—2018

round amounts sparse for tier-3 cities — counts shown, dollar totals withheld

Founded by year
2026: 1200820261
Stages
UnfundedUnfunded: 690690DeadpooledDeadpooled: 182182Funding RaisedFunding Raised: 6060PublicPublic: 2626SeedSeed: 2020PrivatePrivate: 33AcquiredAcquired: 33Series BSeries B: 22Series ASeries A: 22Early StageEarly Stage: 11
Recent founds (2018+)
companyindustryfoundedemployees
HealthBanyanhealth, wellness and fitness2026—
Zenherhealth, wellness and fitness2025—
Carbon Mandiconsumer goods2025—
PickYourHirestaffing and recruiting2025—
Appingreenfarming2025—
Estate 360 Infotechreal estate2025—
Level Up Textilesapparel & fashion2025—
Snekafinancial services2025—
Specker.aie-learning2025—
Sunzerorenewables & environment2025—
Tepi AIeducation management2025—
VB Hotelshospitality2025—
Yzcoolingservices.comconsumer electronics2024—
Zeckartretail2024—
Zorchamarketing and advertising2024—
ROCKETFUELmanagement consulting2024—
Roxannehouse-hold services2024—
Dimira Technologieselectrical/electronic manufacturing2024—
Akunka Foodsfood production2024—
Ancient Arteretail2024—

gate: ≥150 companies & ≥20 recent founds — passed (1195/433)

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