Akshata Sharma
Share
Abhishek Gupta was inspired to take action after witnessing someone urinating on a wall despite the availability of a nearby toilet. This sparked a life-changing decision for him.
In response to an incident, he focused on cleanliness and proper sanitation.
After discussions with Abhinav, a student at IIT Bombay, they developed a prototype app to locate toilets and dustbins by August 2017.
They founded WeVOIS Labs Pvt. Ltd. in 2017 and began researching waste management problems.
Despite the rejection, they eventually secured a partnership in April 2019 but encountered challenges such as a worker strike on the first day of waste collection.
"This led us to understand the psychology of the workers": Abhishek told Startup Pedia.
Starting with 10,000 households, five developers, eight operations staff, and twenty-five sanitation workers using municipal vehicles, WeVois's journey took off.
Abhishek Gupta and Abhinav Vashistha, co-founders of WeVois, come from middle-class families.
Abhishek graduated from IIIT Jabalpur and later completed his post-graduation at IIM Ahmedabad.
Abhinav, with a passion for technology and innovation, met Abhishek at IIIT Jabalpur, and they shared a dream of a cleaner India.
WeVois uses technology to collect wet and solid waste separately and has a system for real-time tracking of waste collection vehicles. They serve around 15 cities in India, achieving a collection efficiency of 90-95%.
The company started with a daily waste collection of 15-18 tons, which has increased to 1,200 tons, and they have expanded their workforce significantly.
WeVois also produces compost from over 5,000 tons of wet waste, positively impacting sanitation conditions and the lives of sanitation workers.
The Jaipur-based entrepreneur said while talking to Startup Pedia, "By improving waste management efficiency and ensuring fair wages, the lifestyle of our sanitation workers has improved, many of whom have been able to purchase homes and vehicles."
WeVois, a waste management startup based in Jaipur, has shown significant financial growth. The company's revenue has increased from Rs 3.16 crore in its first year to Rs 30 crore in its fifth year, and is projected to reach Rs 60-70 crore this year.
The startup has secured $4 million in funding in its pre-series A round, with a valuation of approximately $25-30 million (around Rs 220 crore).
The company aims to expand into states such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra, growing its operations to 250-300 cities in India over the next five years.
--Advertisement--
