Sepal, a Hyderabad-based startup that makes accessories for two-wheeler, has raised an undisclosed amount in a round led by SucSEED Venture Partners, along with other angel investors. The fund raised will be used for product development and penetrating into the last-mile delivery market.
Sepal’s product is a water-repellent canopy for two-wheelers with an integrated heads-up display (HUD). This allows users to navigate, answer calls and stream music, among others.
The startup also claims to provide complete environmental protection. The accessory is collapsible and can be attached to any motorcycle.
“India overtook China as the largest producer of two wheelers (23 million in 2017-18) and if Sepal’s product is received well in the market, it could be part of custom-offering from the bike manufacturers as well,” Saurabh Sharma, an investor with SucSEED said.
Founded in 2017 by Vidhey Addepally and Sriram Kashyap, the startup was incubated in Desai Sethi centre for entrepreneurship at IIT Bombay. Sepal is a revolutionary bike accessory designed by a group of IIT engineers to give riders complete control over their journey.
It is a collapsible roof that can be quickly attached to any motorcycle and it shall provide the riders with complete protection from Sun, rain dust and even cold, entirely on-demand.
Also, it is integrated with electronics, handle buttons and a mobile app to provide the riders with all IOT comforts present in a car such as navigation, call alerts, and music.
While, founded in 2016, SucSEED has invested across sectors including fintech, edtech, real-estate technology, and enterprise Software as a Service (SAAS).
“Globally, the two-wheeler industry amounts to a $190 billion market and in India alone, we have over 200 million two-wheelers on roads. SucSEED believes that there are great opportunities in India’s automobile segment due to reliance on vehicles for personal commute and delivery needs,” Vikrant Varshney, co-founder and partner at SucSEED said.
Furthermore, SucSEED is also targeting the business delivery partners of major startups including Swiggy, Zomato, Grofers, and Flipkart.