Interview: Over 3 yrs WeHub raised funds worth Rs 36.2 Cr, incubated 148 start-ups
WE HUB is helping start-ups from various sectors by addressing their pandemic-related challenges, and then extensively mapping solutions for them with the prime goal of keeping their business afloat.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 16 Jan 2021 10:13 AM GMT
Deepthi Ravula is an electronics engineer with over 15 years of experience in RF communication. She worked in the US for Palm, Nokia, and Qualcomm before she joined the Telangana government as a joint director for electronics in 2016. A year later she was appointed the CEO of WE Hub. She envisions creating a gender-neutral work environment and constructing economic independence as a tool for empowerment. She is a strong proponent of girls in STE(A)M and women in decision-making spaces. Here is Deepthi Ravula in an exclusive interview with NewsMeter:
NewsMeter: How did WE HUB help startups during the pandemic crisis?
WE HUB: WE HUB is helping start-ups from various sectors by addressing their pandemic-related challenges, and then extensively mapping solutions for them with the prime goal of keeping their business afloat. We are helping start-ups to re-strategize and reconnect with the market after the pandemic is over.
As an enabler for Women Entrepreneurs, WE HUB's focus during this time of a global pandemic is entirely on ensuring that the start-ups we work with are able to sustain during this period. We are doing this by working with our start-ups 1-1 to guide them with interventions needed in organizational management, financial remodeling, financial Linkages including debit and credit linkages, Government liaising, new customer acquisition, product diversification, ideation including pivot on a few of our start-ups. With the steps being taken by the State and Central Government to contain the COVID-19 scenario, we as WE HUB are extending our support to Women led enterprises to sustain and scale and be prepared for the post lockdown scenarios
NewsMeter: What are WE HUB's plans for 2021?
WE HUB: We have created a strong set of new programmes to enable Entrepreneurship among women. We have also been able to establish WE HUB as a best practice model for entities working towards Women entrepreneurship due to which 8 new partners were on board.
In 2021, we are planning to start our International startup exchange programmes, build a stronger VC ecosystem so that more Women entrepreneurs can benefit from access to funding.
NewsMeter: Women entrepreneurs were impacted during the pandemic compared to other startups?
WE HUB: Covid-19 had a disproportionate impact on women all over the world. In India, which has a vast gender gap, women are even more vulnerable. South Asia has as many as 16 million women-owned businesses, fewer than 20% of all enterprises, with most of them largely single-person operations, and making survival crucial. Women-owned businesses saw a sharp decline in revenue: 73% reported being negatively impacted by the pandemic, and almost 20% were nearly wiped out.
NewsMeter: What future opportunities lie ahead for women-led start-ups in 2021?
WE HUB: For the last three years of our inception, WE HUB has been diligently working on becoming a unified physical platform which brings together the various intervention mechanisms in one place. We have created a fund of around Rs 36.2 crores, and incubated 148 start-ups, connected 43 partners, supported 276 start-ups across the ecosystem and generated 305 employments so far.
Due to conducive ecosystem, Women Entrepreneurs across sectors can have greater access to funding, technical support & mentoring along with increased opportunities for growth domestically and to international markets.
