WIRELESS CHARGING

This Bengaluru-based startup aims to make wireless charging popular

PowerSquare-B2C-Offerings Wireless charging devices offered by PowerSquare

In this age of smartphones it is a fact that majority of us start panicking when we run out of battery charge in our phones. An Indian startup now offers a solution to this problem. PowerSquare, a Bengaluru-based boot strapped hardware startup founded by Pavan Pudipeddi, Anand Katragadda and Naveen Chava is aiming to make wireless charging popular in India with a set of wireless chargers, which they are planning to market in the country. The company feels that charging with wires is cumbersome, causes dependency on the charger and is restrictive, requiring the user to be near the device. This company is making it possible to charge any device without wires, anytime and anywhere, and states that phone type, Operating System are soon going to be irrelevant with their chargers and any type of phone can be charged using their chargers.

Though the United States is still one of the largest markets for the wireless charging technology, India and China are not far behind though. “The potential is huge and the global wireless power market is expected to be $28 billion by 2022. We are seeing an evolving digital habit with the rise in youth population and also an increasing demand for smartphone devices and the consequent need for wireless charging. Today, there are more than 350 million smartphone users in India and this is projected to increase to a 500 million in the coming year. We expect that 10 per cent of these smartphones will be compatible to wireless charging in the next 18-24 months. Major handset manufacturers will soon start offering wireless charging across their phone models. This will help the technology reach the masses and give them the opportunity to enjoy the convenience of wireless charging at varied price points,” Pavan Pudipeddi, the founder and CEO of PowerSquare told THE WEEK.

Interestingly, Pudipeddi who has now relocated to India from the United States has developed technologies in power management, battery management, system design and product development for various companies including Texas Instruments in the US. He was one of the founding members of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), a multinational technology consortium that was formed to create and promote wide market adoption of the Qi standard, used for wireless charging in many products.

PowerSquare-Infrastructure-module PowerSquare's wireless charging module embedded in an office conference room

“We have identified three key places where a consumer charges their device – at home, while traveling and at work. We are focusing on bringing wireless charging solutions to all three sectors – B2C (Businesse to Consumer), automotive and infrastructure. Our direct customer offerings will primarily focus on wireless charging products that target charging at home and on the go. Our automotive solutions will offer 'Made-in-India’ solution for in-car wireless charging that will target the automotive manufacturers and in the infrastructure sector, we are aiming to integrate this technology in café's, large offices, airport lounges, hotels and also offer the underlying technology behind smart homes, smart offices and smart mobility systems,” explained Pudipeddi.

With complete R&D in Bengaluru and manufacturing in China, the company is ready with its wireless charging products and is planning to adopt a US-first strategy in the the next one month or so with its B2C products as it is a bigger and more evolved market. “We will be introducing the products to India within a few months of the US launch. Our strategy in India will not be just about selling products through e-commerce or retail stores like other brands, but providing a good user experience. We want to ensure that the consumers understand the technology and experience the convenience of using wireless charging in their life,” remarked Pudipeddi.

The company is also talking to many global automobile manufacturers who have a presence in India to bring this technology to automotive sector. At the same time, the company is also planning to roll its solutions to public places such as cafe's, restaurants and offices in India in the long run where consumers can experience the convenience of wireless charging and is in the process of talks with many of them.

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