ABB invests in start-up Stellapps, set to give Indian dairy economy a booster shot

Technology leader ABB has invested in a Bangalore-based startup Stellapps Technologies, India’s first end-to-end dairy supply chain solutions company, through its venture capital unit, ABB Technology Ventures (ATV). Stellapps is being used by over 750,000 farmers daily. This is ATV’s first investment in India, ABB revealed today. ABB's series B investment round was led by IndusAge Partners and included new investors Qualcomm Ventures and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (through its program-related investment team in London). Notably, India’s $70 billion dairy market is one of the largest in the world by volume. Grant Allen, Managing Director at ABB Technology Ventures said, "We believe their technology will have a major impact on India's thriving dairy economy, especially the many dairy farmers running smaller, home-based operations."  
 
The cornerstone of Stellapps solution is SmartMoo, an analytics solution that covers the entire value chain - milk production to farmer payments. SmartMoo can track an animal’s health and yield through a wearable sensor, measuring parameters such as milk quantity and yield, and monitor conditions under which the milk is stored, transported and distributed.
 
Stellapps effort is significant because it touches most lower-volume farmers who previously lacked actionable data to improve their operations but through this platform they are empowered as they receive immediate feedback and also have peer learning opportunities to improve productivity and boost income.  
 
In addition to the equity investment, Stellapps has separately initiated a strategic collaboration with ABB to create a digital offering for Indian customers to address operational challenges. Stellapps is also adding value for farmers through education on animal care related to milk production.
 
"Since meeting Stellapps, we’ve been impressed with their category-defining software and the large market opportunity ahead of them," said Grant Allen, Managing Director at ABB Technology Ventures. 

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On his part, Stellapps CEO Ranjith Mukundan said: “Stellapps is entering a stage of accelerating growth, and this strategic group of investment partners will be very valuable to scale our technology platform. We are excited to partner with ABB Technology Ventures and tap into ABB’s expertise and global reach for industrial automation solutions, particularly for food & beverage.”