Get All Access for $5/mo

The Ed-Tech Disruptor SpaceBasic caters to over 50 colleges and pan-Indian universities, including Shankar's alma mater, PES University, Manipal University, and REVA University, and 150k+ users with its digital campus facilities

By Saptak Bardhan

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

SpaceBasic
Madhavi Shankar, co-founder and CEO, SpaceBasic

Aby-chance meeting and a five-hour conversation is what led to conceptualizing SpaceBasic in 2017. A brainchild of Madhavi Shankar and Indu Navar, the startup aims at building a connected ecosystem in educational institutes across the country with digitized campus housing, integrated payments, digital cafeteria, smart IDs, etc. A graduate of computer science from CMR Institute of Technology, Bangalore, Shankar went on to do her master's in Engineering Management and Business Administration from University of Technology, Sydney. In Australia, she worked with an early stage software enterprise for four years and during that time realized that she wanted to start her own venture. In 2016, she met with a successful women entrepreneur and now co-founder from Silicon Valley and struck a conversation with her. The coincidental chat went on for a good five hours! And SpaceBasic was born. Shankar quit her job and returned to India to solve the problem in the education space. There she realized that over 80 percent of Indian universities used little technology outside the classroom. "Campus operations like student housing, managing cafeterias, and access control were ineffective and all performed manually with fragmented data sources. We knew there had to be a better way!," Shankar adds.

SpaceBasic caters to over 50 colleges and pan-Indian universities, including Shankar's alma mater, PES University, Manipal University, and REVA University, and 150k+ users with its digital campus facilities. Since its inception, SpaceBasic has been bootstrapped, but last year, it raised funds from early- stage VCs. The startup aims at reaching profitability by 2024 and plans to become a crossborder Software-as-a-Service company.

Saptak Bardhan

Former Trainee Writer

Former Trainee Writer
Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

News and Trends

Recur Club Announces Credit Offerings for Startups Beyond Series A and SMEs

In FY 24–25, the platform also plans to deploy an additional INR 2000 crores through its Recur Swift program for startups.

News and Trends

Lightspeed Leads USD 40 Mn Series B Funding for SolarSquare

The company plans to use the fresh funding to expand its footprint to 50 cities, enhance its technology, hire talent, and strengthen its brand presence.

News and Trends

growX Ventures Launches Fund II with a Target Corpus of INR 400 Cr

Fund II aims to target early-stage and growth-stage investments, backing 20–24 startups in deeptech sectors. It plans to deploy INR 10 crore in seed and INR 20–30 crore in Series B rounds.

News and Trends

Multiples Private Equity Leads INR 1000 Cr Funding in Shubham Housing

With the raised funds, the Gurugram-based platform aims to propel its growth trajectory, diversifying its product offerings and strengthening its national footprint.

News and Trends

India Moves Towards AI Regulation: IT Minister Highlights Need for Balanced Approach

Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, emphasized the importance of addressing fake news while upholding freedom of speech