Wenalytics Sets New Standards of Operational Efficiency
Optimizing Resources and Solving Real Problems for Facilities Managers Using Intuitive Tools Created with Human Beings in Mind.
Hriday Yallapragada, CEO of Wenalytics, has a passion for creating sustainably built spaces. He also cares about making life easier for the humans who manage facilities.
“Buildings are where humans work and play,” Yallapragada says. “Almost 40 percent of carbon emissions come from buildings. There is a need for a new way to manage these resources.”
Wenalytics, a technology business at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) is on the path of that new way. The company’s AI-driven platform digitizes facility operations using IoT devices and software for all facets of facility operations, giving facility managers innovative, easy-to-use tools to use their assets more efficiently.
Managing Built Spaces from Basement to Roof
Yallapragada and co-founder Sunil Desu started Wenanalytics with the intention of saving water and electricity. The two co-founders found each other through a Google search on the Internet.
“We took a deep dive approach,” said Yallapragada. “We went into 150 glass buildings of all sizes to understand how water and electricity are coming into these buildings and how they are managing these resources.”
Yallapragada describes their initial learnings as tremendous. “We saw scenarios from buildings new to old that were using several different types of systems and struggling with efficiency. We envisioned a software platform that converged these technologies into a single pane of glass.”
Their concept was taking shape with market interest, and then…Covid happened, and all real estate was shut down.
A Pivot and Strategic International Partnerships
“We focused on building strategic partnerships with facility management companies,” Yallapragada said, “and have partnered with one of the biggest real estate operations in the world. Even though they are mammoth, and we are pretty small, the fact that our software platform has an open interface and is API-enabled, plus all the technical capabilities we have deployed with sensors and software, solidified our partnership.”
The business relationship deals with Asia-Pacific properties, primarily in India. Wenalytics devices are easy to install and scale.
“We have deployed our sensors and software in their buildings and integrated with their existing platforms,” Yallapragada said. “At every milestone, we delivered what we promised. We are startup-agile, able to move fast and customize.”
With Wenalytics, facility managers can gain a micro and macro perspective of water, energy, lighting, air quality, washrooms, fire-pump health, and more. From maintaining critical equipment in hospitals to preventing outages in high-rise residential properties to optimizing utilities and human resources in commercial real estate, Wenalytics cost-effectively improves operational efficiency and safety.
“We are in a great situation,” Yallapragada said. “We have ties with multiple hardware manufacturers both in India and the U.S. With our product built, we are focusing on market development, growth strategies, and customer acquisition.”
Building a Company in the Midwest
Hriday Yallapragada was born and raised in India. That’s where he and co-founder Desu originally had the idea and created the vision for Wenalytics. Now, CEO Yallapragada is building the company from the Midwest and CTO Desu is managing technical development in India.
“We were waiting for the right moment to go international,” Yallapragada said, “all the while testing out the product and staying consistent with the value proposition. However, life happens. My wife is in medicine. She was trained in pediatric cardiology in the U.S., and we chose Columbus to build our family and our careers.”
Wenalytics is in the second cohort of Rev1’s customer to capital accelerator.
“Columbus is doing a phenomenal job with the startup ecosystem,” Yallapragada said. “I met one of the advisors at Rev1, and he told me how to go to their website and get started. There are tons of resources. Entrepreneurs have access to all those resources and partners through Rev1. It is up to us how we use those resources to our advantage.”
As an entrepreneur, Yallapragada emphasizes two things. “Talk to your prospects to understand their world and their pain in a deeper way,” he said. “Know your industry. Be a subject matter expert. There is no right answer in entrepreneurship. Markets evolve.”
