Srinagar- Two young founders of the startup Curve Electric captivated millions on Shark Tank India Season 4, bringing a slice of Kashmiri ingenuity to the national stage.
The startup, led by entrepreneurs Sheikh Yameen & Zubair Bhat, presented their innovative e-bike sharing solution, winning admiration from the judges and showcasing the transformative potential of sustainable urban mobility.
According to the founders of this startup, Curve Electric blends modern technology with a deep commitment to environmental sustainability.
“We have already completed 55,000 rides, 720,000 kms & have saved 145 metric tonnes of carbon emissions. Our pitch not only highlighted the strides we have made with partnerships, but also our ambitious plans for collaboration with major institutions & hotel chains,” said Sheikh Yameen, co-founder of Curve electric.
The young Kashmiri entrepreneurs Zubair and Yameen pitched their sustainable e-bike service Curve Electric to the panel of ‘sharks’, which included Anupam Mittal, Vineeta Singh, Aman Gupta, Peyush Bansal and newcomer Kunal Bahl leaving all the ‘sharks’ impressed by the entrepreneur’s tenacity and drive.
They said that they currently operate in Kashmir, but want to expand operations to several other mountain towns such as Shimla and Mussoorie.
“We also laid out plans to expand in college campuses across the country, and said that there are 1,400 such campuses that they can capture. We have devised our own bikes, and ask for no app downloads, no security deposits from their customers,” Yameen said.
Peyush was impressed by the entrepreneurs’ ability to erase all the on-boarding issues that customers might have.
Vineeta explained, “There is a little complexity here. There is a lot of dependence on governments, and from what I’ve seen in all the other companies, the setting that you have to do with governments and local bodies, it becomes a make or break situation. Your expansion will not depend on your ambition, it will depend on where you get the local support.” Yameen nodded in agreement, and said that they haven’t had any losses yet, and have raised a round of investment already, valuing their company at Rs 8.5 crore.
Although all the Sharks backed out of the deal, Peyush bid the founders farewell on a positive note.
Addressing Yameen, Piyush said, “It’s like looking in a mirror, you are me. You are saying everything I would have said 10 years back. The detailed customer-focused obsession you have, I have not seen in Shark Tank in four years.”
In the end, the two entrepreneurs walked away with no deal, but loads of positive wishes.
Speaking about the experience, Yameen said, “Shark Tank India gave us an incredible platform to share our dream of revolutionizing urban mobility. Coming from Srinagar, this journey represents not just Curve Electric, but the untapped potential of Kashmiri youth. We’re excited for what lies ahead.”
The post first appeared on Kashmir Observer
