Shivaram NV, the Chief Engineer at Ather Energy, had many promising ideas for a small startup but needed more time, money, and people to build prototypes and test each one.  Using MATLAB and Simulink for Model-Based Design, Ather could identify and validate the best ideas through simulation, which made it possible to deliver a full-feature scooter in record time. 

Ather Energy has developed India’s first intelligent electric scooter in response to the need for cleaner alternatives. This was possible due to MathWorks, a 40-year-old leading developer of mathematical computing software for engineers and scientists.

Shivaram says using Simulink models for simulations allowed them to test design ideas and evaluate performance under different operating conditions, such as extreme temperatures, inclines, multiple riders, or low battery levels.  But Ather Energy isn’t the only one benefiting from MathWorks expertise. MATLAB and Simulink are helping accelerate the pace of discovery, innovation, and development at organizations like Boeing and Airbus to Tata Motors and Mercedes-Benz Group to Honeywell, Qualcomm and Philips Healthcare. 

With more than five million users in over 190 countries, MATLAB and Simulink are used as fundamental computing, modeling, and simulation tools for research and development. The software is used in several industries, from aerospace and automotive to biotech, energy production, financial services, medical devices, and semiconductors.

After helping scientists and engineers achieve  their goals with MATLAB and Simulink for nearly four decades, MathWorks enables startups to rapidly advance their product development through the MathWorks Accelerator and Startup Programs.  Shivaram NV and Hari Vasudevan, Head of Vehicle Firmware and System Intelligence at Ather Energy, reminisce about their early days.  

“In 2015, when we were a small group of engineers ambitious enough to build India’s first smart electric scooter, the MathWorks Startup Program helped ramp up the pace of engineering at Ather by introducing us to Model-Based Design. Fast forward by eight years, four generations of scooters, and three generations of charging infrastructure, we are more invested in this philosophy to a point where all microcontrollers on board the vehicle and charging infrastructure host a massive chunk of code generated through model-based design,” Shivaram says. 

Startups like Xfinito Biodesigns, Satin Healthtech, and Exponent Energy have availed benefits beyond licensing from the MathWorks Accelerator Program and also published their stories on the MathWorks platform. 

Taking ideas from concept to prototype to production  

Sunil Motwani, Country Manager, Sales and Service at MathWorks India, shares that the MathWorks Accelerator Program has grown to 150+ partnerships in India over the last five years. It has partnered with key government programmes such as Atal Innovation Mission, MietY Startup Hub, and STPI, along with academic and corporate collaborations such as the Qualcomm Design in India Challenge, Shell E4, and more.  

The MathWorks Accelerator Program is an in-kind software sponsorship. Startups in a partner accelerator are eligible for up to 10 free user licences for 12 months. Startups are treated as full commercial customers, with technical support and guidance from domain experts, while receiving free access to industry-proven software for the first year. 

“Besides easy access to our tools, we help startups through technical mentoring and joint promotions. It is heartening to see how startups leverage these programmes to reach their milestones faster and amplify their stories. We look forward to growing the programme in India and positively impacting the Indian startup ecosystem,” Motwani adds. 

There is no cost or IT administration burden to the accelerator or the startups it supports. This is available for all startups incubated at MathWorks partner accelerators, regardless of size or funding. The MathWorks Accelerator Program aims to give quick access to startups without adding additional administrative overload for the accelerator management. Andrew Willard, MathWorks Global Manager for Startups, shared that the company launched the startup offering as a pilot project in 2013. 

“We saw a need to support entrepreneurs beyond offering software at a low cost. We took our time reworking the programme over the next few years as we expanded into new regions and countries. Now our offering goes beyond licensing.  “MathWorks India began offering the accelerator and startup programme in 2019, and we have seen a tremendous effort by the national and state governments to support startups, incubators, and entrepreneurs,” he adds. 

What’s in it for startups?  

One year of free access to MATLAB, Simulink, and over 100 add-on toolboxes 

• Training options in local languages and 50% off on training credits 
• Opportunities to showcase technology or solutions at MathWorks events 
• Co-marketing opportunities to amplify reach through MathWorks channels 

If startups are unfamiliar with the tools, they receive exclusive invitations to MathWorks’ virtual and in-person events tailored specifically for startups.

Additionally, there are startup-exclusive events such as Startup Demo Day, where startups can pitch their ideas to a network of investors and make valuable connections. Satya Swaroop Beegala, robot architect at Unbox Robotics, talks about developing warehouse automation solutions using a swarm of mobile robots. “Being a part of the MathWorks Program, we got free access to MATLAB and Simulink at an early stage. 

This helped us solve problems that are counter-intuitive in the robot. Mathematical modelling of the system and simulations gave us insights into various crucial parameters to evaluate control strategies. It helped us achieve optimal control for the robot navigation stack, with a clear understanding of all stability dynamics in the system,” he adds.