Innovation often begins not in labs but in lived experiences. For Johnson Tellis and his three co-founders Sujay, Preetham and Gautham, the seed for InUnity was sown during a 7-day technical competition at an IIT. Forced to remain within campus due to inadequate and unsafe local infrastructure, a question lingered: why weren’t India’s brightest solving the very problems in their own backyards?
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That insight grew into InUnity, short for “Innovation for CommUnity” Launched in 2022 in Mangaluru, Karnataka, InUnity is an education innovation startup focused on transforming Tier 2 and Tier 3 institutions into regional engines of entrepreneurship, innovation, and impact.
Learning by Doing: The Genesis of a Mission
The founders’ journey began at Sahyadri College of Engineering & Management, where they formed a club called DREAMERS. Their experiential approach to engineering, through projects, challenges, and hands-on learning, led four of them to launch startups (including one backed by Shark Tank’s Peyush Bansal) and others to global institutions like NASA.
“The fact that we, from a relatively unknown college, could build ventures and secure elite opportunities convinced us—this potential exists in every Tier 2/3 college,” says Tellis, now InUnity’s CEO.
The Cluster Innovation Model
At the heart of InUnity’s work is its Cluster Innovation Ecosystem—a model that scales innovation hubs across regions by identifying a lead host institution and integrating its proprietary platform, Inpulse. From there, it deploys a suite of interventions:
- Educational Framework Consulting: Aligning institutional culture with innovation goals.
- Experiential Learning Programs: Bootcamps, Career focused tracks, and innovation internships.
- Platform Integration: Recommending right Mentors/ coaches based on progress.
- Community Collaboration: Real-world challenges and regional problem solving.
This holistic approach has seen success across 50+ institutions, reaching 31,944 students, supporting 853 prototypes, and giving rise to 22 student-led startups.
Building With Purpose, Not Just Scale
InUnity’s core mission is to build 100 such hubs by 2030, reaching over a million students. The startup is unique in its Tier 2/3-first strategy, embedding innovation within the community rather than parachuting programs from urban centres.
“We’re not just training students—we’re cultivating local Innovation ecosystems,” says COO Gautham Nayak. Key partnerships with the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission, ComedKares, and Mangaluru City Police have fueled initiatives like the award-winning Bandobast App and AI-enabled community tools. Meanwhile, students have launched impactful ventures like:
- Sonic Lamb: Shark Tank-funded hybrid headphones.
- MozziQuit: Eco-friendly mosquito control.
- Hatchwell Technologies: Low-cost incubators for rural farmers.
A Revenue Model Rooted in Value
InUnity operates through multiple revenue streams, primarily focusing on program implementation for institutions and CSR partners & Platform-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscriptions. The long term focus is to generate wealth through the incubation and commercialisation of student innovations and Talent On Demand / Supply. This diversified model enables the organisation to remain self-funded while preparing to raise strategic capital aimed at scaling the Inpulse platform and expanding its footprint into new states and countries.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
Scaling while maintaining contextual relevance is InUnity’s toughest challenge. “We realised early that institutions take time to transform—but when they do, the change is profound and lasting,” Tellis reflects.
To navigate this, the team focuses on building long-term relationships, prioritising outcomes over optics, and recruiting facilitators deeply aligned with the mission.
Short-term goals include expanding across South India and launching the Talent on Cloud initiative to connect students with GIG opportunities. Long-term, InUnity aims to support 1,000 startups and become the talent engine for regional India.
The Human Element
Beyond the numbers lies a deeper purpose. “Start with empathy,” Tellis advises aspiring changemakers. “You don’t need to be perfect—you need to care enough to begin.” With its roots in community and eyes set on global relevance, InUnity exemplifies how India’s next wave of innovation might not rise from metros, but from its most overlooked corners.
