An Amazon For Manufacturing Services

- Advertisement -

Amazon introduced us to the world of on-demand products. Everything at the click of a button! A startup based in Tamil Nadu has extended this idea to manufacturing services.

Founded in 2021 by Dr V. Tamizhinian (Tamizh), Frigate Engineering Services Private Limited is an emerging B2B platform that digitalises manufacturing for its clients worldwide. The startup provides on-demand manufacturing services and prototype development through a supply chain.With a background in mechatronics, Tamizh started his career as a designer, but yearned to witness the realisation of those designs through manufacturing. So, in 2011, Tamizh started seeking out various small businesses and created prototypes for them, in addition to his regular job at a global original equipment manufacturing (OEM) firm.

Initially, what used to be a side hustle became a full-fledged business after Tamizh recognised the value of creating a marketplace that brought dispersed suppliers together and connected them with potential customers beyond their existing circle. From 2021-22, Tamizh operated the company as a one-person enterprise. “My vision was to address the demand-side challenge by becoming a single point of contact for all outsourced components. I started with machining and expanded into sheet metal fabrication and achieved an asset turnover of 4 to 5 million rupees within the first year,” he says.

- Advertisement -
Frigate’s web application
Frigate’s web application

In 2022, Tamizh onboarded Karthikeyan Prakash, Chandrashekhar C., and Iniyavan Vasanthanas as co-founders to develop a common platform to serve their customers, providing an overview of their ongoing projects with Frigate. Frigate’s platform allows the client to track the project’s progress at various stages, from initiation to raw material procurement, manufacturing commencement, quality control initiation, and sales confirmation. “We have employed a tech-based and data-driven approach that involves working closely with suppliers in advance. Through this method, we gather around 120 data points, establishing checkpoints throughout the order process, and understand the customer’s needs comprehensively,” explains Tamizh.

The details of the customers are taken via the Electronics Approval Authority (EAA) to access a wealth of parameters and information about the customer and generate a score which is updated based on their performance. The service buyers can access this information to identify the ideal manufacturer for their specific components. Elaborating on the quality of information collected, Tamizh adds, “We assess whether the customer has the necessary resources in-house or if they plan to outsource certain aspects. We examine their financial turnover over the past three years and their track record in content delivery over a decade.”

The startup has a dynamic pricing system, including credit cycles, depending on the location, product type, services needed, demand, and materials. It takes cuts from the transactions, with margins spanning 10% to 20% per transaction, all managed by the platform.

“From the buyer’s perspective, we offer an end-to-end supply chain solution with manufacturing at its core. On the seller’s side, our solution is comprehensive marketing. By listing their machinery within our platform, we enhance their visibility to potential customers, effectively increasing their revenue potential by up to 20%,” says Tamizh.

With its hybrid (in-house and outsourced) product development and manufacturing facility in Trichy and Coimbatore, Frigate makes various commodities such as castings, forging, injection moulding, machining, heavy fabrication, electrical and electronic components, plastic and other composite materials. At its in-house facility, the startup manufactures PCBs and plastic and metal enclosures with respect to its electronics production capabilities. Tamizh says the focus is on assembling a complete product without engaging in the design and development phase.

Tamizh says that Frigate’s business model is primarily geared towards global OEMs. “We’ve consciously chosen not to work with Indian OEMs, as we believe we are addressing a genuine problem for global high-cost countries, such as the USA and the UK, who lack low-cost manufacturing capabilities and often rely on countries like China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India. We aim to bridge this gap by facilitating manufacturing in India,” he elaborates.

Frigate secured a pre-seed round funding of ₹18.5 million with investments ranging from ₹500 thousands to ₹10 million in April 2022. The startup raised more funding from a seed round of ₹120 million in June 2023 from Arali Ventures, Capital A, and Java Capital.

The startup’s platform currently serves 27 customers. As part of its plans, Tamizh says they want to make it more intelligent by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into the dashboard. “The next version of the platform will be out by 2024. We’ll be fully operational on the platform, currently at around 30-40% completion,” Tamizh adds.

(L to R) Co-founders Dr V. Tamizhinian, Chandrashekhar C., Karthikeyan Prakash, and Iniyavan Vasanthanas
(L to R) Co-founders Dr V. Tamizhinian, Chandrashekhar C., Karthikeyan Prakash, and Iniyavan Vasanthanas

The company plans to expand to the US with a new subsidiary and open operations offices in key Indian manufacturing areas, such as Jamnagar, Rajkot, Faridabad,Kolhapur, Ludhiana, Gurgaon, and Hosur. The company is also planning to open its third office in Chennai.

- Advertisement -

Most Popular Articles

Yashasvini Razdan
Yashasvini Razdan
Yashasvini Razdan is a journalist at EFY. She has the rare ability to write both on tech and business aspects of electronics, thanks to an insatiable thirst to know all about technology. Driven by curiosity, she collects hard facts and wields the power of her pen to simplify and disseminate information.

Infineon, Stellantis Partner To Advance Next-Gen Vehicle Power

0
With a dedicated Joint Power Lab and secured supply agreements, the partnership is set to drive transformative advancements in EV performance, cost-effectiveness, and the...

Audi Launches New EV Brand In China, Drops 4-Ring Logo

0
On Thursday, Audi introduced a new electric vehicle brand in China, branding the cars solely with the name 'AUDI' instead of its traditional four-ring...
IIT Bhubaneswar

IIT Bhubaneswar Partners MOSart Labs To Boost Engineering Skills In Chip Industry

0
The aim is to help students with essential skills in areas such as very-large-scale integration (VLSI), semiconductor technology, analog and digital design, validation, and...
Jaguar concept EV

JLR Highlights Its Biggest Reinvention With The Concept Car Jaguar Design Vision

0
The four-door GT is anticipated to be Jaguar's most powerful model to date. Its targeted range is approximately 430 miles (700 kilometers), and its...

ISE Labs Expands With New OSAT Facility In Mexico

0
Turbocharging its growth in North America’s tech hub, ISE Labs is set to build an OSAT semiconductor facility in Jalisco, Mexico, eyeing to create...

“Adoption Of IoT-Enabled SMT Machines Is Still In Early Phases” – Pradeep Tandon, Director...

0
While electronics are becoming smarter through the Internet of Things, is electronics manufacturing following suit? Pradeep Tandon, Director for India, Middle East, and SAARC...
Dr Yashodhan P. Gokhale, Vice President for Battery Technology, JSW Energy

Charge Forward: High-Voltage Batteries And MSMEs Can Fuel India’s EV Revolution

0
A nuanced explanation of low- and high-voltage EV batteries by Dr Gokhale, Vice President for Battery Technology at JSW Energy, illuminates their advancements and...
Sanjay Gupta, CDO & Global Head of Engineering, L&T Semiconductor Technologies

Can MSMEs Contribute And Profit From The Semicon Boom?

0
Semiconductor manufacturing often requires significant investment, typically feasible only for governments or large corporations. But are there opportunities for MSMEs as well? We spoke...
N.P. Ramesh, COO and Co-Founder, Orb Energy

“We Ensured Customers’ Monthly EMI Would Be Equal To Or Less Than Their Electricity...

0
In a conversation with Nitisha from EFY, N.P. Ramesh of Orb Energy outlines the early financing challenges customers faced. He explains how Orb Energy’s...

“Government Policy Should Equitably Address All Electric Vehicles: Extend Subsidies To Retrofits Or Remove...

0
Aryaman Raghuvanshi from EFY engages with Pramod Narendra, Head of Brand Management and Retail Network at Starya Mobility, to explore the overlooked potential of...

Wireless Light-Based Communication With Velmenni’s Technology

0
Velmenni is at the forefront of wireless communication innovation with its pioneering light-based technologies, Li-Fi and LC Link. Founded by Deepak Solanki in October 2014...

Harnessing AI Technology For Efficient Pest Management

0
AI-Genix, an agri-tech startup, is transforming pest management for farmers through advanced AI-enabled systems that precisely target harmful pests. In an industry where pesticides and...

One Charger To Charge All Your Devices

0
Now, there is no need to carry different chargers for different products. This Bhubaneswar startup has launched a universal 65W charger using GaN technology...

Karnataka Government Initiative Promises ₹5M To Tech Startups

0
Boosting innovation and entrepreneurship across the state’s vibrant ecosystem, Karnataka launched Elevate 2024 and KAN, offering grants up to ₹5 million for startups. On Tuesday,...

CastNX Tech Startup Secures ₹232M For Power Electronics Growth

0
Eyeing to boost R&D and produce 100,000 variable frequency drives by 2026, Indian power electronics startup CastNX has secured ₹232.2 million from Plutus Investments. CastNX...

Industry's Buzz

Learn From Leaders

Startups