Kanegi is a startup focusing on mental health and well-being.
What is Kanegi?
Kanegi is a female-led tech startup for inner well-being inspired by multicultural meditation methods. The idea is to give individuals a platform and experience to reconnect with the soul within, as well as the meaning of the word, Kanegi. The startup comes under the mental health and well-being segment of industries. The startup was founded by Simran Suri in 2022.
The vision of the startup is “to make mental health and well-being a lifestyle through multicultural meditative techniques”
The mission is “to provide a multi-sensory meditation booth and meditative rest shops that offer customized flow experiences to focus on one’s inner wellbeing.”
| Startup | Kanegi |
| Website | kanegi.in |
| Founded | 2022 |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, India |
| Products | Meditation technique |
| Revenue Model | Pre-revenue |
How did it Start?
The startup started with the idea of making mental health and well-being mainstream in India. The concepts and techniques that Kanegi is trying to work on have never been in the Indian market.
Workshops are designed to rekindle a deep sense of curiosity and dialogue in order to improve well-being. The startup is focusing on creating a more humane and cozy environment to heal, unlearn, and explore what meditation is.
Quick Overview of Kanegi
Area of Operation
The headquarters is situated in Mumbai but the founder operates from Pune. There are team members working remotely from across the country, Japan, and the USA.
Principal Product
The meditation technique that is in focus right now for Kanegi is a Japanese one called Chanoyu. Chanoyu, a Japanese tea ritual using matcha, is one of many cultural traditions that developed out of Zen meditation.
It was introduced to samurai warriors 500 years ago and the ritual was enjoyed as a meditative and social experience by those who lived a life that there might be no tomorrow.
There was a time when people adopted such meditation practices as part of their lifestyle. Their original mindfulness program Meditation inspired by Chanoyu addresses spiritual well-being, particularly the formation of self-esteem, purpose, and hope rooted in a spiritual connection to oneself and community involvement during and after the pandemic.
Team
The team currently stands at a strength of 4 people, all of them being women.
Market Penetration
The startup is at a very early stage right now. They have been doing run tests for their spaces.
They are working not just with employees in the corporate world, but also with cancer hospitals to help cancer patients cope with the toll that the disease takes on them, especially women who have suffered from breast cancer.
With awareness about mental health and well-being on the rise, meditative practices are being adopted by more and more people today.
Targeted Market
The target market currently is employees. Wellness is currently being curated for people trying to improve their corporate lifestyle. The age group of 25 to 40 years, thus, is the target audience.
Kanegi Competition
The startup is not in competition with other wellness apps like Calm and Headspace because unlike them, it is not trying to create a meditative space but a meditative lifestyle.
The team at Kanegi is trying to bring multicultural meditative practices across the world, step-by-step, in a manner where these techniques can be smoothly integrated into the daily lifestyle of modern men & women. There are some startups in the UK and the USA that are potential competition for Kanegi.
Expansion Plans
In a month’s time, the team will be launching Japanese tea meditation sessions right from Japan, accessible to everyone virtually. In the future, combining these experiences with VR is also a plan, that would be a one-of-a-kind scenario not only in India but in the entire wellness industry.
The team at Kanegi is all women right now. As per the founder’s personal research, she concluded that there is not a single startup in the world that is all women and successful. Even though male members are welcome at Kanegi for maintaining diversity, the founder would like her brand to become the first all-women-led successful startup.
Kanegi Business Type
The business model is B2C for this mental health startup.
SWOT Analysis
The strength of the startup is its team and first mover advantage, inclusivity and diversity, and connections with the global market.
The weakness is that this startup is new to this space and thus raising capital becomes a struggle. Technology development is also something that is lacking.
The opportunity is immense as the market size is incredible. Nearly $100.56 million market share is there in this space.
The threat is uncertainties like the pandemic.
Kanegi Funding
Currently, the startup is completely bootstrapped. The founder is looking for MSME grants and is in the process of receiving funds from Stand Up India, specifically for product development.
The startup is also enrolled in the WSP Program at IIM Bangalore wherein they are being trained by IIM professors regarding scaling. A collaboration with the Japanese government to establish this ecosystem in India is also possible.
Kanegi Founders
Simran Suri is the founder and CEO of Kanegi. She has completed her Master of Science in Marketing and Technology, Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support services from Goldsmiths, University of London.
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what is Kanegi all about?
The idea is to give individuals a platform and experience to reconnect with the soul within, as well as the meaning of the word, Kanegi. The startup comes under the mental health and well-being segment of industries.