Overview
Cool The Globe, founded by Prachi Shevgaonkar, is a mobile application designed to combat climate change by empowering individuals to reduce their carbon footprint through simple, trackable actions. Featured in the Ecopreneur Special episode of Shark Tank India Season 3, aired on March 31, 2024, the app aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action). This report details the pitch, outcomes, and impact based on the Shark Tank appearance and subsequent developments.
Pitch Details
- Founder: Prachi Shevgaonkar, a climate innovator and self-taught entrepreneur.
- Ask: ₹25 lakh for 5% equity, valuing the company at ₹5 crore.
- Product: A free app offering over 100 eco-friendly actions across categories like travel, food, energy, materials, waste, and lifestyle. Users log actions to track avoided carbon emissions, set personalized reduction targets, and join global/local challenges.
- Impact Claim: At the time of the pitch, the app had 40,000+ users from 110+ countries, collectively avoiding 3.4 million kg of CO2 emissions (equivalent to removing ~740 cars from the road annually, per EPA estimates).
- Revenue Model: B2B subscriptions for organizations (₹300–500 per employee annually) and carbon offset purchases (e.g., tree planting). The app itself remains free for individual users.
- Unique Selling Points:
- Quantifies emissions reductions in real-time.
- Integrates gamification (challenges, badges) to boost engagement.
- Signed MoUs with seven organizations for B2B adoption.
- Founder’s personal commitment: Prachi traveled by train to the Shark Tank set, saving ~35 kg of CO2 compared to driving.
Sharks’ Reactions
The pitch took place during an episode featuring Sharks Aman Gupta (boAt), Radhika Gupta (Edelweiss MF), Azhar Iqubal (InShorts), Anupam Mittal (Shaadi.com), and Namita Thapar (Emcure Pharmaceuticals). Key interactions included:
- Azhar Iqubal’s Critique: Raised concerns about potential data manipulation, suggesting employees could enter false figures to inflate organizational metrics. Prachi countered with safeguards like action verification, though specifics were not detailed on air.
- Anupam Mittal’s Challenge: Questioned whether Prachi was an activist or a business builder, emphasizing the need for entrepreneurial scalability. Prachi responded, “We have 30 years to avoid the worst effects of climate change… We must see it as entrepreneurs, not just personally but globally,” reinforcing her business vision.
- Namita Thapar’s Curiosity: Asked what inspired Prachi’s environmental focus. Prachi shared a story of meeting a 12-year-old boy in a slum whose only wish was flood-proof housing, highlighting climate change’s human impact.
- Aman and Radhika’s Enthusiasm: Both expressed immediate interest. Aman humorously noted the app would “make my wife happy,” signaling personal alignment with the mission. Radhika praised Prachi’s energy and purpose.
Deal Outcome
- Offer Accepted: Aman Gupta and Radhika Gupta jointly invested ₹25 lakh for 8% equity, a higher equity stake than Prachi’s ask, valuing the company at ₹3.125 crore post-money.
- Other Sharks: Azhar opted out due to manipulation concerns. Anupam and Namita did not make offers, likely seeking more clarity on profitability or scalability.
- Post-Deal Impact: The investment provided validation and visibility, boosting user growth and organizational partnerships. By January 2025, Cool The Globe reported 150+ countries and 6 million kg of emissions avoided, per Prachi’s CEEW profile.
Strengths Highlighted
- Mission-Driven Appeal: Prachi’s storytelling—rooted in a childhood letter to her future self and a gap year traveling India—resonated emotionally with the Sharks.
- Global Reach: Users from 110+ countries demonstrated scalability potential.
- B2B Traction: MoUs with seven organizations signaled corporate interest, a key revenue driver.
- Free Access: Keeping the app free broadened its accessibility, aligning with the citizen-led ethos.
Challenges Raised
- Data Integrity: Azhar’s manipulation concern highlighted a risk in user-reported data, a common challenge for carbon-tracking apps.
- Profitability: The app was not yet profitable, relying on B2B subscriptions and offsets, which raised questions about financial sustainability.
- Scalability: Anupam’s activist-versus-entrepreneur question pointed to the need for a clearer path to large-scale impact and revenue.
Post-Shark Tank Developments
- User Growth: By April 2025, the app’s user base expanded to over 50,000 (estimated based on prior growth trends), with emissions avoided nearing 7 million kg.
- Awards and Recognition: Prachi was named Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia (2024) and Young Changemaker of the Year (2022) by India’s Finance Minister. She also joined the ClimateLeadership Coalition’s advisory board, a first for an Indian.
- App Updates: A January 2025 update improved navigation, added smarter tracking, and enhanced the Community Dashboard for organizations.
- Partnerships: Increased corporate adoption, with Tata Power naming Prachi a Climate Change Advisor, leveraging the app for employee engagement.
Competitive Landscape
On Shark Tank, Cool The Globe stood out among other ecopreneur pitches (Canvaloop, Digital Paani) for its consumer focus. Compared to competitors like Commons or Klima:
- Strengths: Free model, gamified engagement, and country-specific targets.
- Weaknesses: Lacks automated tracking (e.g., GPS like Capture) or robust corporate tools (e.g., TravelPerk’s GreenPerk API).
Strategic Recommendations
- Strengthen Data Verification: Implement AI-based anomaly detection to address manipulation concerns, enhancing trust for B2B clients.
- Automate Tracking: Integrate GPS or IoT for passive logging (e.g., travel or energy use) to reduce user effort.
- Scale B2B: Develop an API for corporate sustainability platforms, mirroring TravelPerk, to capture larger clients.
- Marketing Push: Leverage Aman’s and Radhika’s networks for influencer campaigns, amplifying post-Shark Tank visibility.
- Profitability Focus: Explore premium in-app features (e.g., advanced analytics) to diversify revenue without alienating free users.
Cool The Globe’s Shark Tank India Season 3 appearance showcased its potential as a citizen-led climate solution, securing ₹25 lakh from Aman Gupta and Radhika Gupta for 8% equity. Prachi Shevgaonkar’s passion and global vision overcame skepticism about data and profitability, earning her a deal that fueled growth. With strategic refinements, the app can lead the charge in making climate action accessible and impactful, proving that small changes, scaled globally, can cool the planet.
Sources
- Shark Tank India Season 3, Ecopreneur Special (Sony LIV, March 31, 2024)
- Founder Team
