CaneBOT: Fresh Juice
Year: 2012
Founders: Kirty Datar, Milind Datar
Funding: $0.81M–$1.16M (approx.)(government grants & private seed funding)
Investors: NSRCEL (IIM Bangalore), Atal Innovation Mission under NITI Aayog, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women (IIM B), IIT Bombay incubator, Venture Center
Introduction
CaneBOT, part of Pune’s Canectar Foods Pvt. Ltd., was founded in 2012 by spouses Kirty and Milind Datar, former IT professionals who returned to their agrarian roots with a mission to revive fresh sugarcane juice as a hygienic, mainstream beverage. Their brainchild started with manual kiosks in corporate cafeteria break rooms to a patented, fully automated, IoT enabled vending machine that dispenses chilled, fresh-cane juice with zero human intervention. Their dream: “If we have Starbucks, why not sugarcane juice?” a healthy, sustainable, farm-to-glass proposition.
Tackling Agricultural Challenges
Indian sugarcane juice remains significantly unhygienic, informal, and irregular, which is detrimental to both consumers and farmers, who lack equal market access. CaneBOT addresses these issues through hygiene-first design systems, traceable sourcing, and contemporary vending (12 sq ft units, electronic payments) along with packaged formats such as GannaPanna® and immunity shots. This method standardizes quality, increases farmer earnings through direct sourcing and value-based pricing, and elevates a historical drink to hygienic lifestyle consumption.
Key Offerings
CaneBOT operates three core products:
- Manned kiosks in corporate and urban spaces serving 15+ sugarcane-blended fresh juices.
- Packaged beverages (GannaPanna®, turmeric-trace immunity shots) with a one-year shelf life and zero preservatives.
- Smart vending machines, patented, IoT-enabled, fully automatic units dispensing fresh juice 24×7 with remote monitoring. Supported by a franchise model, they’re expanding into airports, hospitals, malls, and housing societies with plans for rapid national rollout.
Real Impact
CaneBOT’s manned outlets have served more than 30 lakh glasses of fresh sugarcane juice across corporate campuses. Their packaged drinks saw strong traction during the pandemic via e-commerce, while pilot vending machines are rolling out in Pune and preparing Mumbai launch. Backed by multiple patents, incubators, and government awards, CaneBOT’s tech is already driving hygienic juice culture among urban consumers while offering farmers transparent sourcing opportunities.
Success Story
During COVID lockdowns, Kirty and Milind pivoted from shutdown kiosks to bottled sugarcane-mango beverages that preserved freshness without preservatives. Branded GannaPanna®, they successfully launched it on e-commerce platforms, with experts endorsing its health benefits. The quick pivot led to collaborations with Ruby Hospital and mass production that showcased their agility and consumer trust.
Lessons for Agri-Startups
CaneBOT illustrates key strategies for agritech ventures: merge traditional culture with tech, maintain supply chain traceability, focus on hygiene-first for consumer trust, pivot during crises with agility, and combine hardware (vending kiosks) with recurring services (franchises + packaged products). Their brand also emphasizes social impact—empowering micro-entrepreneurs, sourcing sugarcane fairly, and creating IoT-enabled assets for smallholders and urban settings.
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