Science for Society (S4S) Technologies was started by Vaibhav Tidke in 2010 as an idea to take the latest dehydration technology to India’s rural regions to save farm waste through a unique product—a solar-powered dehydrator to dry and preserve farm produce. The startup enabled rural women as micro-entrepreneurs who processed fresh farm produce such as fruits and vegetables into dehydrated products. S4S Technologies achieved this by partnering with banks to lend the capital to women interested in working on their solar dehydrator. Operating as a non-governmental organisation in machine manufacturing since 2017, S4S Technologies was mainly funded by grants and donors for research and piloting. In 2018, it became a full-fledged food processing company.

The journey of S4S Technologies has evolved over the years from selling a solar dehydrator to becoming a food processing company. The startup achieved this by creating an enabling ecosystem around dehydrated food processing in rural areas by providing for financial credit, market linkages and training through a women-centric business model. In 2021, S4S Technologies processed more than 45 kinds of fruits and vegetables. With 575 dehydrators on the ground in various geographies, the demand for their product was on the rise.

How could they scale up their technology to reach and onboard more women while staying financially viable?