BENGALURU: Thinkerbell Labs has made it to the Top 50 of Vande Bharatam. The BITS Pilani-founded assistive technology company also earned an Adani Group mentorship badge. The recognition gives the company access to 10 days of mentorship with the Adani Group. It also offers an opportunity to pitch before a panel of industry and investment figures. The panel includes Pratham Mittal, Vijay Kedia, Ankur Dahiya and Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma.
Thinkerbell Labs focuses on braille accessibility
Thinkerbell Labs develops technology for people who are blind or visually impaired. The company built Annie, a Made-in-India braille literacy device. Annie aims to make braille learning more accessible and engaging for children. The company says Annie now operates across more than 490 centres in India. The device has reached thousands of children, according to the company.
Tactera takes centre stage
Thinkerbell Labs showcased Annie and its upcoming product, Tactera, at Vande Bharatam. The company focused its pitch mainly on Tactera. Tactera is an upcoming AI-enabled 32-cell refreshable braille display. The device aims to bring digital books, documents and other content to users through refreshable braille. The company designed Tactera to support easier navigation and access to digital information. Thinkerbell Labs sees the product as its next step in digital accessibility.
From BITS Pilani to Vande Bharatam
Four engineers from BITS Pilani founded Thinkerbell Labs. The founders wanted to make assistive technology more accessible and affordable. The company began with a focus on braille literacy. It has since expanded its work into broader digital accessibility and independent learning. Thinkerbell Labs has received recognition from several organisations. These include TIME, MIT Solve and UNDP. The company has also received recognition from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the President of India. Its journey has also included an appearance on Shark Tank India. The company was also named among the Top 20 at the AI for All Summit.
Focus on digital braille access
Annie supports foundational braille literacy through interactive, audio-guided lessons. Tactera aims to extend that experience into digital content. The upcoming device will support access to books, documents and other digital material. Thinkerbell Labs is positioning Tactera as part of its broader digital accessibility strategy. The company is currently raising funds for its next growth phase. Its fundraising plans focus on geographic expansion and product development. The company aims to scale its assistive technology across India and international markets.
