Hecoll

Deepthi Nathala is one of the most credentialled solo founders to appear on Shark Tank India Season 1 — an IIT Madras graduate in nanotechnology who spent a decade working across the globe before returning home to Hyderabad with both the scientific knowledge and the personal motivation to build something genuinely transformative. After working for a decade in the Middle East, USA and South America, Deepthi Nathala came back home to Hyderabad in December 2018. Upon arrival, however, she realised that her body could not adjust to the environment. Suffering a mild headache and skin irritation during regular drives in the city, Deepthi realised she needed some protection from the burning rays of the sun, excess dust, air pollution and germs.

Hecoll is a patented nanotechnology-based fabric that simultaneously blocks 95% of air pollutants, blocks 99% of UV rays, and kills bacteria and viruses on contact — all while being eco-friendly, breathable, and biodegradable within 14 weeks. The core innovation lies in what Deepthi calls "bodyguard molecules" — nano-scale particles embedded into the cavities of conventional cotton fabric that give it protective properties that raw cotton alone cannot achieve. The "bodyguard molecules" in Hecoll fabric come from three sources: plant extracts like turmeric and neem (with germ-killing abilities and UV ray absorption capacities); metal components such as nanosilver and nano copper (which possess germ-killing properties and UV ray absorption capacity); and specific chemical compositions created through nanotechnology. As part of their R&D, Deepthi explored all three options.