Solnce

Yash Tarwadi is Season 4's most college-project-to-Shark-Tank founder from Surat. His entrepreneurial journey began not with a business plan but with a chemical engineering assignment: build a working desalination system. Yash's prototype successfully recycled 20 litres of water daily. The Student Startup and Innovation Policy (SSIP) awarded him ₹2 lakh to develop it further. Most students would have submitted the report, gotten the grade, and moved on. Yash kept building. "Yash Tarwadi wasn't trying to revolutionise India's solar industry. He was trying to finish his Chemical Engineering project." When he needed solar panels to power the desalination prototype, he discovered the chaos of India's solar marketplace: confusing pricing, unreliable installers, no standardised quality benchmarks, and zero transparency in product comparisons.

Solnce Energy's app functions as the "Zomato of solar": a marketplace connecting consumers who want solar panels with verified installers who provide them, with transparent pricing, quality ratings, and project tracking. The app eliminates the three biggest barriers to residential solar adoption in India: confusion (which panels, which inverter, which brand?), trust (is the installer reliable, will the installation be quality?), and cost uncertainty (what will it actually cost, including hidden charges?). The solar bidding platform is Solnce's most commercially distinctive marketplace feature: rather than accepting a single installer's quote, consumers can post their requirements and receive competitive bids from multiple verified installers. This bidding mechanism drives down prices (installers compete on cost), improves quality (installers compete on ratings), and gives consumers the specific comparison data needed to make informed decisions.

Amount Asked: ₹1 crore Equity Offered: 1.5% Implied Pre-Money Valuation: ₹66.67 crore

Yash and Nilesh walked into Season 4 Episode 35 with the most environmentally consequential cleantech pitch of the season. Their opening comparison, "Solar installation should be as easy as ordering pizza," instantly communicated the pain point and the solution in one sentence. The traction metrics impressed: 1,000 plus homes, 150 plus businesses, 35 plus EPC companies onboarded, and 85,000 plus tonnes of CO2 emissions saved. These were not projections but demonstrated impact from a 2021-founded company. However, scepticism preceded enthusiasm. Anupam Mittal noted that solar industry growth had been slower than expected in India. Aman Gupta directly challenged: "Why would customers choose Solnce over established giants like Tata and Adani?" Vineeta Singh pointed out delays in app development.

Kunal Bahl was the most aggressively bullish Shark, offering ₹2 crore for 10% (₹20 crore valuation). Anupam Mittal countered with ₹1 crore for 3% plus 1% royalty. He initially questioned solar industry growth speed but was convinced enough to compete. Peyush Bansal offered ₹1 crore for 5% equity. His Lenskart consumer technology experience was applicable but his higher equity demand (5% versus Aman's 2.5%) positioned him unfavourably. Aman Gupta initially challenged the founders ("Why choose Solnce over Tata and Adani?") then became the winning investor. He revised from ₹1 crore for 3% to ₹1 crore for 2.5% (₹40 crore valuation), offering the cleanest terms: lowest equity, no royalty, no conditions. His boAt consumer app scaling expertise was most directly applicable. Vineeta Singh advised refining their strategy and pointed out app development delays but did not make a competing offer.

Season 4 Episode 35's most intense four-Shark bidding war. Founders asked ₹1 crore for 1.5% (₹66.67 crore). Kunal offered ₹2 crore for 10% (₹20 crore). Anupam offered ₹1 crore for 3% plus 1% royalty. Peyush offered ₹1 crore for 5%. Aman offered ₹1 crore for 3%, then revised to 2.5% (₹40 crore). Founders chose Aman's deal: lowest equity (2.5%), highest valuation (₹40 crore), no royalty, no conditions. Valuation dropped 40% from ₹66.67 crore to ₹40 crore, but the founders secured the cleanest possible deal from the Shark whose consumer app scaling expertise was most directly applicable to building India's solar Zomato.

Yash Tarwadi and Nilesh Shah accepted Aman Gupta's offer of ₹1 crore for 2.5% equity at ₹40 crore valuation. Aman's boAt experience in building India's most successful consumer technology app ecosystem (app-driven discovery, comparison, and purchase) was the most directly transferable Shark capability for a solar marketplace app that aims to make panel installation as frictionless as ordering food. The deal brought consumer app UX expertise, D2C marketing methodology, and mass-market brand building into India's first one-stop solar platform.

"From two young dreamers in Surat to the founders of a multi-crore company shaking up India's solar industry, Yash Tarwadi and Nilesh Shah have demonstrated that innovation and persistence can transform industries." Solnce Energy continues its rapid growth: 1,500 plus satisfied customers, 1,000 plus successful projects, 35 plus EPC companies onboarded, and 85,000 plus tonnes of CO2 emissions saved. The Solnce App is live on both iOS and Android, offering instant quotes, project tracking, service booking, and installer comparison in one interface. Yash Tarwadi was featured at the Vadodara Startup Festival 6.0 (March 2026 at Parul University) sharing how a college desalination project evolved into India's first solar bidding platform. The Parul University feature highlighted Solnce as "a pioneering startup making solar accessible and affordable."