Cash for Far-Flung Customers

Vortex Engineering
Chennai, India
Low-cost, low-power ATMs for rural areas
CEO: V. Vijay Babu

Vortex Engineering develops automatic teller machines for rural environments, adapting them to dispense soiled bank notes and use less power. Vortex's machines employ a patent-pending gravity-assisted friction pick technology. Currency notes are stored at the top of the machine and picked with the help of their weight, reducing cash jams and significantly lowering power consumption. The company's ATMs can run on solar power. Total cost of ownership averages 25 percent that of conventional machines. Vortex is already selling its ATMs in India, Dubai, and Pakistan and plans to expand into other emerging markets.