Prakti Design Lab
Prakti Design Lab is a Singapore-registered social enterprise that designs and manufactures clean-burning cookstoves—headlined by its patented forced draft "Prakti Air" retrofit—serving low-income households and institutional feeding programs in 14 developing countries via NGO and UN agency partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersChennai, India
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Prakti Design Lab does
Prakti Design Lab (Prakti Pvt Ltd) is a Singapore-registered certified social enterprise that designs, manufactures, and distributes clean-burning cookstoves for low-income households and institutional feeding programs in 14 developing countries. The company was founded by Mouhsine Serrar as a program of US-based nonprofit DEW Labs (Design and Education for the World Labs, EIN 45-5228729) and operates manufacturing in Chennai, India; a research laboratory in Ohio, United States; and additional teams in Bulgaria. Its flagship product, Prakti Air, is a patented forced draft stove modification that retrofits into existing traditional stove bodies, achieving a 95% reduction in CO emissions and a 66% reduction in fuel consumption. The broader product lineup includes the Prakti Charcoal Stove (marketed to consumers as a portable BBQ), Prakti Wood Single and Double Burner stoves for household use, and Prakti Institutional stoves in 40L, 80L, and 200L capacities for cooking 100–500 people.
Revenue is generated through three streams: subsidised hardware sales to developing-market end users at $25 per unit, premium consumer sales of the BBQ charcoal stove at $149 in developed markets, and donations plus grants from individuals, foundations, and development agencies. The company has received cumulative grant funding of roughly $425K from DFID (UK, 2012, $200K), Grand Challenges Canada (2014, $100K), the UN Foundation (2014, $75K), and the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK, 2019, £50K). Distribution is channel-mediated rather than direct: developing-market deployment runs through NGO and UN partnerships—notably the UN World Food Programme (largest India supplier since 2012), International Lifeline Fund (Haiti), Child Welfare Scheme (Nepal), Calcutta Rescue (India), and Kalgidhar Trust (India)—while developed-market BBQ sales go through the company's own e-commerce storefront. Marketing is content-led, emphasising impact storytelling, user testimonials, and video demonstrations across the website, social channels, and partner channels; the company also runs an active volunteer program for partnership R&D and carbon offset research.
To date, Prakti has deployed more than 20,000 stoves, reports an 85% user adoption rate (exceptionally high for the sector), claims 500,000 lives impacted, and positions a planned carbon credit financing initiative as a future mechanism to make stoves free for the poorest families. The company holds a granted patent on its forced draft technology, operates a multi-disciplinary team across engineering, social science, and bottom-of-the-pyramid economics, and has been recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative, DFID, the UN Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, and the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Prakti Design Lab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Prakti Design Lab
- Legal name
- Prakti Pvt Ltd
- Website
- https://prakti.in
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Prakti Design Lab is a Singapore-registered social enterprise that designs and manufactures clean-burning cookstoves—headlined by its patented forced draft "Prakti Air" retrofit—serving low-income households and institutional feeding programs in 14 developing countries via NGO and UN agency partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Prakti Design Lab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Clean Cookstoves
- NAICS
- Small Electrical Appliance Manufacturing (335210)
- SIC
- Heating Equipment, Except Electric & Warm Air Furnaces (3433)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Outdoor Cooking, Grills & Fuel Retail (CRAMAMAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Grills, Smokers & Outdoor Cooking Retail (Fuel, Accessories) (CRAIAIAH)
Keywords
Where Prakti Design Lab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chennai
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices5 records
Markets served
Prakti Design Lab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Cookstove Hardware Sales (Developing Markets): Sale of clean cookstoves (Prakti Air, Wood stoves, Institutional stoves) at subsidized prices ($25) to families in developing countries. Products are made affordable through donations that fund production and distribution.
- BBQ Charcoal Stove Sales (Premium Market): Sale of premium award-winning BBQ charcoal stoves at $149 to consumers in developed markets. The entirety of profit from BBQ sales funds the humanitarian cause.
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Donations from individuals and organizations to fund cookstove deployment. Donation tiers range from $25 (25 families with Prakti Air) to $1,000 (launch in new city/village). 90% of donations go directly to launching and distributing Prakti Air.
- Carbon Credit Financing (Planned): Planned carbon financing initiative to subsidize stoves and make them free for poorest families. Currently researching past carbon-financed cookstove projects to learn best practices.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Prakti Air for Developing Markets - $25 |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | BBQ Charcoal Stove - $149 |
| Other | Monthly | Donation Tiers |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Institutional Stoves |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Prakti Design Lab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Prakti Design Lab designs, manufactures, and distributes high-efficiency clean cookstoves — including its patented Prakti Air forced-draft stove modifier, charcoal BBQ stoves, wood-burning household stoves, and large-capacity institutional stoves — for low-income households in developing countries and premium consumers in developed markets. Distribution in developing markets is donation-funded and delivered through NGO and UN agency partnerships (notably UN World Food Programme), while BBQ stoves are sold direct-to-consumer via e-commerce with profits funding the humanitarian mission.
Product overview
Prakti Design Lab is a social enterprise offering a portfolio of clean-burning cookstoves and stove accessories designed to reduce indoor air pollution and fuel consumption. The product lineup includes: Prakti Air (a forced draft stove modifier that retrofit fits into existing traditional stoves), Prakti Charcoal Stove (portable BBQ for consumers), Prakti Wood Single Burner and Double Burner (for household use in developing regions), and Prakti Institutional stoves (large-capacity units for schools, hospitals, and feeding programs in 40L/80L/200L sizes). The company also offers complementary accessories including meat smoking boxes, water heaters, and space heaters. The Prakti Air represents the company's latest patented technology using forced draft combustion to achieve 95% emission reduction and 66% fuel savings. All products share a common focus on high thermal efficiency, reduced emissions, and user-friendly design based on 15+ years of field testing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Prakti Air: A forced draft air stove device that fits into existing traditional stove bodies, reducing emissions by 95% and fuel consumption by 66%.
- Prakti Charcoal Stove
- Prakti Wood Single Burner
- Prakti Wood Double Burner
- Prakti Institutional
Products and services
- Prakti Air A forced draft air stove device that retrofits into existing traditional cookstove bodies by blowing air into the fire, reducing emissions by 95% (PM/CO) and fuel use by 66%. Patented technology aimed at low-income households in developing countries, distributed at subsidized prices through NGO and development-agency partnerships.
- Prakti Charcoal Stove (BBQ) Award-winning portable charcoal BBQ stove designed for developed-market consumers using 15 years of cookstove engineering experience. Easy to light, fast-firing, wind-resistant, available in red/yellow/blue/green, dimensions 26x26x21 cm, weight 3.59 kg, with a 1-year warranty. All profits fund the humanitarian clean-cookstove mission.
- Prakti Wood Single Burner High-performance natural-draft wood stove designed for usability (optimized door size), cost efficiency (minimal tooling, local production), and maximum durability (100% stainless steel). Deployed across India for household cooking.
- Prakti Wood Double Burner Wood stove with two burners that simultaneously cooks two dishes, designed based on Tamil Nadu user cooking experience. Enables parallel cooking for traditional multi-dish meals.
- Prakti Institutional Stoves (40L, 80L, 200L) Large-capacity institutional cookstoves in three sizes: 40L (cooks for 100 people), 80L (cooks for 200 people), and 200L (cooks for 500 people). The most popular Prakti line with the UN World Food Programme for school feeding and humanitarian operations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% reduction in CO emissions
- +13 more outcomes
Companies that use Prakti Design Lab
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Prakti Design Lab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Prakti Design Lab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- Kalgidhar Trust (Baru Sahib)coreIndian registered non-profit focused on education, healthcare, women empowerment, and social welfare. Partnership for Prakti Air pilot testing with 8 families in Kakhli village near Baru Sahib campus in Himachal Pradesh.
- Calcutta RescuecoreIndian registered charity working to improve lives of poorest people in Kolkata. CR's close relationships with urban slums combined with Prakti's stove technology for field testing. Partnership for Prakti Air pilot in Dakshineswar Metro Colony slums.
- GoogleminorGoogle is listed among Prakti's well-respected partners. Nature of partnership appears to be marketing/support rather than technical integration.
- Engineers without BorderscorePrakti partners with Engineers without Borders to provide training and internships for graduate students and young professionals. Contributes to design and development work.
- Imperial College LondoncorePrakti partners with Imperial College London to provide training and internships for graduate students and young professionals in engineering and design.
- Ernst & YoungcorePrakti partners with Ernst & Young for business consulting and professional expertise. EY provides training opportunities and professional support.
- IIT Chennai (IIT Madras)corePrakti partners with IIT Chennai for engineering expertise, research collaboration, and training of graduate students and young professionals.
- UN World Food ProgrammeflagshipPrakti has been the largest cookstove supplier for the UN World Food Programme in India since 2012. Institutional stoves deployed across schools and feeding programs serving hundreds of thousands of students.
- Clinton Global InitiativeflagshipPresident Bill Clinton awarded Prakti's founder Mouhsine Serrar the Clinton Global Initiative Prize for work in Haiti. Prakti recognized for tremendous social and environmental impact.
- International Lifeline FundcoreInternational Lifeline Fund distributes Prakti stoves in Haiti. They report: 'Today, Prakti is considered the best household charcoal stove in Haiti with best performance, durability, usability, and appeal.'
- Child Welfare Scheme NepalcoreChild Welfare Scheme distributes Prakti stoves in Nepal. They note the benefit of reduced fuel wood burden helping combat deforestation and landslides in Himalayan hills.
- EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)minorListed among Prakti's well-respected partners recognizing expertise in clean cookstove development and environmental impact.
- USAIDminorListed among Prakti's well-respected development agency partners recognizing social/environmental impact expertise.
- GIZminorListed among Prakti's well-respected development agency partners (German development organization).
- The World BankminorListed among Prakti's well-respected development agency partners recognizing social/environmental impact.
- GERESminorListed among Prakti's well-respected development agency partners (European association for sustainable development).
- SNVminorListed among Prakti's well-respected development agency partners (international development organization).
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Prakti Design Lab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BURN Manufacturing: BURN is one of the largest clean cookstove manufacturers in East Africa, producing wood and charcoal cookstoves for developing-market households — directly comparable to Prakti's Prakti Wood and Charcoal lines on technology, customer base, and distribution model.
- EcoZoom: EcoZoom designs and sells portable clean cookstoves for both developing and developed markets (including a charcoal BBQ-style stove). Its dual-market GTM and retail/e-commerce presence in the US makes it a close analog to Prakti's Prakti Charcoal BBQ line.
- Sistema.bio: Sistema.bio is a Mexico-based social enterprise that designs and finances anaerobic biodigesters and clean cookstoves for smallholder farmers. Its Boon or Prakti-comparable clean-cooking hardware plus pay-as-you-go financing model targets the same bottom-of-pyramid household segment.
- BioLite: BioLite manufactures clean cookstoves and energy products for both emerging and developed markets, including a HomeStove for off-grid households. Its dual commercial/humanitarian model and engineering-led design philosophy directly parallel Prakti's BBQ cross-subsidy approach.
- Envirofit International: Envirofit designs, manufactures, and distributes clean cookstoves and fuels across Africa, Asia, and Latin America for low-income households. Its institutional cookstove offerings and NGO-distribution channels make it a direct peer to Prakti's WFP and development-agency model.
- CleanCook (BIX Energy): CleanCook produces ethanol-powered clean cookstoves for household and institutional use in emerging markets. Its institutional and humanitarian deployment channels and focus on emission reduction make it comparable to Prakti's Prakti Institutional line.
Emerging players
- ATEC Biodigesters: ATEC produces and finances biodigesters and clean cookstoves for smallholder farmers in Cambodia and beyond, using a pay-as-you-go model. It overlaps with Prakti on the clean-cooking-for-developing-markets thesis but with a different underlying technology.
- UpEnergy: UpEnergy distributes efficient cookstoves and other clean-energy products to households in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia via carbon-credit financing. Its reliance on voluntary carbon markets and NGO distribution is a direct comparable to Prakti's planned carbon-financed model.
Broad incumbents
- Greenlight Planet: Greenlight Planet (Sun King) is a leading global provider of off-grid solar energy products for low-income households, with growing exposure to clean cooking. Its bottom-of-pyramid distribution in 40+ countries and PAYG financing model is a relevant adjacent comparable for Prakti's scale ambition.
- Weber (Weber-Stephen Products): Weber is the dominant global premium charcoal and gas grill brand, competing directly with Prakti's BBQ charcoal stove in developed-market retail. It is a useful peer for understanding the competitive intensity and pricing benchmark of the premium outdoor-cooking category Prakti is entering.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Prakti Design Lab social profiles
Digital presencePrakti Design Lab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Prakti Design Lab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Prakti Design Lab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Prakti Design Lab M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Prakti Design Lab
What does Prakti Design Lab do?
Prakti Design Lab designs, manufactures, and distributes high-efficiency clean cookstoves — including its patented Prakti Air forced-draft stove modifier, charcoal BBQ stoves, wood-burning household stoves, and large-capacity institutional stoves — for low-income households in developing countries and premium consumers in developed markets. Distribution in developing markets is donation-funded and delivered through NGO and UN agency partnerships (notably UN World Food Programme), while BBQ stoves are sold direct-to-consumer via e-commerce with profits funding the humanitarian mission.
Is Prakti Design Lab a public or private company?
Prakti Design Lab is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Prakti Design Lab founded?
Prakti Design Lab was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Prakti Design Lab based?
Prakti Design Lab is headquartered in Chennai, India, in the Asia region.
How does Prakti Design Lab make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Cookstove Hardware Sales (Developing Markets) is the primary driver. The others are BBQ Charcoal Stove Sales (Premium Market), donations and Charitable Contributions and carbon Credit Financing (Planned).
Who are Prakti Design Lab's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BURN Manufacturing, EcoZoom, Sistema.bio, BioLite, Envirofit International and CleanCook (BIX Energy). Emerging players are ATEC Biodigesters and UpEnergy. Broad incumbents are Greenlight Planet and Weber (Weber-Stephen Products).
Does Prakti Design Lab have an API?
No public API is recorded for Prakti Design Lab.
What industry is Prakti Design Lab in?
Prakti Design Lab's product category is Clean Cookstoves. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMAMAD, Outdoor Cooking, Grills & Fuel Retail, with a secondary code of CRAIAIAH, Grills, Smokers & Outdoor Cooking Retail (Fuel, Accessories). Its NAICS code is 335210 and its SIC code is 3433.