Rajshree Upadhyaya |Business Remedies | With a clear mission to democratize access to knowledge, Akshita Sachdeva and Bonny Dave founded Trestle Labs, establishing a strong presence in the assistive technology space. Trestle Labs’ flagship solution, Kibo, was born out of a major human challenge that technology had long ignored. In 2017, they launched Trestle Labs Private Limited with the goal of making information easily accessible everywhere for people with visual, print, and language-related difficulties.
Founded in Bengaluru, the company’s founders soon confronted a harsh reality-less than one percent of the world’s printed content is available in accessible formats such as Braille or audio, leaving millions excluded from education and employment. Instead of treating accessibility as an afterthought, Trestle Labs embedded inclusion at the core of its innovation process.
The early years were devoted to deep user research and product experimentation, working closely with visually impaired students, educators, and professionals. These interactions revealed a recurring frustration: relying on others to convert textbooks, handwritten notes, or official documents into readable formats often resulted in long delays and missed opportunities. This understanding laid the foundation for Kibo, which was officially launched in 2019 as a comprehensive assistive technology ecosystem-designed to provide independence rather than assistance.
At the heart of the brand is Kibo, short for Knowledge in a Box. It is a suite of AI-powered tools that enables users to listen to, translate, and digitize printed, handwritten, and digital content in real time. The Kibo mobile app helps users with visual impairments convert documents and books into audio in multiple Indian and global languages, supporting formats such as PDFs, images, and text files. Complementing this is Kibo Desk, a web-based platform designed for both individuals and institutions, enabling large-scale conversion of content into accessible formats.
For users requiring hardware support, the Kibo XS Kit works as a smart scanning device that instantly reads printed or handwritten material, while the Kibo 360 Kit caters to organizations seeking to make libraries, classrooms, and workplaces more inclusive.
Established as a Sustainable Business
Kibo’s impact has steadily expanded beyond pilot programs and early adopters. With a continued focus on usability and scalability, Trestle Labs has positioned itself not only as a social enterprise but also as a sustainable business. Its solutions have been adopted across schools, universities, NGOs, and corporate environments, empowering more than 100,000 visually impaired individuals and forming partnerships with hundreds of institutions in India and abroad. One of the platform’s key strengths is its ability to reduce the time required to create accessible content from weeks to just minutes.
Kibo gained national recognition when it appeared on Shark Tank India Season 3. On the show, Akshita Sachdeva and Bonny Dave presented Kibo as a powerful blend of advanced AI and social impact, seeking funding to scale its reach. They initially asked for Rs. 60 lakh in exchange for 1 percent equity and successfully closed a deal with Ronnie Screwvala and Peyush Bansal for Rs. 60 lakh in return for 6 percent equity. The episode introduced Kibo to a wider audience and sparked meaningful conversations around accessibility, inclusion, and assistive technology within India’s startup ecosystem.
Built to Work Across Multiple Languages
Beyond its television exposure, the brand has established a strong presence in educational and professional environments. Kibo’s capabilities are not limited to supporting users with visual impairments alone; it also assists those with language barriers and reading or learning difficulties. Its multilingual functionality makes it especially valuable in a diverse country like India, where language and access are closely interconnected.
More than just a startup success story, Trestle Labs’ Kibo demonstrates how empathy-driven innovation can transform access to knowledge and redefine independence for millions who have long remained on the margins.
