Dr. Ameet Patil’s journey from a curious schoolboy in Belagavi to a globally recognised entrepreneur and founder of Ecobillz is truly inspiring. His story reflects resilience, risk-taking, and the relentless pursuit of innovation with a social impact.
Speaking to Dr. Ameet Patil gives you vibes of speaking with a person with a strong academic and research bent. He explains earnestly and knows how to unravel things so you understand fully. If not for the intense entrepreneurial bug in him, this techie-at-heart would have made for a great research scholar, continuing to invent wonderful things to make this world a better place with technology.
Early Life & Education
Born and raised in Belagavi, Ameet’s childhood was deeply influenced by his father, who worked in Muscat at that time. He returned to India and joined Sandur Manganese & Iron Ores Ltd. (SMIORE). The family moved there, and he was enrolled at Sandur Residential School, run by the Ghorpades. Ameet was exposed to a unique education system that emphasised “learning by doing.” This shaped his problem-solving mindset early on.
When he eventually returned to Belagavi, he joined St. Mary’s School and later pursued his PUC at GSS College, securing a Computer Science seat at KLE College of Engineering.
From a very young age, Ameet was fascinated by computers and by class 7, he was already coding and used to developing small software tools for local industries in Belagavi- a sign of his early creative tech bent.
First Steps into the Corporate World.
Ameet was placed at Wipro immediately after his graduation, but due to a recession, his joining was deferred. Soon after, he landed a job at Oracle in Hyderabad with an attractive salary of ₹4 lakh—on the very day he attempted the GATE exam. While higher studies were on his mind, this opportunity pulled him into the corporate world.
Even at Oracle, he constantly thought about doing more. This urge pushed him to consider an invitation for pursuing an integrated Masters and a PhD in the UK.
With sheer conviction, and encouragement and guidance of this maternal uncle Dr. Prakash Diwan, the family mortgaged the family home for a ₹30 lakh student loan and set him off to follow his academic dream.
Struggles & Breakthroughs in the UK
Life abroad was far from easy. Though he earned a decent scholarship, the cost was high. To manage living expenses, Ameet worked night shifts at a supermarket for £7 an hour. His PhD mentor eventually discovered his struggles when he noticed Ameet’s under-eye dark circles. Shocked, the mentor connected him with an embedded software company that worked with aviation companies such as Boeing, which went on to sponsor his PhD. He completed it in four years.
During his UK stint, he was also selected by Rapita Systems Ltd. as an expert in real-time systems software. Alongside academics and work, Ameet even pursued his passion for cricket, playing in the Yorkshire Dales County League.
Return to India & Entrepreneurial Journey
In 2009, Ameet decided to return to India with a dream of building something meaningful at home. But his company back in London was reluctant to let him go. They instead offered him to set up a development center and promote their products in India. He returned in December 2008 and founded Spundhan Softwares Pvt. Ltd., focusing on real-time systems and IoT solutions. His order book was packed from day 1. By 2013, with a 25-member team, he wanted to grow faster. He sought for and found mentorship from Vivek Pawar of Hubli. Spundhan showed promise. However, after merging with LinkEZ Technologies and shifting the company to Hubli, things did not scale as expected even after two years. Ameet believes in giving himself set timelines and when things don’t turn out, he prefers to move on. This setback, however, laid the foundation for his next big leap—Ecobillz.
Birth of Ecobillz
In 2016, along with co-founder Nitesh Singh Rathore, Ameet observed the massive paper wastage from printed receipts at retail chains like Big Bazaar. This thermal paper wasn’t eco-friendly. They discovered that at that time, India alone consumed 20 kms of such paper receipts per year, amounting to Rs. 600 crores. Determined to create an eco-friendly solution, they developed Ecobillz, a SaaS-based real-time digitisation platform that:
• Uses AI to digitize, collect, and aggregate data
• Builds complex back-office automation systems
• Streamlines document management without the need for paper
After multiple trial and error at local supermarkets, their first pitch was to the Fortune Group, which embraced the idea wholeheartedly and became their first big client with over 2500 outlets across India. Soon after, they set up operations in Bengaluru.
Breakthrough with Hospitality Giants
Persistence paid off when Nitesh, after calling the GM of The Leela Palace every day for 200 days, finally secured a meeting. The Leela GM was impressed and not only gave them business but also offered office space in their premises.
Oberoi Hotels followed, and the COVID-19 lockdown tested the startup’s resilience. With no funds to pay salaries, Ecobillz innovated by creating systems for remote check-ins during hotel quarantines. This pivot brought in clients like Taj , ITC, etc., eventually leading to rapid growth post-2021.
Today, Ecobillz boasts 400+ Hotels as clients, with operations in Belagavi, Dubai, and London. Ameet travels to all these places and more, but is based out of London with his family.
Vision, Impact & Future
Ecobillz has been recognised by NASSCOM 10,000 Startups and 500 Startups (now 500 Global). While its current focus is on the hospitality industry, Ecobillz is expanding into retail, hospitals, QSRs, and automotive sectors.
Ameet’s vision is simple yet powerful: to save trees, time, and make businesses more responsible through digitisation. His entrepreneurial journey—spanning Spundhan, LinkEZ, and Ecobillz—has been full of scars and stars, but it has firmly established him as a pioneer in AI-driven digital transformation.
Beyond Work
Outside of entrepreneurship, Ameet is a fitness enthusiast who loves to walk, even 20 km at a stretch. He is married to Sushma, his childhood friend, and they have two school-going daughters. Despite his demanding schedule, he continues to balance personal life with his mission-driven work.
Reflecting on his journey, Dr. Ameet Patil remains rooted in his values, forever grateful to the places and people who shaped him—from Belagavi to Sandur, from Oracle to Ecobillz. His story is proof that passion, persistence, and purpose can truly create enterprises that change the world.