India is renowned for its rich culinary delights, with each state offering a diverse array of food and beverage (F&B) experiences. Despite this, the Indian palate craves more for fresh and exotic cuisines and flavours.
With over 140 Cr people having such affinity for a variety of food and beverages, Indian entrepreneurs have seemingly found a lucrative market, which, as per Inc42, is expected to grow to $68 Bn by 2030. Notably, startups have picked up this opportunity by catering to the requirements of people, through the D2C channels.
According to Inc42’s Findings From Inc42’s Hunt For India’s Fastest-Growing D2C Brands analysis, while the beauty and personal care segment is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 28.6% by 2030 in the Indian D2C market, it is closely followed by the F&B industry with 27% CAGR.
From established brands like Pedigree Petfoods, Amul, Baskin Robbins, and McDonald’s to startups like iD Fresh Foods, Chaayos, Coolberg, and Paper Boat, there is no dearth of choices for Indian consumers, and still, there is enough headroom for both the existing and new players to flourish in the sector.
The above statement can be substantiated by the fact that several F&B startups, including Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, Plix, Pluckk, and TagZ have been making waves in the industry, backed by investors’ trust.
The influx of new startups with innovative product ranges has revitalised the sector, prompting Inc42 to compile a list of the F&B brands that are disrupting the Indian market.
With that said…
Here Are The F&B D2C Brands Reshaping The Indian Consumer Market
(Note: The list below is not meant to be a ranking of any kind. We have listed the Indian F&B startups in alphabetical order.)
1. Beyond Snack
- Year Of Inception: 2018
- Founders: Manas Madhu, Jyoti Rajguru, Gautam Raghuraman
- Funding Raised To Date: INR 33 Cr
- Investors: NABVentures, 100X.VC
- Headquarters: Kerala
Beyond Snack was incorporated to commercialise the popular South Indian snack, banana chips. The startup claims its banana chips are healthy because the nutrients are preserved during the manufacturing process.
The bananas are sourced directly from farmers and the chips are prepared in under two minutes to retain their natural nutrients, unlike the usual 15-20 minutes of frying. This ensures the products go from farm to plate in less than 24 hours.
To ensure availability across the country, the startup has opened warehouses in Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata. As an omnichannel brand, its products are available on ecommerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, BigBasket, and Zepto, as well as in over 10,000 retail outlets, including DMart and Reliance stores.
Beyond Snack aims to become a leader in the banana chips market and reach INR 100 Cr in revenue by FY25.
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2. Burger Singh
- Year Of Inception: 2014
- Founders: Kabir Jeet Singh, Nitin Rana, Rahul Seth
- Funding Raised To Date: INR 30 Cr + undisclosed
- Investors: RB Investments, Rukam Capital, KCT Family Office, and V.M. SALGAOCAR family office
- Headquarters: Gurugram
Established in 2014 by Kabir Jeet Singh, Nitin Rana, and Rahul Seth, Burger Singh is a Gurugram-based quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain.
In 2019, the company secured an undisclosed amount of funding from RB Investments, based in Singapore. Subsequently, in 2022, Burger Singh successfully raised INR 30 Cr in its Series A funding round. The round was led by Negen Capital, accompanied by LetsVenture, Mumbai Angels, Old World Hospitality, and musician Jasleen Royal.
Following the fundraising in 2022, the fast-food chain announced its plan to utilise the funds for opening 120 new food outlets by the end of FY23.
As of July 2022, Burger Singh boasted more than 80 exclusive food outlets and 12 franchisees across various locations in India.
In the competitive QSR industry, Burger Singh faces competition from well-known brands such as Burger King, McDonald’s, Subway, Domino’s, and KFC.
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3. Chaayos
- Year Of Inception: 2012
- Founders: Nitin Saluja, Raghav Verma
- Funding Raised To Date: $98 Mn
- Investors: Alpha Wave Ventures, Elevation Capital, Think Investments, Tiger Global, Integrated Capital, SAIF Partners, InnoVen Capital, Pactolus, Sachin Shukla, Bhavish Aggarwal, Ankit Bhati
- Headquarters: Delhi
F&B brand Chaayos sells multiple types of teas and pre-packaged food products via offline and online marketplaces and uses new-age technologies like AI and IoT to run its operations efficiently.
Earlier, it had shared that its online tea deliveries account for 45% of its revenue. It operates 190 retail outlets across six Indian cities. In June 2022, it secured $53 Mn in its Series C funding to develop tech infrastructure and expand its presence.
Its cap table includes Alpha Wave Ventures, Elevation Capital, Think Investments, Tiger Global, SAIF Partners, InnoVen Capital, Pactolus, and Ola cofounders Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati, among others.
Chaayos’ FY22 revenues rose 2.4X YoY to INR 134.9 Cr, while its total revenues stood at INR 140.2 Cr during the period under review.
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4. Coolberg
- Year Of Inception: 2016
- Founders: Pankaj Aswani, Yashika Keswani
- Funding Raised To Date: $3.5 Mn
- Investors: RB Investments, India Quotient, Ashish Goenka, Indian Angel Network
- Headquarters: Mumbai
Coolberg is a non-alcoholic beer brand, which sells cranberry, peach, ginger, malt, strawberry, mint, and cranberry beverages via its website and offline distribution channels. Currently, it has a presence in India, Africa, Maldives, Bhutan, and Nepal.
In 2019, Coolberg raised $3.5 Mn in its Series A funding round from RB Investments, India Quotient, Ashish Goenka from Suashish Diamonds, and Indian Angel Network. Prior to that, it bagged an undisclosed sum from India Quotient and Indian Angel Network’s maiden fund.
The beverage startup was acquired by Ghodawat Consumer in 2022 for an undisclosed amount. The startup said that this acquisition would help it develop a portfolio of new-age premium beverage brands as part of the deal.
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5. Desi Farms
- Year Of Inception: 2022
- Founders: Sunil Sahi
- Funding Raised To Date: $6 Mn
- Investors: NAV Capital Emerging Funds, Venture Catalysts, Cummins India’s founder and MD Ashwath Ram
- Headquarters: Pune
Founded in 2022 by Sunil Sahi, the Maharashtra-based farm-to-table D2C brand offers fresh and chemical-free milk and dairy products.
Currently operational in Pune, the brand claims to offer milk within 12-24 hours of the milking process. Other than milk, its product category includes A2 milk, ghee, paneer and more, with each product passing through 20 quality checks.
It has developed a tech-enabled in-house system, which takes care of production, delivery and franchise modules to ensure product provenance, tracking the entire journey from farms to customers.
Desi Farms has an omnichannel presence. Its products are sold via its app and portal, on ecommerce marketplaces under the Manchar Farms brand and through 50+ Desi Farms outlets.
Since inception, it has secured INR 50 Cr funding from investors like NAV Capital Emerging Funds, Venture Catalysts, Cummins India’s founder and MD Ashwath Ram, among others.
The startup also made it to the list of Inc42’s latest edition of Fast42.
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6. Dogsee Chew
- Year Of Inception: 2015
- Founders: Bhupendra Khanal, Sneh Sharma
- Funding Raised To Date: $13.9 Mn
- Investors: Mankind Pharma, Sixth Sense Ventures
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
Dogsee Chew offers vegetarian dog treats that are natural, human-grade, and protein-rich. These treats are made from yak milk cheese by residents of villages in Nepal, Sikkim, and Darjeeling.
Earlier this year, the startup secured $6.7 Mn in its Series A funding round from Mankind Pharma and Sixth Sense Ventures.
In November 2021, it raised $7 Mn in its Pre-Series A funding round from Sixth Sense Ventures. Currently, it has a presence in over 30 countries.
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7. DropKaffe
- Year Of Inception: 2019
- Founders: Rakshit Kejriwal, Lakshmi Dasaka, Chaitanya Chitta
- Funding Raised To Date: $1.7 Mn
- Investors: Fireside Ventures, Brigade Group, GrowthStory, Sidharth Pansari, Nirupa Shankar, Hitesh Oberoi, Kanwaljit Singh, Apurva Salarpuria, Manish Singhal P39 Capital
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
Beverage startup DropKaffe sells ready-to-drink cold coffee, fresh coffee beans, coffee powders, and gourmet foods under the brand SLAY Coffee through its website and cafe chains.
According to its LinkedIn page, the startup has a presence in over 160 locations across 19 Indian cities.
In 2016, its parent company raised $550K in a funding round led by Fireside Ventures’ Kanwaljit Singh, Srini Anumolu & Meena Ganesh of GrowthStory, Apurva Salarpuria from Salarpuria Group, Sidharth Pansari from Primac, Rahul Gidwani, Hitesh Oberoi from Naukri, Nirupa Shankar from Brigade Group, and Bhupen Shah also participated in the round.
The venture claims to serve more than 500K customers across 20 cities across the country.
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8. Eat Better
- Year Of Inception: 2020
- Founders: Mridula Kanoria, Shaurya Kanoria
- Funding Raised To Date: $725K
- Investors: Java Capital, Mumbai Angels, Shiprocket Ventures, CapierCapital, Plan B Capital, Harpreet Grover, Arjun Vaidya, Bhavik Vasa, Radhika Ghai, Vishesh Khurana, Bimal Kartheek Rebba, Ishank Joshi, Venus Dhuria, and Divij Bajaj
- Headquarters: Jaipur
Organic food startup Eat Better sells healthy snacks such as coffee and almond laddoos, hazelnut chocolate laddoos, and vanilla, and cacao laddoos, among others, through its website and other ecommerce platforms.
The startup has a manufacturing facility in Jaipur and manages a base of over 50 female employees.
In March 2022, it secured INR 5.5 Cr seed funding to strengthen its team, expand offerings and develop marketing and distribution channels.
A slew of investors, including Java Capital, Mumbai Angels, Shiprocket Ventures, CapierCapital and Plan B Capital, participated in the funding round.
Earlier, it claimed to have reported over 10x growth in revenues between October 2020 and March 2022.
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9. Farmley
- Founded In: 2017
- Founders: Akash Sharma, Abhishek
- Funding Raised To Date: $12 Mn+
- Investors: BC Jindal Group, Alkemi Partners, Omnivore, DSG Consumer Partners
- Headquarters: Delhi NCR
Farmley, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) snacking brand founded in 2017 by Akash Sharma and Abhishek, specializes in offering an array of flavoured dry fruits and nuts. Their product range includes enticing options such as roasted peri peri makhanas, Thai chili cashews, and date bites.
With a presence across various ecommerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Blinkit, Zepto, Instamart, and Big Basket, Farmley has established itself as an omnichannel brand. Additionally, it boasts a wide distribution network of over 10,000 retail outlets across India.
It claims to have crossed an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of INR 300 Cr, growing by over 400% in the past two years. The startup also claims to have turned EBITDA positive.
In December 2023, the startup secured $6.7 Mn in a Pre-Series B funding round led by BC Jindal Group.
Since its inception, Farmley has raised more than $12 Mn from a number of investors, including DSG Consumer Partners, Omnivore, and Alkemi Partners.
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10. Good Flippin’ Burgers
- Year Of Inception: 2019
- Founders: Viren D’silva, Sijo Mathew, Sid Marchant
- Funding Raised To Date: $5.1 Mn
- Investors: Karan Bhagat, Yatin Shah, Nikhil Bhardwaj, Tanglin Venture Partners
- Headquarters: Mumbai
Burger chain Good Flippin’ Burgers has 23 outlets across Mumbai and Delhi, of which 16 are in Mumbai. The brand entered the Delhi market with seven new outlets earlier this year.
In 2023, the startup raised $4 Mn in its Series A round, which was led by Tanglin Venture Partners. It has also raised $1.1 Mn in a seed round led by Kerala Blasters Football Club’s director Nikhil Bharadwaj, IIFL Wealth’s Karan Bhagat and Yatin Shah.
With outlets in only two cities in India, the startup is aiming to expand its footprint in India. It is also in the process of adopting cloud, hybrid, and dine-in formats with a focus on malls and airports.
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11. Go DESi
- Year Of Inception: 2018
- Founders: Vinay Kothari, Raksha Kothari
- Funding Raised To Date: INR 80 Cr
- Investors: Aavishkaar Capital, Rukam Capital, DSG Consumer Partners, Roots Venture
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
The startup was founded by a brother-sister duo to commercialise traditional Indian treats and confectionery, all while empowering women in rural villages.
With an omnichannel presence, the startup’s products are available in over 40,000 stores nationwide, and it claims to have sold over 15 Mn units since inception.
In southern India, the products are available both online and offline. In cities like Mumbai and Delhi NCR, they are available only on quick commerce and online grocery apps.
The startup recently secured INR 41 Cr in funding led by Aavishkaar Capital. The round also saw participation from existing investors Rukam Capital, Roots Ventures and DSG Consumer.
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12. Happilo
- Year Of Inception: 2016
- Founders: Vikas Nahar
- Funding Raised To Date: $38 Mn
- Bb Investors: Motilal Oswal Private Equity, A91 Partners
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
Happilo is a healthy snack brand that offers nuts, dried fruits, seeds and dry roasted snacks. It has a manufacturing unit at Yeshwantpur, Bengaluru. It follows an omnichannel approach to sell its products across the country.
Happilo’s products are non-GMO verified, gluten-free, vegan and fat-free. The startup offers EMI options to customers if they cannot pay for products at once.
In February, Happilo raised $25 Mn from Motilal Oswal Private Equity to expand its business and offerings and acquire other firms. Before this, it secured $13 Mn from A91 Partners.
It has grown over 4X in the last 24 months and is aiming to clock revenue of INR 2,000 Cr in the next four years.
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13. iD Fresh Food
- Year Of Inception: 2005
- Founders: PC Musthafa, Abdul Nazer, Shamsudeen TK, Jafar, Noushad TA
- Funding Raised To Date: $104 Mn
- Investors: NewQuest Capital Partner, Premji Invest, Peak XV Partners, Helion Ventures, Azim Premji
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
iD Fresh Food sells ready-to-make food such as dosa and idli batter, and rice rava idli batter, among others, in domestic and international markets.
It has a presence in over 45 cities across the globe including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad and Dubai, among others.
Recently, the Bengaluru-based D2C startup announced its seventh round of ESOPs worth INR 46 Cr for 27 employees.
“In the coming months, we are excited to augment our 2,000+ workforce as we explore new markets and continue to create new opportunities for a diverse set of professionals, while actively creating a more inclusive workplace,” Musthafa said while announcing the ESOPs.
In January, the startup secured $68 Mn in its Series D funding round from NewQuest Capital Partner and Premji Invest. It has raised $104 Mn so far from individual and institutional investors.
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14. Jade Forest
- Year Of Inception: 2019
- Founders: Shuchir Suri, Punweet Singh
- Funding Raised To Date: $1.25 Mn
- Investors: Mumbai Angels Network, Gaurav Kapur, Rohan Abbas, Ashish Tulsian, AngelList India
- Headquarters: Delhi
Jade Forest offers a slew of non-alcoholic beverages to customers via its website, ecommerce marketplaces and last-mile delivery platforms. Its products are priced between INR 80 and INR 85.
In 2021, it secured $1 Mn from Mumbai Angels Network. Before this, it secured $250,000 in its seed funding round from angel investors such as Gaurav Kapur, Rohan Abbas, Ashish Tulsian, and AngelList India.
Its products are certified by the US FDA. In the last two years, it has expanded to 23 Indian cities.
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15. Jimmy’s Cocktails
- Year Of Inception: 2019
- Founders: Ankur Bhatia and Nitin Bhardwaj
- Funding Raised To Date: $2.4 Mn
- Investors: Roots Ventures, 7Square Ventures, Vishesh Khurana, Varun Alagh, Keki Mistry, Vidur Talwar, Anirudh Somani, Vinay Agarwal, Ankur Bhatia, Mirza Baig, Ekcle Ventures, Angad Bhatia
- Headquarters: Gurugram
Jimmy’s Cocktails offers a slew of cocktail mixers including gin cherry sour, bloody mary, lime margarita, and mango chilli mojito, among others.
In April, Jimmy’s Cocktails secured $1.8 Mn in its Pre-Series A funding round from investors such as Roots Ventures, 7Square Ventures, Vishesh Khurana from Shiprocket, Varun Alagh from Mamaearth, Keki Mistry from HDFC, among others.
The startup then said that it sold over 6 Mn cocktails in the first three months of 2022.
In the financial year 2021-22, it posted a 3X revenue growth. About 40% of its revenue came from Tier II and III cities.
This year, Radiohead Brands, the beverage maker’s parent company, secured $1.3 Mn and announced the launch of its energy drink brand Hustle.
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16. Kapiva Ayurveda
- Year Of Inception: 2015
- Founders: Ameve Sharma, Shrey Badhani
- Funding Raised To Date: $15.77 Mn
- Investors: Vertex Ventures, Fireside Ventures, 3one4 Capital
- Headquarters: Mumbai
Kapiva Ayurveda offers a slew of ayurvedic products for building immunity, improving digestion, strengthening the body and controlling diabetes, among others.
In October 2021, it got an undisclosed amount of funding from Bollywood actor Malaika Arora.
The startup’s revenue stood at INR 40 Cr in the financial year 2020-21. It claims to have sold over 8 Lakh ayurvedic products since its launch and has a user base of 3.5 Lakh.
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17. Lahori
- Year Of Inception: 2017
- Founders: Saurabh Munjal, Saurabh Bhutna, Nikhil Doda
- Funding Raised To Date: $15 Mn
- Investors: Verlinvest
- Headquarters: Punjab
Lahori offers traditional Indian beverages across the country. Currently, it offers Indian drinks in four flavours – jeera (cumin), nimboo (lemon), kacha aam (raw mango) and shikanji (lemonade).
Lahori’s parent company, Archian Foods, manufactures nearly 1 Mn bottles in its fully automated manufacturing facility, which is spread across 1,50,000 sq ft. Its manufacturing unit is accredited by FSSAI, ISI, HACCP, RoHS and Make In India (offered by GeM).
In January, Belgium-based Verlinvest infused $15 Mn in Lahori in exchange for a minority stake.
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18. Licious
- Year Of Inception: 2015
- Founders: Abhay Hanjura, Vivek Gupta
- Funding Raised To Date: $360 Mn
- Investors: Amansa Capital, Kotak PE, Axis Growth Avenues AIF – I, Nithin Kamath, Nikhil Kamath, Aman Gupta, Haresh Chawla, Temasek, Brunei Investment Agency, 3one4 Capital, Bertelsmann India Investments, Vertex Growth Fund, and Vertex Ventures
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
Licious offers a host of meat and seafood including prawns, kebabs and mutton, among others. Besides, it also offers an end-to-end supply chain of products that it sells to customers, right from their procurement to processing to delivery.
In March, the foodtech unicorn secured $150 Mn from Amansa Capital, Kotak PE, Axis Growth Avenues AIF – I, Nithin and Nikhil Kamath of Zerodha, boAt’s Aman Gupta and Haresh Chawla from True North.
Before this, it raised $52 Mn in October 2021. In the financial year 2020-21, it had an annual revenue rate of INR 1,000 Cr and operations in 14 Indian cities. Its customer base stood at over 2 Mn in the fiscal year 2020-21.
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19. MasterChow
- Year Of Inception: 2020
- Founders: Vidur Kataria, Sidhanth Mada
- Funding Raised To Date: $1.6 Mn
- Investors: Anicut Capital, WEH ventures, Fluid ventures
- Headquarters: Delhi
D2C brand MasterChow offers ready-to-cook noodles, dipping sauces, and sticky rice, among others.
In May, MasterChow raised $1.2 Mn from Anicut Capital, WEH ventures and Fluid ventures.
Prior to this, it had raised around $462K in its seed funding round from WEH Ventures and some angel investors. The startup had then claimed that it had grown 10x over the previous 12 months and shipped products to over 17,000 pin codes across India.
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20. Namhya Foods
- Year Of Inception: 2019
- Founders: Ridhima Arora
- Funding Raised To Date: Undisclosed
- Investors: Aman Gupta
- Headquarters: Jammu
Headquartered in Jammu, Namhya Foods specialises in snacks and beverages made from Indian herbs and natural ingredients.
The startup was established in 2019 by Ridhima Arora. To secure funding, she participated in Shark India’s inaugural season and successfully secured INR 50 Lakh against a 10% equity. Additionally, she obtained an additional INR 50 Lakh in debt funding from Aman Gupta, the cofounder of boAt.
Namhya Foods positions itself as a provider of nourishing food products designed to assist individuals with various health conditions such as diabetes, heart issues, high blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid problems, as well as chest congestion. The company offers a diverse range of products.
In addition to its presence in India, Namhya Foods operates in the United States and has plans to expand into the UAE, Australia, and Canada.
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21. Nourish You
- Year Of Inception: 2015
- Founders: Rakesh Kilaru, Krishna Reddy, Sowmya Reddy
- Funding Raised To Date: $2 Mn
- Investors: Y Janardhana Rao, Rohit Chennamaneni, Nikhil Kamath, Abhijeet Pai, Abhinay Bollineni
- Headquarters: Hyderabad
Nourish You sells nutrient-rich breakfast food products and snacks to consumers via its website and ecommerce marketplaces, including Flipkart, BigBasket, and Amazon, among others.
Besides selling products directly to consumers, the startup exports food items to countries like Singapore, Nepal, Kenya, Dubai, Mongolia and Maldives. Some of its products are quinoa flour, chocolate & banana muesli, and cranberry walnut mix.
Earlier, the startup shared that it had 5,000 acres of quinoa and chia farms in Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh.
In January 2023, it secured $2 Mn in seed funding for research and development activities, brand marketing and fortifying its distribution and market presence. As a part of this round, it also secured an undisclosed amount of funding from actress Samantha Prabhu.
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22. Paper Boat
- Year Of Inception: 2010
- Founders: Neeraj Kakkar, Niraj Biyani
- Funding Raised To Date: INR 458 Cr
- Investors: Peak XV Partners, Hillhouse Capital Group, GIC, Advent International, Trifecta Capital, Sofina SA, A91 Partners, Catamaran, Footprint Ventures
- Headquarters: Gurugram
Paper Boat sells a slew of fruit-based drinks in Indian flavours including aam panna (raw mango), rose tamarind (tamarind juice), chilli guava (guava juice), ‘jaljeera’ (spicy, tangy lemonade), among others.
In August, the startup raised $50.1 Mn in funding from GIC-owned sovereign fund Lathe Investment Pte Ltd.
At the time, it used to have a presence in the metro cities, Tier II towns and beyond. In the fiscal year 2021-22, it posted revenue of INR 243 Cr, whilst its losses stood at INR 64 Cr. Meanwhile, in the fiscal year ending March 2020, it clocked revenue at INR 231 Cr and losses at INR 100 Cr, according to Tofler.
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23. Plix
- Year Of Inception: 2019
- Founders: Rishubh Satiya, Akash Zaveri
- Funding Raised To Date: $5 Mn
- Investors: Guild Capital, RPSG Ventures
- Headquarters: Mumbai
Based in Mumbai, Plix specialises in plant-based nutrition supplements, offering a range that includes gummies, superfood powders, and effervescent tablets. Plix asserts that its products effectively address concerns related to weight loss, hair fall and skin, daily wellness, women’s health, and workout requirements.
In July, FMCG giant Marico acquired a majority 58% stake in Plix for INR 369.01 Cr, marking its inaugural foray into the D2C arena. Under the terms of this deal, Marico assumed control over Plix’s board, and Plix became a subsidiary of Marico.
Competing alongside players like OZiva, Setu Nutrition, and Fast&Up, Plix boasts a customer base exceeding 1.5 Mn individuals. The omnichannel brand offers a diverse portfolio of 60 products spanning six categories.
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24. Pluckk
- Year Of Inception: 2021
- Founders: Prateek Gupta
- Funding Raised To Date: $5 Mn+
- Investors: Exponentia Ventures, Kareena Kapoor Khan
- Headquarters: Mumbai
Pluck is an ecommerce platform which aims to serve the growing demand for lifestyle-oriented fresh produce. It focuses on the global food trends ranging from vegan, carb alternatives, gut health, immunity to plant-forward eating to prevent diabetes and mental health.
The startup has a 400+ product range across 15+ categories including essentials, exotics, hydroponics, and cuts, mixes. The startup claims that the products are chemical free. Further, the products are customised following different food trends, suitable for gut and heart health, diabetes, and include organic and exotic produce as well.
Pluckk’s products are available on its own D2C website along with partner ecommerce platforms including Blinkit, Swiggy, Zepto, Dunzo, and Amazon. While it is currently operational in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune, it plans to expand to more geographies in the coming quarters.
In 2022, it secured its seed funding of $5 Mn from Exponentia Ventures to develop farm to fork infrastructure, customer acquisition and expansion into key metro cities. It also said that parts of the fund would go towards the acquisition of B2B and B2C company Indus Fresh.
Last year, it acquired DIY meal kit platform KOOK for $1.3 Mn in a combination of cash and equity.
Following this acquisition, it also secured an undisclosed amount of funding from actress Kareena Kapoor Khan and appointed her as brand ambassador.
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25. Samosa Singh
- Year Of Inception: 2016
- Founders: Nidhi Singh, Shikhar Veer Singh
- Funding Raised To Date: $2.7 Mn
- Investors: Fireside Ventures, AL Trust, AET Fund, She Capital, Equanimity Investments, ANME
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
Food snack brand Samosa Singh sells Indian food snacks such as samosa, kachori, pani puri, and matar kulcha, among others, to its customers via cloud kitchens and kiosks.
It had earlier shared that its manufacturing unit holds the capacity to produce 25K food items daily.
In 2020, the startup secured $2.7 Mn (INR 17 Cr) in a Series A funding round to develop the capacity of its Bengaluru-based central kitchen. The round was led by She Capital.
As of March 2020, it had a presence in over 25 locations in Hyderabad and Bengaluru. It claims to have set up 100 cloud kitchens in prime cities of South India.
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26. Slurrp Farm
- Year Of Inception: 2016
- Founders: Meghana Narayan, Shauravi Malik
- Funding Raised To Date: $9 Mn
- Investors: Anushka Sharma, Investment Corporation of Dubai, Fireside Ventures
- Headquarters: Delhi
Slurrp Farm is a children-focussed healthy snack brand. It offers a variety of cereals, milk mixes and snacks such as ready-to-mix pancakes, cakes, dosas, noodles and various kinds of pasta. For first-time users, it offers these products in trial packs.
Slurrp Farm’s parent, Wholsum Foods, sells the products via its website and ecommerce marketplaces. Currently, it has a presence in India, the UAE, the US, and the UK.
In the financial year 2021-22, it reported over INR 50 Cr annual revenue rate (ARR) and witnessed a 10X growth between June 2020 and December 2021. It further aims to achieve a revenue of INR 500 Cr by 2025.
In April, Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma backed Slurrp Farm. Prior to this deal, the D2C brand raised $7 Mn from the Investment Corporation of Dubai and Fireside Ventures and also bagged $2 Mn in a Series A round from Fireside Ventures.
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27. Storia
- Year Of Inception: 2017
- Founders: Vishal Shah
- Funding Raised To Date: $6 Mn
- Investors: Sixth Sense Ventures
- Headquarters: Mumbai
Storia offers a range of processed fruit juices, coconut water, and shakes to customers.
In 2021, it raised $6 Mn in its Series A funding from Sixth Sense Ventures. It currently has a presence in 33 Indian cities via its 50K retail outlets.
At the time of the announcement of its Series A funding round, the startup said it planned to launch new offerings, expand its distribution network and foray into packaged food.
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28. Sweet Karam Coffee
- Year Of Inception: 2020
- Founders: Anand Bharadwaj, Nalini Parthiban, Srivatsan Sundararaman, Veera Raghavan
- Funding Raised To Date: $1.5 Mn
- Investors: Fireside Ventures
- Headquarters: Chennai
Sweet Karam Coffee sells South-Indian delicacies, including filter coffee and ready meal mixes, which it claims to be free from palm oil and preservatives.
On October 30, 2023, the startup announced that it raised $1.5 Mn from Fireside Ventures to expand its offline play, enter new geographies, and strengthen its product portfolio.
The startup also aims to address the problem of poor availability of well-packaged traditional South Indian sweets and snacks.
The startup sells its products primarily through its website and app, and claims to deliver them to more than 30 nations.
The Chennai-based startup has also partnered with Tamil Nadu farmers to offer a range of millet-based products.
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29. TagZ Foods
- Year Of Inception: June 2019
- Founders: Anish Basu Roy, Sagar Bhalotia
- Funding Raised To Date: $1.5 Mn
- Investors: 9Unicorns, Umang Bedi, Venture Catalysts, Dexter Angels, Agility Ventures, Arjun Vaidya, Dharamveer Chouhan, Ashneer Grover, Namitha Thapar
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
TagZ makes and sells chips, chocolates, dips and cheese dribbling, among others. It recently also pitched investors on the television show Shark Tank India.
It also raised money via a consumer stock option plan (CSOP), where it offered equity to customers for investing a minimum of INR 5,000. The CSOP was oversubscribed by 250%.
Prior to this, it raised an undisclosed amount of investment in its Pre-Series A funding round from Venture Catalysts, Zostel’s Dharamveer Chouhan, The Pant Project’s Dhruv Toshniwal, and Loy Halder from Goldman Sachs, among others.
In the financial year 2021-22, its revenue stood at INR 15 Cr. The startup claims to have served over 30 Mn consumers and sold more than 50 Mn packets of chips since its inception.
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30. TenderCuts
- Year Of Inception: 2016
- Founders: Nishanth Chandran
- Funding Raised To Date: $19 Mn
- Investors: Stride Ventures, Paragon Partners, Nabventures
- Headquarters: Chennai
D2C brand TenderCuts offers meat and seafood products including chicken, mutton, seafood, marinades, pickles, and eggs and ready-to-cook products such as cold cuts, sausages, kebabs, shawarmas, etc.
In 2021, it secured approximately $4 Mn in a debt funding round from Stride Ventures. Prior to this, it raised $15 Mn from Paragon Partners and Nabventures and closed a seed funding round worth $759K in 2017.
It follows an omnichannel marketing strategy and has been serving customers across Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore via its 50 retail stores.
In September 2023, the omnichannel meat brand was reported to be planning the acquisition of TenderCuts along with Happy Chops.
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31. The Divine Foods
- Year Of Inception: 2019
- Founders: Kiru Maikkapillai
- Funding Raised To Date: Undisclosed
- Investors: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan
- Headquarters: Chennai
The Divine Foods is a D2C foodtech startup that specialises in manufacturing products from traditional Indian superfoods such as turmeric, moringa, millet, and others.
Its portfolio includes products such as turmeric oil, turmeric golden milk, masks, turmeric drinks, turmeric powder, honey, among others.
Under the flagship seed funding scheme of the Tamil Nadu government called TANSEED 4.0, the startup received a grant of an undisclosed amount.
Last year, the startup secured an undisclosed amount of funding from actress Nayanthara and her husband Vignesh Shivan. Back then, founder Maikkapillai told Inc42 that the funding would be used for scaling up the infrastructure, expanding the startup’s product line, creating brand awareness among the masses and encouraging other celebrities to support the growth of native businesses.
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32. The Filling Station
- Year Of Inception: 2021
- Founders: Mahua Ghosh, Suvankar Ghosh
- Funding Raised To Date: Undisclosed
- Investors: NA (Not Available)
- Headquarters: Mumbai
Healthy food snack startup The Filling Station sells nutrient-rich laddoos, oil-free snacks, and nutrient-rich spreads, among others, via its website and ecommerce marketplaces such as Amazon and Flipkart.
In snacks, it uses ingredients such as palm, oats, makhana, seeds, nuts, and date fruit. Its cofounder Mahua Ghosh holds 11 years of experience in the food industry. She has previously worked with many fast food joints, cloud kitchens and retail brands. The venture is recognised by the Centre’s Startup India Initiative, according to the website.
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33. The Good Bug
- Year Of Inception: 2022
- Founders: Keshav Biyani, Prabhu Karthikeyan
- Funding Raised To Date: $3.5 Mn
- Investors: Fireside Ventures
- Headquarters: Mumbai
The Mumbai-based startup, The Good Bugs, offers a range of products that are designed to promote and maintain gut health for consumers. Its primary focus lies in addressing the health concerns of individuals aged 25-60 who may be grappling with the negative consequences of unhealthy dietary and lifestyle choices.
Currently, the startup operates as an omnichannel brand, with approximately 70% of its revenue coming from its website and the remaining 30% from various online marketplaces. Notably, the startup has recently initiated partnerships with pharmacies to expand its offline presence.
Since its inception, the brand claims to have catered to over 2 Lakh customers. It also proclaims to have strong repeat rates of 40-45%. To expand its product offerings, the startup is planning to introduce 20 new products to its portfolio over the next six to twelve months.
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34. The Whole Truth
- Year Of Inception: 2019
- Founders: Shashank Mehta
- Funding Raised To Date: $21 Mn
- Investors: Sequoia Capital India, Matrix Partners India, Sauce.vc, Kalyan Krishnamurthy, Sujeet Kumar, Ashneer Grover, Shashvat Nakrani
- Headquarters: Mumbai
The Whole Truth sells dark chocolate, muesli, protein bars, nut butter and energy bars via its website and other ecommerce marketplaces.
In July, the D2C snack brand secured $6 Mn in its Series A funding round from Sequoia Capital India, Matrix Partners India, Sauce.vc, Flipkart’s Kalyan Krishnamurthy, Udaan’s Sujeet Kumar, Ashneer Grover and Shashvat Nakrani.
The startup had then claimed that it had grown 12x in the last 18 months. Besides, The Whole Truth said it receives 50% of its sales via its website and the rest from ecommerce marketplaces.
This year, the startup secured $15 Mn to boost its manufacturing capacity, hire talent, and expand its retail distribution.
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35. Troo Good
- Year Of Inception: 2018
- Founders: Raju Bhupati
- Funding Raised To Date: $7.4 Mn
- Investors: OAKS Asset Management
- Headquarters: Hyderabad
Troo Good offers a slew of millet, peanut, chocolate, and dry fruit snack bars and mixtures. In the year of its inception, it clocked a revenue of INR 12 Cr, while in 2019, it posted a revenue of INR 24 Cr. The startup claims that it is currently profitable before tax.
In November 2021, Troo Good secured $7.4 Mn from OAKS Asset Management to expand its business in the domestic market.
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36. True Elements
- Founded In: 2013
- Founders: Puru Gupta and Sreejith Moolayil
- Funding Raised To Date: $2 Mn
- Investors: Marico, Maharashtra State Social Venture Fund
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
True Elements offers millet, grains, and seeds-based breakfast and snack foods. It follows an omnichannel marketing strategy, selling products via its website, ecommerce marketplaces and brick-and-mortar stores.
In May, consumer company Marico acquired a 53.98% stake in True Elements’ parent HW Wellness Solutions for an undisclosed sum. Prior to this, True Elements secured INR 10 Cr from the Maharashtra State Social Venture Fund last year.
In the financial year 2021-22, it recorded sales of over INR 54.3 Cr as compared to INR 36.3 Cr in the previous fiscal year.
Currently, it sells over 70 products and more than 200 stock-keeping units (SKUs) across 12,000 retail outlets in India. It claims to earn over 75% of its revenue from online distribution channels.
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37. Twigly
- Year Of Inception: 2015
- Founders: Sonal Minhas, Rohan Dayal, Naresh Kumar Kachhi
- Funding Raised To Date: $800K
- Investors: Tracxn Labs, Hyderabad Angels, Kunal Shah, Aditya Verma, Gaurav Bhalotia, Amit Gupta, Sahil Barua, Mukul Singhal
- Headquarters: Gurugram
Twigly provides freshly cooked food at consumers’ doorstep via its website and mobile app. It currently delivers orders in Delhi NCR. Some of its products are burgers, pasta, grill platters, desserts, and various types of beverages.
According to its founders, the startup is modelled on San Francisco-based food delivery startup Sprig, which used to offer freshly cooked meals to its consumers. The startup closed down its operations in 2017.
In September 2018, Twigly was acquired by its competitor for an undisclosed amount.
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38. Vahdam India
- Year Of Inception: 2015
- Founders: Bala Sarda
- Funding Raised To Date: $62.3 Mn
- Investors: Sixth Sense Ventures, IIFL Asset Management, Mankind Group Family Office, SAR Group Family Office, Kris Gopalakrishnan, White Whale Ventures, Urmin Group
- Headquarters: New Delhi
Vahdam offers an assorted range of teas, including herbal, white, oolong and iced teas, among others in India and across the world. Its other offerings include teaware and instant lattes.
In September 2021, the startup secured INR 174 Cr in its Series D Round led by IIFL AMC’s Private Equity Fund. Post the fundraising, it was valued at INR 700 Cr.
Presently, the startup claims that it has a presence in more than 100 countries and also turned profitable in the fiscal year 2021 after clocking a net revenue of INR 160 Cr+.
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39. Wellbeing Nutrition
- Year Of Inception: 2019
- Founders: Avnish Chhabria, Saurabh Kapoor
- Funding Raised To Date: $10.7 Mn
- Investors: Rakulpreet Singh, Mira Kapoor, Fireside Ventures, HUL, etc.
- Headquarters: Mumbai
Founded in 2019, Wellbeing Nutrition is a direct-to-consumer (D2C) nutraceutical company based in Mumbai. Cofounded by Avnish Chhabria and Saurabh Kapoor, the startup specialises in offering healthy food products with a primary focus on women’s health.
Its product portfolio includes Melts, which are vitamin-based thin strips, Korean Marine for collagen, and Daily Fiber for plant-based prebiotic fibre.
In December 2022, Wellbeing Nutrition secured $10 Mn (INR 85 Cr) in its Series B funding round led by Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) and Fireside Ventures. HUL currently holds a 19.8% stake in the startup.
The company’s list of investors includes Bollywood actor Rakulpreet Singh, Mira Kapoor; Ashutosh Valani and Priyank Shah from RENEE Cosmetics, Nikhil Gandhi from MX Player, Harsh Vardhan Bhandari and Jeenendra Bhandari, among others.
Wellbeing Nutrition operates in the D2C segment and faces competition from brands such as Power Gummies and Fast&Up.
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40. WickedGud
- Year Of Inception: 2021
- Founders: Bhuman Dani, Soumalya Biswas, Monish Debnath
- Funding Raised To Date: $1.34 Mn
- Investors: Mumbai Angels, NB Ventures, Dholakia Ventures, Jalaj Dani Family Office, Ashutosh Valani, Priyank Shah, Ravi Shroff, Ravi Nigam, Ashwini Deshpande, Jorge Fernandez Vidal, Akshay Gurnani, Titan Capital, Archana Priyadarshini, Gaurav Ahuja, Amit Chaudhary, Aman Gupta, Sameer Mehta, Harsh Vakharia, Jorge Fernandez Vidal
- Headquarters: Mumbai
WickedGud sells pasta, noodles, malted beverages and other snacks via its website and ecommerce marketplaces. According to its website, its products are wholly vegan and contain plant-based protein.
In April last year, WickedGud secured $1 Mn from Mumbai Angels, NB Ventures, Dholakia Ventures, Jalaj Dani Family Office, Ashutosh Valani and Priyank Shah from Renee Cosmetics, Ravi Shroff from Excel Industries, Ravi Nigam from Tasty Bite, Ashwini Deshpande from Elephant Design, among others.
Prior to this, it secured $340K in its pre-seed funding round from Titan Capital, Archana Priyadarshini from Point One Capital, Gaurav Ahuja from Chrys Capital, and Amit Chaudhary from Lenskart, among others.
The startup targets customers aged 26 to 42 and claims to have an average order value of INR 450.
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41. Wingreens Farms
- Year Of Inception: 2011
- Founders: Anju Srivastava, Arun Srivastava
- Funding Raised To Date: $59.8 Mn
- Investors: Sequoia Capital, Investments AG, Investcorp, Omidyar Network
- Headquarters: Gurugram
The startup offers a diverse range of packaged food products spanning various categories such as healthy snacks, sauces, spreads, spice mixes, specialty bakery items, breakfast cereals, non-dairy milk, protein shakes, and a broad selection of organic products.
It faces competition from brands like Veeba Foods, while in the established FMCG brands segment, it competes with well-known names such as Nestle and Amul.
In 2022, the startup acquired a 100% stake in the Bengaluru-based snacks startup, Postcard. At the time, the startup stated that the acquisition would contribute to the expansion of its product portfolio under the ‘Wingreens World’ category.
In an earlier acquisition in 2021, the startup acquired Raw Pressery during a distressed sale. The acquisition aimed to broaden its product portfolio and venture into the cold-pressed juices segment.
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Last updated: May 29, 2024 | The article has been updated to include two more names.
