Neulife, a protein-forward and R&D-focused performance nutrition brand, has raised $1 million in its maiden seed funding round, co-led by Subhkam Ventures and Singularity Ventures. The round also saw participation from Sunicon Ventures, Cosma Ventures, and select high-net-worth individuals (HNIs). Prior to this round, Neulife had remained fully bootstrapped.
The funds raised will be channelled into key strategic areas, including product innovation, advanced research and clinical trials, expanding Neulife’s protein product portfolio, and driving its global growth and market expansion.
Founded in 2014 by fitness industry veteran Samit Gupta, widely recognised as a pioneer of sports nutrition in India, Neulife has built a strong foundation in performance nutrition. Gupta is now steering Neulife’s mission to deliver scientifically validated, metabolically superior proteins following the brand’s D2C launch in 2022.
Samit Gupta, Founder & CEO, Neulife, said, “As a carb-free ketogenic athlete myself for over a decade now, I have always struggled with my protein supplements – since they were fundamentally designed wrong, and contradict the way Protein actually occurs in nature – always with Fat source for optimal protein synthesis and energy efficiency. With Neulife, we’ve solved that problem, and are creating proteins that go beyond absorption – delivering true metabolic advantages and higher protein efficiency with our patented Ketofuel® MCT technology. In a market that has, for long, been underserved by generic, copycat supplements, we’re on a mission to plug the gap with metabolically superior Proteins that provide higher protein efficiency and absorption gram for gram against any other Protein, anywhere. The latest seed funding round serves as a key milestone in accelerating Neulife’s journey in the Premium Proteins space, validating our potential and mission, and fuelling our growth.”
Rishabh Kathotia, Partner, Subhkam Ventures, commented, “We believe that Neulife is addressing critical gaps in India’s performance nutrition market with its differentiated, science-first approach. Samit and his team bring unmatched experience and R&D depth to this category, which really impressed us and prompted us to invest, helping them build a legacy in this booming industry.”
Neulife’s proteins and nutritional products are powered by its patented Ketofuel® technology, enabling 30%+ higher efficiency and absorption compared to conventional whey and plant-based proteins. Beyond optimising gut health, Neulife’s formulations offer ketone-boosting and protein-sparing effects, resulting in enhanced muscle protein synthesis and greater protein efficiency.
Yash Kela, Partner, Singularity Ventures, added, “Neulife’s patented technology and focus on protein efficiency position them uniquely to become a category leader in India and beyond. By blending science and innovation with their domain expertise and advanced research capabilities, Neulife is poised to become India’s most trusted performance nutrition brand; and we’re now happy to be a part of their growth story as their early backer-investor.”
Neulife was among the first nutrition brands in India to establish an in-house R&D unit, operating it for six years and filing five patents (two granted and three pending). Before its product launch in 2022, this foundation in research helped the brand achieve strong scientific credibility.
With this latest fundraise, Neulife aims to capture approximately 15% of the premium proteins market by 2028, while also planning to raise an additional $3 million by the end of 2026 to further accelerate its growth trajectory.
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