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Today, with all the buzz about eating organic and using organic products, we see a lot of products on the market that claim to be organic and natural. This swing of organic air has not left the baby care segment untouched. To enhance the quality of products in the baby care segment, Ms. Rishu Gandhi launched her brand ‘Mother Sparsh’ in 2016.
Mother Sparsh is an innovative eco-friendly baby care brand focused on delivering a holistic experience to mothers and babies with their natural, eco-friendly, biodegradable, paraben-free, and chemical-free product offerings. Read more about the Mother Sparsh Company Profile, Founders, Business Model, and more.
Mother Sparsh has a very diverse and interesting range of products. Mother Sparsh’s products are very skin-friendly and ayurvedic in nature, crafted with the vision to protect a baby’s sensitive skin from all types of problems like redness, rashes, boils, allergies, dryness, and various other problems.
Mothers always seem to be exchanging notes on the requirement of better products for their babies. Mother Sparsh happily introduced India’s first Kids Cooking Oil with all enriching nutrients such as vitamin D, Omega 3, and Omega 6 for food preparation for kids. Its portfolio of eco-friendly products includes 98% and 99% water-based baby wipes, ayurvedic tummy roll-ons, and natural insect repellents, to name a few.
Mother Sparsh – Industry
According to InvestXP, In 2016, India had around 73.3 million babies in the 0–2 year age group and 252.5 million children in the 0–12 year age group. This makes India an important world market for baby and child products. Increasing awareness among parents about baby care and the wide availability of baby care products in India have changed the mindset of people in the country and transformed the demand scenario considerably.
Furthermore, there is a significant demand for high-quality baby products since most people are staying in nuclear families nowadays and have a single child. Therefore, they are prepared to spend a substantial amount. In the baby food segment, there is rising awareness among parents to fulfill the nutritional requirements of their babies adequately. Parents, primarily among the working-class population, are looking to compensate for the little time spent with their child by giving them the best with respect to their nutritional, hygiene, or lifestyle-related requirements. Furthermore, the increase in disposable income and double income are empowering Indian parents across the middle and upper classes to spend more on baby care products.
Mother Sparsh – Founder and Team
Mother Sparsh is founded by Himanshu Gandhi and Rishu Gandhi.
Mother Sparsh Co-Founder and Ceo Himanshu Gandhi
Himanshu Gandhi
Himanshu Gandhi is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mother Sparsh. He has done his MBA from Fore School of Management, New Delhi.
Mother Sparsh Co-Founder Rishu Gandhi
Rishu Gandhi
Rishu Gandhi is Co-Founder and Head Brand Strategist at Mother Sparsh. She has a graduation degree in engineering. Before starting Mother Sparsh, she was working as a Java developer at Infosys.
Mother Sparsh – Startup Story
Rishu has an interesting story when it comes to starting her entrepreneurial journey. After completing her engineering degree, she joined Infosys as a Java developer. But her passion to become an entrepreneur, especially with her keen interest in researching and learning about consumer behavior with respect to new products and innovations deeply inspired her to research and build her own brand “Mother Sparsh” to help moms with best of products for their babies.
Rishu originally belongs to a business family and she always wanted to start something of her own. One day, her colleague was complaining about the polyester wipes that resulted in rashes on her child’s skin. That led Rishu to research the baby care products that are available in the market. She thoroughly researched and analyzed the baby care products in the market and found a huge gap in the segment. She realized that there was a dire need for baby care products that were eco-friendly and organic.
After suffering from a huge loss, the Mother Sparsh team switched their marketing model and decided to try product sampling. The company provided free samples to target customers and educated them about their products. In the same year, Mother Sparsh was also recognized by market research source researchandmarkets.com as one of the first brands to launch water-based wipes and this rekindled the spirit of entrepreneurship in Rishu.
Mother Sparsh – Shareholding
Patterns of Mother Sparsh shareholding as of November 2023, retrieved from resource tracxn:
Shareholders Name
Percentage
Founder
72.75%
Enterprise
22.00%
Other People
5.25%
Mother Sparsh – Funding and Investors
Mother Sparsh has raised Rs 33.5 crore to date (November 30, 2023).
In a short span of 2.5 years, the company is selling products worth Rs 40-45 lakh per month through on-counter sales and online orders on Amazon, Flipkart, FirstCry, Paytm, and more. The company records an annual turnover of Rs 3.5 crore. Mother Sparsh had a turnover of Rs 15.44 crore in the financial year 2020-21.
Mother Sparsh – Startup Challenges
Being a woman entrepreneur in India is not easy In the beginning, Rishu faced challenges like lack of access to Adequate Funding, Limited Scope of Mobility, Inadequate Practical Experience, Balancing business & family life.
I overcame all the challenges with the help of my family support, confidence, getting exposed to the right set of experiences and my will power. If you have the courage to have your own enterprise, you certainly have the potential to make it work and reach the heights that you had dreamt for. Keep faith in yourself and your smart work is sure to daze everyone around you – says Rishu Gandhi
Rishu focuses on the eco-friendly & biodegradable roots, and does not believe in indulging in chemicals for a bit more sales.
Mother Sparsh – Competitors
Mother Sparsh is a brand in such a dynamic industry that faces competition from multinational companies like Johnson & Johnson, Himalaya Baby Care, Mamaearth, Pigeon, and Mothercare to name a few. Though all these brands operate in a perfectly competitive market, indirectly they do overlap with each other because of catering to the same target audience.
Mother Sparsh – Future Plans
In the near future, Mother Sparsh is looking forward to launching a series of baby care products that are sure to provide relief to mothers and their babies with eco-friendly and biodegradable advantages. The company plans on launching and including more variants in the baby wipes category with varieties like baby wipes for sensitive skin with bamboo fabric. Moreover, there are also plans to also provide more options in terms of packet sizes.
FAQs
Who is the owner of Mother Sparsh?
Himanshu Gandhi and Rishu Gandhi are the owners of Mother Sparsh.
When was Mother Sparsh founded?
Mother Sparsh was founded in 2016.
What is the turnover of Mother Sparsh?
Mother Sparsh recorded a turnover of Rs 15.44 crore in the financial year 2020-21.
What products does Mother Sparsh brand has?
Mother Sparsh brand provides baby care and mother care products.
Chai is much more than a cuppa tea in India. It’s something that folks sip to begin their mornings; it is a required beverage to wake you up every morning and a nourishment drink with midday treats. Our generations have dabbled with Tea and its flavours; there’s a distinct meaning of a fine balance for every ‘chai lover.’ Folks sip chai across every home in this nation, regardless of social status, or, to put it differently, a type of brew that is required to keep them going.
Although chai is such a vital and well-known beverage, we have never noticed a well-known label or chain outlet devoted solely to chai. There are around 35,711 Starbucks stores across the globe, as per news reported by Statista in 2022, and you couldn’t get a lovely and clean cuppa in a café with a pleasant atmosphere. Folks had to rely on their homes or any curbside shop to get their favourite cuppa. This is the underlying spark that supports Chaayos.
“This was the key aspect behind Chaayos—to have a spot where you can go get a vibrant clean cuppa made according to your preference with a nice, cozy setting,” says Nitin Saluja.
In this article, let’s explore the world of Chaayos—its founders, business and revenue model, funding, and more.
Chaayos is a contemporary Indian brand that embodies the bold spirit of its creator, Nitin Saluja. Visitors adore visiting its well-furnished cafés to sip chai and sample various kinds. With true and delicious ingredients, Chaayos now makes it simple for anyone to enjoy their favorite adrak-elaichi chai at home. Chaayos may conduct enjoyable events, update the cafés with unique touches that pay homage to Nitin’s design, and spread the word about the simplicity and genuineness of their homemade chai alternatives to improve things even more. For those who enjoy chai, Chaayos turns into the ideal setting for both at home and in cafés.
Chaayos – Industry
Indian food and beverage businesses have raised over $600 million in funding in a fast-paced expansion from 2014 to H1 2022. Future prospects appear promising; by 2025, it is predicted that India’s e-commerce sector will grow to be worth $400 billion.
According to the findings from Inc42’s “The State of Indian Startup Ecosystem Report, 2022,” the food and beverage industry is leading the way and is expected to develop at a remarkable rate of 29% CAGR over the next three years. This highlights the dynamic and promising startup scene in India, especially in the food and beverage industry.
Chaayos – Founders
Nitin Saluja and Raghav Verma Co-Founders of Chaayos (Left to Right)
Chaayo’s co-founders are Nitin Saluja and Raghav Verma.
Nitin Saluja
Nitin Saluja, co-founder of Chaayos, graduated from IIT Mumbai. Additionally, he is one of ThinkLabs’ co-founders. He was employed at Opera Solutions prior to cofounding Chaayos.
Raghav Verma
Raghav Verma is a graduate from IIT Delhi. Having co-founded PrepSquare and having experience in Opera Solutions, his unique combination of technological know-how and business acumen has played a pivotal role in establishing Chaayos success.
Chaayos – How was Chaayos Started?
Chaayos is the brainchild of two engineers, Nitin Saluja and Raghav Verma. They worked for the US consultancy firm Opera Solutions. Nitin was a tea connoisseur.
During this time, they both met via a common friend who was also employed by Opera Solutions in the United States. They both discussed the concept and were compelled to put the weirdest idea on the startup’s floor. They both resigned and poured their hearts and souls into their startup.
Nitin is in charge of product design and distribution networks, while Raghav is in charge of business growth and advertising. They called their company “Chaayos,” and the first store was established in Gurgaon in November 2012.
It is very easy to think of Chai as an item. Consumers at Chaayos, on the other hand, can choose from 25 flavoured teas that can be customized in 12,000 diverse ways! The catchphrase is “Experiments with Tea.” Their company believes in the customization of chai with a broad array of flavours. They have introduced a very special chai menu, or you could say they were willing to try something new.
The overall vibe of the stores is another significant aspect they have introduced to their biz. The café exemplifies the “Chai lifestyle.” The interiors pertain to the very fundamental idea of chai; lamps created by cutting Chai cups, teapots, and Chai samples in a palette that demonstrate the firm’s exploratory nature.
Chaayos Interior
The top-selling Chaayos store generated a yearly income of Rs 1 crore. This was the most significant achievement in its business journey as per the news report of July, 2023.
Chaayos – Logo
Chaayos Logo
Chaayos – Business Model
Chaayos’ business model is reflected in its unique product, ‘Meri wali Chai’ which is a combination of quality, flavours, wholesomeness, and variety. It provides various types of tea flavours, including 25 tea types, and 12,000 ways to customize them.
Clients can also choose from a variety of add-on flavours. As a result, it offers personalized tea solutions based on the customer’s preferences. It sells bundled snacks and chai mixes in addition to tea.
Its main audience includes both Gen-Z and Gen-Y clients, as tea is popular among both generations. The clientele comes from upper middle class and upper class backgrounds.
Chaayos – Unique Selling Proposition(USP)
Its USP is a very new and unique flavoured hygienic, customized tea. In addition, the label has other facets of USP, such as:
A Deluxe Outlet Ambience
The ambience inside cafes is both stresses relieving and calming. With appropriate background music, reclining furniture design, etc., the label offers an ideal atmosphere to calm the mind while also working on projects.
Higher Output in Hardly Any Time
It functions on an approach to appreciate and gratify every client of every store, which served as the label’s USP in generating high results. Various snacks provided by the company, such as Maggie, Sandwich, Wada pav, etc., have also attributed to its faithful and repeat clients. The label has achieved the rapid accomplishment of its tactic of combining creativity, innovativeness, and exploring with chai that surpassed expectations.
Advanced Response Framework
It has incorporated a well-defined task control program that integrates usual customer reviews, prompt actions on bad reviews, and so on. The team is well-educated and well-trained.
Diversified Menu
It offers a diverse selection on its menu. Originally serving various flavoured teas, the brand has since augmented to serve a variety of snacks and meals to both Indian and foreign clients. They also use Kulhads to serve chai in an environmentally friendly manner.
Within a quarter of the company’s launch, each store begins to profit. That year, the company’s sales increased by 30%, which includes total sales of chai and nibbles, i.e., about 4–4.5 lakh cups, i.e. approximately 2 lakh units. It made Rs 52 crore in income in FY18.
The label also makes money by serving chai on demand, which accts for 20% of total earnings. They also supply approximately 300 boxes of bundled chai blends weighing 100 gm each. The cost for each box is Rs 200.
Chaayos – Challenges Faced During Covid-19
Eateries were struggling financially due to low foot traffic and rising rents. Few were working on a revenue-sharing rental contract; instead, some were returning to the local shops. Many people prefer food delivery because buyer complacency is lower in this case.
These difficulties have not spared Chaayos. The shops were closed for the entire span of the quarantine, and in-store sales were still marginal. However, the online ordering biz restored to 40% of pre-COVID levels. Regardless of the difficulties, its kept its stores open.
Rent agreements have played a significant role in keeping it stable. Well before the pandemic, 40% to 45% of its shops had a revenue-sharing agreement for lease, which was beneficial in this scenario. Even where there’s no income sharing contract, Chaayos has requested exemptions because the landlords don’t have several bidders for these spots in that situation.
It has created an online delivery app to help people in pre-ordering and thus avoid long lines. Because of the strong tech involved, they’ve been able to easily transform into contactless operations.
Chaayos – Funding and Investors
In eight investment rounds, Chaayos has raised $85.5 million as of June 13, 2022.
Here is the company funding details:
Date
Stage
Amount
Investors
Jun 13, 2022
Series C
$45 million
Alpha Wave Ventures
Feb 11, 2020
Series B
$18.5 million
Think Investments
Feb 11, 2020
Debt Financing
$3 million
InnoVen Capital
Sep 5, 2018
Series B
$12 million
Elevation Capital, Integrated Capital
Oct 13, 2017
Series A
$2 million
Tiger Global Management
Aug 31, 2016
Series A
–
–
May 19, 2015
Series A
$5 million
Tiger Global Management
Jul 2, 2014
Seed Round
$333K
–
Chaayos – Investments
To date, Chaayos has invested in just one company. On May 31, 2022, it made an $1.5 million seed round investment in Fitelo.
Chaayos – Growth and Financial
Its adventure began by starting its very first shop in DLF Cyber City in Gurgaon, Delhi. They operates with 200+ stores in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai. As of 2015 news report, between 4,500 and 5,000 walk-ins per day visit Chaayos 11 locations. Company has strong 1,001-5,000 number of employees.
Financial
Chaayos Financial
Chaayos Financial
FY22
FY23
Operating Revenue
Rs 135 crore
Rs 237 crore
Total Expense
Rs 211 crore
Rs 349 crore
Profit/Loss
Loss of Rs 71 crore
Loss of Rs 95 crore
Expenses
Chaayos total expenses rose from Rs 211 crore in FY22 to Rs 349 crore in FY23.
EBITDA
Chaayos FY22-FY23
FY22
FY23
EBITDA Margin
-41%
-27%
Expense/Rupee of ops revenue
Rs 1.56
Rs 1.47
ROCE
-75%
-29%
Chaayos – Marketing Strategy
The advertising tactic of Chaayos involves both offline and online promotional tactics. For virtual advertisements, the brand makes good use of digital marketing tools such as social media and e-mail marketing. Buyers near stores or walk-ins are the focus of its offline marketing plan. Its loyalty program is for satisfied clients, and this advert applies to all stores.
Online
It is utilizing an online media forum for its promotions, i.e., brand visibility and customer acquisition to improve customer care. This is also their strongest asset, as they manage client queries swiftly and effectively. The following are some of the online platforms that the firm uses for promotions:
Facebook
With good number of fans and supporters, its Facebook page which was initiated in 2012, is now the absolute forum for its marketing events. Chaayos uses this platform to connect with its audiences by allowing them to share ideas, recommendations, tales, etc. in an open chat forum. The label also promotes its activities on this virtual media site.
Instagram
It communicates with its customers and fans via Instagram. With a good number of Instagram fans, they’re using this online media tool for a variety of adverts. It frequently posts pictures of various famous visitors or celebs who visit their stores, as well as styles and displays e-cards for festive purposes.
Chaayos Instagram
Twitter
It also has a Twitter following. The label deals with customer inquiries on this app daily. It also serves its users with e-coupons for new tea varieties, and supporters or clients can create their customized tea with Chaayos tea packs and tell their stories on Twitter. The company launched a Twitter hashtag called Experiments with Chai that has increased its clientele in Chaayos stores by 25%.
Chaayos Twitter
YouTube
It makes good use of YouTube for promotions. To connect with people, brand innovators share their insights and progress stories regularly via short video clips on the channel.
Offline:
Aside from the aforementioned, Chaayos also conducts promotions with fitness centers and supermarkets.
Chaayos – Advertisements and Social Media Campaigns
Chaayos Campaign
Chaayos mein Tai Chai? #AisaBhiHoSaktaHai
The Chai Frappe is a new summer beverage from Chaayos, with the equally distinctive and energizing campaign hashtag #AisaBhiHoSaktaHai. With an unorthodox take on what to expect at Chaayos, the #AisaBhiHoSaktaHai campaign challenges stereotypes and encourages people to think beyond their constraints while celebrating creativity and ingenuity.
Chaayos – Competitors
Its direct rivals are Chai Point and Chai Sutta Bar. The company’s competitiveness over its rivals is based on its deluxe ambience of stores, efficient delivery, better results in a shorter timeframe, fully personalized products, and a diverse menu for both Regional and Global tastes.
Within the next three years, it intends to grow from 90 to 300 cafés. Expansion, on the other hand, can be difficult to manage in the food industry. Many companies experience lower client satisfaction as their retail footprints expand due to inconsistency or poor service. Chaayos, on the other hand, has invested in new tech to assure that uniformity is not a concern.
Nitin Saluja and Raghav Verma are the founders of Chaayos.
When was Chaayos started in India?
Chaayos was founded in 2012 by Nitin Saluja and Raghav Verma.
What is special about Chaayos?
Chaayos has many chai flavours, the company experiments with different chai flavours. Also, it offers a unique ambience in its cafés to its customers which is calming and stress relieving.
Online travel booking became a sensation with the advent of smartphones and digitization. In the same segment where Cleartrip and MakeMyTrip were already predominantly present, Goibibo disrupted the travel segment by providing a seamless travel experience in 2007. Goibibo was founded by Ashish Kashyap, Deepak Tuli, Sanjay Bhasin, Vikalp Sahni, and Uma Shankar. Goibibo made travel booking flexible and easier with just a click.
Goibibo – Company Highlights
Company Name
Goibibo
Headquarters
Gurugram, Haryana
Industry
Travel, Tourism
Founder
Ashish Kashyap, Deepak Tuli, Sanjay Bhasin, Vikalp Sahni, and Uma Shankar
Goibibo, as we know, is an online booking portal whose core differentiator is providing a seamless and trusted user experience in terms of the quickest search and flawless booking experience, faster payments, settlements, and refund processes.
At Goibibo, customers enjoy a supremely standardized stay experience at certified hotel properties, which are brought to them by Gostay. Over time, Goibibo rapidly became the number one choice for digital and millennial India. How? By introducing and incorporating the travel industry’s first virtual travel booking currency, named GoCash, and travel social network, GoCash+ Rewards! This portal is better known for offering various deals and incentives to its customers. For example, INR 2000 cashback if booked via Goibibo coupons or a 60% discount on domestic air tickets with coupons
Ibibo Group is the parent organization of Goibibo which is known to be backed by Naspers. The USP of Goibibo is great packages at minimal fares. Apparently, Goibibo has the largest consumer base among all other market players because of its affordable ticket prices. Also, Goibibo is the most sought-after booking engine and has been consistently ranked at number one for its mobile application.
Goibibo has two supreme product features namely:
Anywhere to Anywhere flight bookings – This feature in Goibibo’s product kit helps in curating the best fare options for consumers due to the international destinations to and from anywhere in the world.
Flight Advice – This one is essentially a search engine that helps users find results relating to their personal choice. This includes parameters such as price options, preferred destination routes, and the duration of a flight.
The Goibibo founders are Ashish Kashyap, Deepak Tuli, Sanjay Bhasin, Vikalp Sahni, and Uma Shankar.
Ashish Kashyap – Prior to co-founding Goibibo, Ashish was the ‘Country Head’ for Google India. And before working with Google, he founded his first e-commerce and online travel business at Indiatimes.com and successfully pulled them into a profitable position.
Deepak Tuli – Deepak Tuli is one of the co-founders of Goibibo.com. He has over 10 years of experience in the e-commerce sector. Deepak has gained professional expertise in mobile platforms like Android, IOS, Windows, HTML5 with advanced training in Digital Marketing, Product Management, P&L management, and CRM. This won’t come as a surprise to anyone, but Deepak has built multiple online businesses and business units in the country. Before launching his current venture, Goibibo, this Naspers Harvard Program graduate was a part of the Yatra.com launch team.
Sanjay Bhasin– Sanjay Bhasin has been creatively instrumental in launching a number of successful ventures across the media industry. He took a degree in economics but was not satisfied with it, so he went on to pursue a management degree to learn practical theories and tools for business applications. He has been a media person throughout his career.
Vikalp Sahni – With a BTech from the National Institute of Technology, Vikalp was working as a co-founder and CTO at Goibibo.com. Prior to this, he was working as a software engineer at IBM.
Uma Shankar – Shankar has extensive experience in Product Interface Standards and Online Application Style Guides. He handles UX design at Goibibo.com. He works closely with project managers, to create flow mockups for User Experience and prototypes for proposed designs in continuous interaction and feedback from the client. Shankar, with a graduate degree from Madras University, has deeply worked with engineers and product managers on the details of interfaces to achieve maximum usability.
Goibibo – Logo
Goibibo Logo
The Goibibo logo is a rather straightforward design that only uses one rectangle as its main component. Orange and blue are the two distinct hues that make up the Goibibo emblem.
Goibibo – The Idea and Launch
The idea for Goibibo was germinated when the founders looked at the problems that were predominant in the online travel industry. And that’s how they entered the search and social segments and ended up starting the flight business. “As a consumer, we felt there was a problem while booking flights.” Added Ashish Kashyap.
“It’s all about focusing on a problem. If you see that there is a problem, however small it is, and try to solve it — there itself is an opportunity.” Said Ashish Kashyap.
Back then, in 2007, while the whole country was talking about the fintech and e-commerce space, these brilliant entrepreneurial minds were trying to focus on the more specific problems of the consumers running through all these segments to create an efficient and flawless product or solution. And that is the reason Goibibo was launched in 2007.
Goibibo – Startup Story
You’d be surprised to know this, but Ibibo was initially a social networking service. This was back in 2007. Later, in 2009, it transformed into an e-commerce and travel organization. According to some reports, Goibibo grew up to 200% in its first year of inception.
“We had started Goibibo as an experiment with only a $50k seed capital but over the years we have built a successful OTA business,” said Ashish Kashyap.
Then came 2011, when the platform grew by about 180%, and in the same year, Goibibo became the first OTA to launch instant refunds in the sector and in the country. The growth years had just started for Goibibo, and in 2012, its team size grew to 25 members. Also, it is in this year that the venture successfully added new features like online rescheduling and international flights to its existing product mix. 2012 was turning to be a great year in its history, and that’s also when it launched the bus booking facility to aid travel in all forms for its users. This was followed by Goibibo acquiring RedBus for an estimated INR 600 crore.
In the later years, Goibibo didn’t stop and clap at their achievements. It further went on to add new and upgraded features to its versatile product mix. Following this, it launched hotel bookings, which contribute significant revenues for Goibibo according to the current structure.
“We started off like every other company by investing in Google search ads to ensure customers start transacting. We were fortunate enough to have been solving the right problem for our customers, as within 2 months we were able to reach the 1000 customer mark.” Added Ashish Kashyap.
Soon enough, by launching amazing features like GoCash and anywhere, anytime flights accompanied by great technology, Goibibo became an end-to-end solution provider rather than just the middleman. The focus then shifted on building products that would create superior value at both ends of the spectrum. The demand side, which are the consumers who are buying flights, and the supply side, which are the hoteliers and bus operators who are catering to these customers, The team has been leveraging the network effects between customers, bus operators, and the business entity on a one-to-one basis to grow the business.
Goibibo – Merger with MakeMyTrip
In 2016, two of the big names in the online travel sector announced an association. It came as a shock to everyone, but together, both ventures went to bring the best to the consumers. This merger solved a lot of loopholes, like:
Flight bookings were tremendously slow and a tedious process, and would you believe that it took almost a minute for a page to load? Hence, this merger focused on building the key differentiation of being the fastest flight booking site in the country.
The merger also focused on all the small changes that made big differences for the customer. Together, both ventures focused on achieving optimum reliability, offering the best product mix with the right price and the right selection.
One other creative hack that the merger brought in was the creation of an algorithm that offered flights that were cheaper but of a comparatively longer duration. Hence, if the customers are looking for a better price, they were given an additional option. These series of innovative hacks in regards to the price and selection modules helped Goibibo build a strong differentiator against others in the game.
Goibibo – Competitors
As we have demonstrated, Goibibo entered the market when there were already predominant players in the market. Hence, it would come as a surprise that Goibibo faces stiff competition from several rival companies. To counter that, it adopted a competitive pricing policy to attract and retain its customer base.
Also, MakeMyTrip also was a massive competition for Goibibo before the merger.
Goibibo – Funding and Investors
The Ibibo Group has raised a total of $250 million in just one funding round, where the investors were Naspers. This particular venture round was raised on February 24, 2016.
Goibibo – Growth
Established a network of several offices located across Indian cities like Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai.
Tie-ups with 400 airlines
Access to 52,000 Routes
More than 50% of the bookings are done through the mobile application
1.5 million users on its Facebook page
The applications have been downloaded more than 10 million times
Annual turnover stands at more than $65 million
Goibibo – Investment
Goibibo made an investment in Tek Travels on April 27, 2012. The headquarter of Tek Travels, an Indian leisure, travel, and tourism firm, is located in Gurugram, Haryana.
Goibibo – Acquistion
Goibibio has acquired two companies to date. The last acquisition was on March 19, 2014, of Yourbus for an undisclosed amount. In February 2011, the company acquired Gaadiweb for an undisclosed amount.
Goibibo – Awards and Recognition
For both the years 2014 and 2015, Goibibo was awarded the Best Website in the category of Online Travel and Leisure
In 2015, it backed the award for India’s No.1 1 brand in the category of Online Travel and Leisure
Again in 2015, Best Tech Travel Aggregators Brand was awarded to Goibibo
In 2016, it backed the Silver category of Travel and Holidays by Businessworld Golden Cart
Also, as an acquired subsidiary, Redbus has won many awards, like the Brand Excellence Award in the e-commerce sector, the Most Trusted Brand (Online Travel Category), and the 13th Most Trusted Internet Brand.
Goibibo – FAQs
Is Goibibo owned by MakeMyTrip?
It is a subsidiary of MakeMyTrip (MMT) Limited, which owns a 100% stake in Ibibo Group.
Is Goibibo an Indian Company?
Yes, it is India’s leading online travel booking platform.
Who is the CEO of Goibibo?
Sanjay Bhasin is the Chief ExecutiveOfficer at Goibibo.com
Which is the parent organization of Goibibo?
MakeMyTrip, an online travel services provider that includes flight tickets, domestic and international holiday packages, hotel reservations, rail, and bus tickets.
In the world of music tech and content creation, where challenges in discovering and licensing the right music persist, a name that has emerged as a game-changer is Hoopr.ai. Founded in 2021, Hoopr.ai stands as a testament to innovation in music licensing, offering a solution to the age-old problem faced by content creators worldwide.
Boasting an extensive library of over 12,000 tracks and sound effects, Hoopr.ai addresses the demand for licensed music while opening doors for content creators and musicians to monetize their craft in innovative ways.
In this article, let’s explore the world of Hoopr.ai—its founders, business and revenue model, funding, marketing strategy, and more.
Hoopr.ai, India’s leading music licensing platform launched in 2021, is revolutionizing how content creators find and license music. With a library of over 12,000 tracks and sound effects, Hoopr.ai offers copyright-free music for videos, vlogs, podcasts, films, and more. Beyond catering to the demand for licensed music, Hoopr.ai provides a unique opportunity for musicians to monetize their work. Using data-driven tools, Hoopr.ai simplifies the user experience with intelligent recommendations, making it a game-changer in the music-tech landscape.
Hoopr.ai – Industry
Hoopr.ai operates in the dynamic music tech and content creation industry. The company is targeting a vast market that consists of millions of content creators, and various brands, agencies, video editors, and businesses. Hoopr.ai is rapidly gaining traction in the content creation economy.
In the year since the launch, the platform has already acquired more than 165,000 users. In the next five years, the industry is expected to continue its growth, with an increasing number of content creators and a rising demand for licensed music. Hoopr.ai envisions itself expanding globally, with a significantly larger music catalog, establishing a strong presence in the music tech industry over the next 5 to 10 years.
Gaurav Dagaonkar, Co-Founder & CEO, and Meghna Mittal, Co-Founder & CMO of Hoopr.ai
Gaurav Dagaonkar and Meghna Mittal are the co-founders of Hoopr.ai.
Gaurav Dagaonkar
Gaurav Dagaonkar is the co-founder and CEO of Hoopr.ai, and he shares a deep passion for music and technology, which brought the team together to embark on this exciting journey. Gaurav holds a degree from IIM-A, graduating in 2006. He then chose to pursue a career in the music industry, where he made a significant mark with popular songs like ‘College Days’ and ‘Main Dhoondne Ko Zamaane Mein.’ Gaurav has recorded renowned singers such as Arijit Singh, Shreya Ghoshal, and more.
In 2018, Gaurav co-founded GSharp Media, a music tech company behind Songfest India, which has garnered over 100 million views and 5 lakh subscribers on YouTube. This platform creates award-winning branded music content and viral solutions for brands. Alongside, Gaurav established Hoopr, India’s first music licensing marketplace.
Meghna Mittal
Meghna Mittal is the co-founder and CMO of Hoopr.ai. Her background includes leading marketing initiatives for Hubilo and Yesssworks for over seven years. At GSharp Media, she has been instrumental in crafting innovative marketing strategies, overseeing product scaling, and steering viral campaigns.
At Hoopr.ai, the team fosters a collaborative work culture where tasks are divided based on individual strengths and expertise. Presently, the team consists of 25 dedicated professionals, with ongoing expansion to support the growing creator economy. The hiring approach revolves around bringing in individuals passionate about music and technology, aligning with the company’s core values and mission.
The inspiration for starting Hoopr.ai emerged during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic when the founders were running the content production studio ‘Songfest.’ They realized the challenges content creators faced due to copyright issues and the lack of licensed Indian music. The idea was validated through experiences, recognizing the growing creator economy in India. The journey involved ideation, designing a user-friendly platform, and prototyping the initial concept. The founders discussed the vision with industry peers who provided positive feedback, reinforcing the belief in the need for such a platform.
Hoopr.ai – Vision and Mission
Hoopr.ai has a clear vision for both the short and long term. In the long term, the company aspires to become the primary platform for content creators worldwide, providing them with an extensive and diverse music library while effectively addressing copyright issues. The core belief driving the company is the empowerment of content creators and musicians by offering a platform that simplifies music licensing and usage.
The motto guiding the efforts is to “Empower Creativity,” reflecting the commitment to supporting creative endeavors at every level. The team is also working on expanding the offering along the value chain as it relates to music and is excited for the future, as expressed by Gaurav Dagaonkar.
Hoopr.ai – Products/Services
Hoopr.ai provides a comprehensive solution to content creators, offering access to a vast catalog of licensed Indian music and sound effects. The catalog, featuring 10,000+ tracks, can be browsed online, streamed by all users, and downloaded by subscribers for use in their content. The platform also offers a lifetime license per track, allowing users to use the track indefinitely. Users can easily browse the catalog, select tracks, and purchase licenses, ensuring compliance with copyright laws.
Hoopr.ai addresses the critical problem of copyright infringement for content creators and stands out with its extensive catalog and flexible licensing options. The platform’s plans are tailored to various use cases, accommodating individuals starting their content journey, video editors, agencies, and large brands and businesses, ensuring there’s a plan for everyone.
Hoopr.ai – Business and Revenue Model
Hoopr.ai operates on a business model designed to cater to the needs of content creators, businesses, and musicians within the music licensing space. The revenue model revolves around facilitating music licensing transactions and offering a range of licensing options to users.
The pricing structure is flexible, allowing users to choose from various licensing packages that suit their specific needs. Pricing typically depends on factors such as the type of content, the scale of its distribution, and the intended audience. This flexibility ensures that both individual content creators and larger businesses can find solutions that align with their budgets.
In terms of profit margins, Hoopr’s model is designed to provide competitive rates to musicians while ensuring sustainable revenue for the platform. The profit margin can vary depending on the specific licensing package and the artists involved.
Additionally, Hoopr.ai may charge a commission on certain transactions to cover operational costs and further invest in the growth and development of the platform. This commission, if applicable, is typically a percentage of the licensing fee.
Hoopr.ai’s business and revenue model is underpinned by the goal of simplifying music licensing and empowering content creators while ensuring fair compensation for musicians and artists.
Hoopr.ai – Launching Company Strategies
Launching Hoopr.ai with zero users required a multi-faceted approach. The team harnessed content marketing to educate the target audience on music licensing while engaging them through social media. A crucial beta testing phase with select users provided valuable feedback and testimonials. Email campaigns, personalized invitations, and early access offers incentivized sign-ups. Partnerships and word-of-mouth recommendations amplified the reach. The relentless focus on user value and innovative pricing strategies led to the acquisition of the first 100 customers, setting the stage for Hoopr.ai’s growth.
Hoopr.ai – Customer Growth and Retention Strategies
The customer attraction and retention strategies at Hoopr.ai have evolved significantly since the launch. Initially, the team relied on targeted content marketing and social media engagement to educate and engage the audience. However, going from 100 to 10,000 users demanded a more comprehensive approach.
Hoopr.ai forged strategic partnerships with popular content creation platforms, allowing seamless integration of its music licensing services. Viral marketing campaigns, such as the #HarGharCreator campaign, garnered substantial attention and drove user acquisition. To ensure customer loyalty, a subscription-based model with exclusive benefits and discounts for long-term users was introduced.
Hoopr.ai – Challenges Faced
One of Hoopr.ai’s most significant challenges was building a comprehensive music catalog with diverse genres and moods to cater to the creative needs of users. This challenge was overcome by establishing partnerships with a wide range of independent musicians, composers, and music producers. Hoopr.ai also invested in technology for efficient content curation and licensing negotiations. This not only expanded the music library but also improved the speed and ease of licensing.
Hoopr.ai – Marketing Strategy
Hoopr’s #HarGharCreator Campaign
The #HarGharCreator campaign has been a game-changer for Hoopr.ai. In this campaign, the goal was to celebrate and empower creators all over India. At Hoopr.ai, a significant challenge faced by content creators and businesses daily was recognized – the struggle to find and license the right music for their videos. India boasts a massive creator community, with over 80 million individuals engaged in vlogging, podcasting, gaming, filmmaking, live-streaming, and influencer activities across a diverse range of topics.
The platform, Hoopr.ai, has revolutionized this landscape by offering access to a vast library of over 25,000 tracks and sound effects. It’s not just providing creators with the specific music they need; it’s also helping them steer clear of copyright strikes and legal complications.
The #HarGharCreator campaign effectively conveyed this message to the target audience. By aligning the brand with the aspirations and challenges of creators, Hoopr.ai not only increased its user base but also solidified its position as a vital resource for the creator community in India. This campaign has significantly contributed to the growth and success.
While this has been a campaign Hoopr.ai is very proud of, a wide array of marketing strategies has been adopted, focusing on different user acquisition channels. This has enabled the platform to acquire more than 1,65,000 users not just from India but also from countries such as the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Poland, etc. Furthermore, one of the aspects Hoopr.ai is quite proud of is the fact that there has been immense traction across every single state and union territory, from Tier I cities to the smallest villages of India.
Hoopr.ai has successfully raised $1.5 million in seed funding, with investors including Venture Catalysts, 9Unicorns, Inflection Point Ventures, and notable individuals such as Ashneer Grover, Sahil Barua (Delhivery), Anshoo Sharma (Magicpin), Anuraag Srivastava, Pradyumna Agrawal, Giri Malpani, and others.
Fundraising, as known to anyone who has worked at a startup, can be challenging, especially considering the prevailing economic situation at that time. However, Hoopr.ai is proud to have secured this seed fund, successfully launched a product to the market last year, and, in return, has seen great traction from users across the board.
Hoopr.ai – Key Tools and Software
Hoopr.ai employs a variety of software on the business, tech, and music fronts. Regarding business operations, standard productivity and documentation software are utilized. As far as tech is concerned, the focus has been on building a platform that is easy for users to use and that will allow Hoopr to automate, add features, and enable usage globally without any problems.
Leveraging Node.JS, Angular JS, and React, the team has built a dynamic platform that suffices these needs. Lastly, on the music front, the team uses off-the-shelf DAWs for recording music and a diverse range of plugins to enhance specific elements of tracks on the sonic front.
Hoopr.ai has strategic plans to expand its footprint and serve more creators. In this regard, the team aims to consistently gather feedback from users, making improvements based on their suggestions and striving to reach the set targets. Additionally, there are exciting plans on the music front with various initiatives in progress, which will be revealed in due course.
FAQs
How does Hoopr.ai help content creators?
Hoopr.ai offers a vast library of over 12,000 tracks and sound effects, providing copyright-free music for videos, podcasts, films, and more.
Who are the founders of Hoopr.ai?
Gaurav Dagaonkar and Meghna Mittal are the co-founders of Hoopr.ai.
In which industry does Hoopr.ai operate, and how has it performed since its launch?
Hoopr.ai operates in the dynamic music tech and content creation industry. In just a year, the platform has acquired over 165,000 users, with plans for global expansion.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations.
The concept of Cloud Kitchen, in recent years, is becoming highly popular among the people involved in food and restaurant businesses. This is due to its cost-effective management and minimal operating cost. Since the Cloud kitchen format doesn’t require a dine-in facility, a simple kitchen would be sufficient to run the business. This minimizes the need for a place, employees and furnishings.
Since the arrival of online food delivery systems, people have gotten used to ordering food and eating at home. This made things easy for cloud kitchens to just start the business, take orders and deliver the food. They were relieved from the challenge of getting people to adapt to this new system. The COVID pandemic also laid a perfect platform for the growth of Cloud Kitchens. As a result, the number of Cloud Kitchens has shot up dramatically and reports say that its market would reach $2 billion by 2024.
Rebel Foods (formerly Faasos) is one such cloud kitchen platform that is considered to be the largest cloud kitchen restaurant chain in the world. It delivers delicious foods to people through the multiple brands held and operated by it. Rebel Foods serves to be the Pioneer in the cloud kitchen business. It has created many benchmarks and remains a forerunner for the new and upcoming players. This article covers the story of Rebel Foods, its founders, funding and various other aspects of its business.
Rebel Foods is an online restaurant chain that was founded in 2011 in Mumbai. This company owns and operates several Indian and international brands to deliciously serve the needs of diverse customers. It innovates and involves modern technologies in its food preparation to deliver the best to its customers. Rebel Foods is the largest cloud kitchen brand in the world today. It has business operations in over 10 countries with more than 450 kitchens and 4,000 internet restaurants.
Rebel Foods – Founders and Team
The following members are the key people of Rebel Foods:
Jaydeep Barman
Jaydeep Barman – Co-founder of Rebel Foods
Jaydeep Barman is the co-founder and the CEO of Rebel Foods. He played a major role in the growth of the company. Jaydeep Barman was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He completed his MBA from INSEAD and worked as Associate Partner in McKinsey & Company in London between 2006 and 2010. Jaydeep is also an angel investor and has invested in several startups like Treebo Hotels, Quinto, The Whole Truth, etc.
Kallol Banerjee
Kallol Banerjee – Co-founder of Rebel Foods
Kallol Banerjee is a co-founder at Rebel Foods. He had his higher education in Mechanical Engineering from Jadavpur University and did his MBA from IIM, Lucknow. Before joining hands with Jaydeep Barman, Kollol Banerjee worked in Bosch, Singapore.
Ravi Golani
Ravi Golani -CTO of Rebel Foods
Ravi Golani has been a part of Rebel Foods since 2015. He earlier served as the Finance Controller and Chief Financial Officer of the company. Ravi Golani is currently the Chief Strategy Officer of Rebel Foods. He has completed his CA and CMA from the corresponding institutes and did his bachelor’s from Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics.
Rebel Foods – Startup Story
Rebel Foods was established in 2011 as a physical restaurant with in-dine facilities. The company was earlier called Faasosand the business was doing good. The founders had no idea of turning Rebel foods into Cloud kitchens at that time. They wanted to be a dominant retail chain competing with McDonald’s and Domino’s. The next 4 years went profitably, however, a huge capital was needed to keep the outlets up to the mark and for further expansion.
In 2014, the founders attended an investor-entrepreneur meet, where they were advised to make a revised study on the business operations. As a result, Rebel Foods conducted a customer survey and realized that only 30% of them are utilizing the restaurant’s outlet. With 70% of the customers already online, Rebel Foods decided to improve and enhance its online business and started a loud kitchen alongside its physical outlets in 2015. By 2016, the company closed all its in-dine restaurants and started serving customers only through the Rebel Foods cloud kitchen platform. It also gets 70% of its orders from Zomato and Swiggy.
Rebel Foods – Mission and Vision
Rebel Foods operates with a vision to “create unique memorable and delightful experiences for customers on all occasions”. The company wants to achieve a position as the most loved and most ordered food brand amongst the people. Jaydeep Barman, the founder and CEO of Rebel Foods, said in an interview that the company is also aiming to a point where they wanted “to have consumers open the Rebel app, the same way they open their fridge and ask ‘I wonder what Faasos has for dinner tonight”. Rebel Foods is entirely focused on the needs and satisfaction of its customers.
Rebel Foods – Name and Logo
Rebel Foods Logo
Rebel Foods seems to be the apt name for this company, considering its pathway towards success. There is no official reasoning for the name of this cloud kitchen startup, but the term ‘Rebel’ in Oxford means ‘to fight against something/somebody’. And yes, Rebel Foods fought many hardships and created its own pathway to where it is positioned today.
Rebel Foods – Business and Revenue Model
Rebel Foods has set up its business using its own as well as its partner brands. The company’s Rebel Launcher program creates a platform for various other established brands to leverage its expertise and market. The partners get a chance to expand their businesses in new cities and countries through Rebel, and vice versa. Rebel’s business model explains that the company grows along with its partners and associate brands. Together, they sell their brand’s products online across 10 countries.
Rebel Foods has received total funding of $564.3 millionand became a Unicorn after its Series F funding round in November 2021. This cloud kitchen startup went through 23 funding rounds, and some of its recent funding activities are listed below:
Date
Funding Round
Amount
Investors
April 25, 2023
Debt Financing
Rs 75 crore
–
December 29, 2022
Debt Financing
Rs 55 crore
–
November 1, 2022
Debt Financing
$12.5M
InnoVen Capital, Trifecta Capital Advisors
September 30, 2022
Debt Financing
$9.22M
Alteria Capital
November 6, 2021
Series F
$14.5M
Mando Corporation, Alimco Financial and Acernis Ventures
October 7, 2021
Series F
$175M
Goldman Sachs, Sequoia Capital, Coatue, Alteria Capital and Qatar Investment Authority
July 29, 2020
Series E
$26.5M
Coatue
April 10, 2020
Series E
$50M
Coatue
January 31, 2020
Debt Financing
$5.4M
Alteria Capital
September 20, 2019
Series D
$25.2M
Goldman Sachs, Irving Investors, Sistema Asia Capital and Northwest Industrial Logistics
July 3, 2019
Series D
$125M
Goldman Sachs, Irving Investors, Sequoia Capital, Coatue and Lightbox
March 13, 2019
Series D
$13.8M
Sequoia Capital, Lightbox, InnoVen Capital and Evolvence India
January 11, 2019
Debt Financing
$3.7M
Alteria Capital, Sequoia Capital and Lightbox
August 30, 2018
Series C
$15M
Sistema Asia Capital, Sequoia Capital, RTP Global, Evolvence India and Lightbox
Rebel Foods – Subsidiaries
The company holds and operates various brands to serve customers. Rebel Foods acquired the premium chocolate brand Smoor Chocolates in April 2022. The following is a list of some of the most popular brands under Rebel Foods:
After identifying that 3/4th of its customers are online and hence transforming itself into a cloud kitchen model of business, Rebel Foods has achieved tremendous heights. It started grooming itself technically and financially for the new market. The company involved many engineers and technical experts in developing equipment that can perform repetitive kitchen tasks automatically without the need for supervision.
Rebel Foods has made significant strides in adapting to the changing online-driven culinary scene, as evidenced by its groundbreaking transition to a cloud kitchen model, even in spite of its tremendous global development and broad portfolio of food brands. Nonetheless, the business is expanding and becoming well-known in other nations. Among the growth highlights are:
The company operates around 450 cloud kitchens.
It has a presence in over 70 cities.
It is available in 10 countries.
Rebel Foods operates over 45 food brands in and outside India.
Financials
Rebel Foods Financials
2023
2024
Operating Revenue
INR 1195 crore
INR 1420 crore
Total Expenses
INR 1827 crore
INR 1857 crore
Profit/Loss
INR -657 crore
INR -378 crore
Rebel Foods Financials
In FY 2023, Rebel Foods reported an operating revenue of INR 1,195 crore with total expenses of INR 1,827 crore, resulting in a loss of INR 657 crore. In FY 2024, the company’s revenue increased to INR 1,420 crore, while expenses rose slightly to INR 1,857 crore, reducing the loss to INR 378 crore.
Expense Breakdown
Rebel Foods total expenses rise from Rs 1827 crore in FY23 to Rs 1857 crore in FY24.
EBITDA
The company’s expenses per unit of operational revenue dropped from Rs 1.89 in FY21 to Rs 1.66 in FY22, while its EBITDA margin improved from -59.95% in FY21 to -49.72% in FY22. Still, the ROCE decreased from -39.8% in FY21 to -32.35% in FY22, staying negative. Although the company’s financial performance indicates considerable improvement, capital usage and profitability remain issues.
EBITDA FY21-FY22
FY21
FY22
EBITDA Margin
-59.95%
-49.72%
Expense/Rs of Op Revenue
Rs 1.89
Rs 1.66
ROCE
-39.8%
-32.35%
Rebel Foods – ESOP
ESOPs were given to more than 5000 workers at Rebel Foods, an online food chain, across more than 350 kitchens and corporate offices. After this distribution phase, Rebel employees now own ESOPs valued at USD 65 (INR 550 crore) as of June, 7, 2023.
Rebel Foods – Products And Services
Eat Sure
Rebel Foods operates its own food delivery app, EatSure. EatSure, Customers can combine orders from several restaurant types and cuisine types with its assistance.
Cloud Kitechen in Riyadh
Rebel Foods opened its first two cloud kitchens in Riyadh to mark its debut in Saudi Arabia on July, 3, 2023.
Navratri Special Menu
The debut of a special Navratri Special Menu was announced by Lunchbox on October 12, 2023, the flagship brand of Rebel Foods, on the festive occasion of Navratri. This menu was meticulously created to please your taste buds and capture the spirit of this joyous season, with the goal of making fasting simple.
Rebel Foods – Partnership
IRCTC
Rebel Foods’ EatSure platform has developed an app that allows users to “order food on train” on October 19, 2023, in collaboration with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
Wendy’s
In an effort to penetrate the global traditional QSR (quick-service restaurant) market, American burger giant Wendy’s and Rebel Foods partnered on February 23, 2023. As part of the cooperation, they will continue to construct traditional restaurants and expand on their current cloud kitchen development agreement.
Rebel Foods – Acquistion
Rebel Foods has acquired one company to date:
Company Name
Date
Amount
Smoor Chocolates
Apr 7, 2022
–
Rebel Foods – Investment
Rebel Fodds has invested in 5 companies to date.
Below are the details:
Company Name
Date
Funding Stage
Amount
Zomoz
May 2, 2023
Seed Round
$1.97 billion
Zomoz
Nov 1, 2021
Seed Round
$480.72 million
Slay Coffee
Apr 14, 2021
Seed Round
$10.7 million
FoodyBuddy
Dec 17, 2020
Corporate Round
$600.8 million
FoodyBuddy
Apr 9, 2020
Corporate Round
$360.4 million
Rebel Foods – Competitors
The following are some of the top competitors for Rebel Foods:
FreshMenu
FreshMenu is a popular cloud kitchen startup that was established in 2014. The company faced severe hardships during its early stages but has managed to strengthen its position firmly in the market. It provides different varieties of dishes and world cuisines prepared by experienced chefs with farm-fresh products. FreshMenu promises to deliver the orders within 45 minutes.
Curefoods
Curefoods is the world’s second-largest cloud kitchen brand that is based in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It operates over 20 brands across the country and is still focusing on expanding its business rapidly. Some of its popular brands include Eatfit, Aligarh House, Cake Zone, Sbarro, etc.
Ola Foods
Ola Foods is a part of Ola which has now entered into the food business in India. It entered the cloud kitchen market in 2019 and currently operates in Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru. Ola Foods runs over 40 kitchens spread across those six cities with some popular brands like Khichdi Experiment, That Pizza Palace, Nashta Express, etc.
Rebel Foods – Future Plans
Rebel Foods’s major focus is to expand its business as far as possible. The company announced that it is planning to widen its reach to over 100 cities in India by 2023. It is also targeting the international markets through various alliances and partnerships. Rebel Foods is running towards doubling its revenue to Rs 800 crore in FY 2022–23 and has a plan to launch its IPO in a couple of years.
FAQs
Who is the founder of Rebel Foods?
Jaydeep Barman and Kallol Banerjee are the co-founders of Rebel Foods.
When was Rebel Foods founded?
Rebel Foods was founded in 2011.
Who is the CEO of Rebel Foods?
Jaydeep Barman is the co-founder and the CEO of Rebel Foods.
What is the valuation of Rebel Foods?
Rebel Foods is a Unicorn Startup with a valuation of $1.4 Billion.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations.
When we were kids, our parents always encouraged us to have dry fruits and nuts in our diets because of their nutritional properties. Be it dried apricots, blueberries, cranberries, kiwis, almonds, walnuts, cashews, and other nuts and dry fruits. The age-old concept of consuming healthy and nutritious food items has always existed in most Indian families.
The history of dry fruits and nuts goes back to Mesopotamian times in 1500 BC. Dry fruits are considered “traditional’ due to the way they are parched in the sun or heated in wind tunnel dryers. Today, dry fruits and nuts are produced and consumed in almost every part of the world.
A Bengaluru-based company, Happilo is a health food brand that offers a wide range of nuts, dried fruits, seeds, dry roasted snacks, trail mixes, and more.
In this article, you will explore the story of Happilo, including its founder, the journey of the startup, its innovative business model, notable funding rounds, and more.
Founded in 2016, Happilo is a gourmet healthy food brand, with its head office based in Bengaluru. It offers a variety of snacks that include nuts, berries, trail mixes, roasted and salted mixes, peanuts, corn, chickpeas, and flavorful seeds. These are among the many nutritious and tasty items available in Happilo’s extensive selection of gourmet healthy food products.
Since its beginning, the company has grown its brand by offering a deluxe selection of gourmet, healthy snacking options to its customers. The business’s specialty is its cutting-edge flavors combined with dry roasting technology without additional oils. Its automated manufacturing facility in Yeshwantpur (Bengaluru) enabled continuous product innovation and high production rates.
Happilo’s products are available in all airport stores, online retailers like Amazon, BigBasket, Flipkart, and JioMart, and modern trade and A-class general trade stores.
Happilo – Industry
Happilo belongs to the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry and is one of the most popular FMCG brands searched for on eCommerce sites.
The global FMCG industry was valued at $11,490.9 billion in 2021. Furthermore, the industry is anticipated to reach $18,939.4 billion by 2031, with a CAGR of 5.1% from 2022 to 2031. One of the major causes of the growth of the global FMCG market is the increase in the global population, which is directly proportional to the rise in consumption of consumer goods.
Happilo was founded by the Indian Businessman, Vikas D Nahar in 2016.
Vikas D Nahar
Vikas D Nahar – Founder and CEO, Happilo
Born in Bangalore, Vikas D Nahar comes from a farming family background that grew pepper and coffee. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Computer Application from Bangalore University and began his career as a Senior Import Manager (Asia) at Jain Group Pvt. Ltd. Afterward, he pursued a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from the Symbiosis Centre For Management and Human Resource Development in Pune.
Following his MBA, Vikas joined Satvikk Speciality Foods Pvt. Ltd. as the Managing Director. Satvikk Speciality Foods is a health-focused food store that opened its first branch in Bangalore in December 2011. Vikas served as its Managing Director for almost five years. His experience at Satvikk finally helped him establish Happilo, the popular gourmet healthy food brand, in 2016.
Amit Tiwary
Amit Tiwary – CFO, Happilo
Amit, the Chief Financial Officer at Happilo, is a Chartered Accountant by qualification. Prior to joining Happilo, he served as the CFO at Nissin Foods, where he started working as a Finance Controller (India) in 2017. Before that, he was the Manager of FP&A and Finance Business Partner at AstraZeneca and also worked as a Manager at Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages and as an Asst Manager at JSW Steel.
Happilo – Startup Story
The story of Happilo begins in 2016 when founder Vikas decided to offer a healthy way of eating snacks that people could munch on in their spare time. Like any other business, Happilo’s path to success involved a lot of difficulties. Vikas had to face challenges while looking for investors at the beginning of the establishment. It is reported that he started the company with government initiatives and a mere investment of Rs.10,000.
Gradually, Vikas understood the true purpose of eating nutritious food—a wholesome snack of dried fruits and nuts. Being brought up in agricultural surroundings, Vikas decided to develop new products that would consist of dry fruits, nuts, and roasted snacks that could add some nutritional value to every individual’s diet, no matter what age of life. With this, the company launched its product, ‘Trail Mix’, which consisted of various nuts and seeds in one packet. The product was an instant hit in the market, and since then, the company has not stopped progressing.
Happilo has raised $38.7 million (March 2023) and has a wide range of distribution network across India with over 200 channel partners.
Here is what Vikas has to say about his company, “We created Happilo with the idea of serving our consumers and ensuring that no one is deprived of nutrient-dense foods. It makes me proud how the brand has succeeded all these years and how welcoming people have been towards Happilo. Today I just have to thank everyone who has been a part of the brand and has believed in it. We wouldn’t be what we are today, without our consumers and stakeholders.”
Happilo – Mission and Vision
Happilo’s mission has always been to provide high-quality and healthy alternative snack items to people. Keeping up with this mission, the company has an extensive range of healthy snacks that will give its customers many options to relish.
Happilo – Name, Tagline, and Logo
Happilo Logo
From what we can see, the name of the company is essentially a mashup of the words “happiness” and “love“, which is “Happilo“.
Happilo’s goes by the tagline,‘Delight in every bite’ which defines what the company does exactly, that is, delivering premium healthy and tasty snacks to its customers.
The logo of the company can be seen having a curve underneath Happilo resembling a smile. The color green has always been associated with healthy things, which further adds meaning to the company’s vision of offering healthy food items.
Happilo – Shareholding
Happilo Shareholding
Happilo Shareholding
Percentage
Founder
65.28%
Fund
32.67%
ESOP
2.05%
Happilo – Business and Revenue Model
Happilo sells a specialized selection of nuts, dried fruits, organic seeds, dry-roasted snacks, trail mixes, holiday gift baskets, combos, and other such items. The company’s business model is said to be Direct-to-Consumer (D2C).
The company offers all of its products at a minimum cost to attract mainly the Indian market.
Here is the list of products offered by Happilo:
Dry Fruit Nuts – These include all the dry fruit nuts like Cashews, Almonds, Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Pistachio, Brazil Nuts, Pinenuts, Pecannut, and Macadamia Nuts.
Seeds – Chia, Pumpkin, Flax, Basil, Sunflower, and Melon.
Berries – Strawberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Mulberries, and Gojiberries.
Dates – There are premium dates like Omani dates or Khajoor, Queen Kalmi, Ajwa, Arabian, King Medjoul, and Gloden Barhi.
Trial Mixes – This is one of the best-selling sections of Happilo, which includes products like Healthy mix, Berries mix, Fitness mix, Nuts & Berries mix, Roasted Party mix, Champion mix, Seeds mix, Nutty Trail mix, Super Mom’s Trail mix.
Dry Fruit Bars
Chocolate Spreads
Peanut Butters
Brittles and Barfi
Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate Almond Dragees
In addition, the company maximizes its business by teaming up with top online eCommerce retailers like Flipkart, Amazon, BigBasket, JioMart, and more. About 70% of Happilo’s sales come from online operations.
The company generates an average monthly revenue of Rs. 40 crores (approximately Rs 500 crore annually) by selling a variety of exotic and local nuts.
Happilo has raised around $38.7 million over two funding rounds. The details are:
Date
Funding Round
Amount Raised
Lead Investors
Feb 21, 2022
Venture Round
$25 million
Motilal Oswal Private Equity
Feb 2, 2021
Venture Round
$13 million
A91 Partners
Happilo – Growth
Few companies stand the test of time, and Happilo is one of the companies that has outdone itself. Within a few years, the company has grown to become one of the top providers of healthy snacks in India. Vikas Nahar revealed that Happilo saw tremendous growth during the pandemic time when people finally became health-conscious and understood the importance of healthy eating. By offering superior quality at lower prices, the company kept its marketing game strong. Not only the price, but the company also focused on offering different types of snacks for every age group.
Happilo also became the title sponsor of the IPL team, Rajasthan Royals. Now that the company has partnered with the IPL team, the brand’s logo will be displayed on the front of the playing uniform.
Financial
Happilo Financial
Happilo Financial
FY20
FY21
FY22
Operating Revenue
Rs 57.55 crore
Rs 140 crore
Rs 190 crore
Total Expense
Rs 56.83 crore
Rs 124.9 crore
Rs 204.2 crore
Profit/Loss
Profit of Rs 0.62 crore
Profit of Rs 11.43 crore
Loss of Rs 11.7 crore
Cash from Operations
Surplus of Rs 0.45 crore
Surplus of Rs 9.1 crore
Surplus of Rs 4.66 crore
Expenses Breakdown
Happilo total expenses rose from Rs 124.90 crore in FY21 to Rs 204.20 crore in FY22.
Below is the expense breakdown:
Expenses Breakdown
FY21
FY22
Cost of materials consumed
Rs 95.4 crore
Rs 141.6 crore
Advertising promotional
Rs 19.97 crore
Rs 43.25 crore
Employee benefits
Rs 3.2 crore
Rs 8.8 crore
Legal professional
Rs 1.25 crore
Rs 3.37 crore
Others
Rs 5.1 crore
Rs 7.2 crore
EBITDA
Happilo experienced a drop in its EBITDA margin from 8.32% in FY21 to 5.61% in FY22 , indicating financial difficulties. The ratio of expenses to operating revenue increased, from Rs 0.89 in FY21 to Rs 1.07 in FY22. The most significant change was the ROCE, which fell from 20.61% in FY21 to -4.20% in FY22, suggesting subpar returns on capital used.
Happilo FY21-FY22
FY21
FY22
EBITDA Margin
8.32%
5.61%
Expense/Rs of Op Revenue
Rs 0.89
Rs 1.07
ROCE
20.61%
-4.20%
Happilo – Advertisements
When it comes to advertising, Happilo hasn’t stood in the back row. The company has roped in a new celebrity couple, Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani, as its new brand ambassadors. The duo has been gaining a lot of attention due to their marriage and is adored by most Indians. In the video, it can be seen that the duo is attending a party along with their bored guests. The brand mascot, Happi the bear, however, enters and immediately transforms the atmosphere by energizing the group with his Happilo dry fruits and trail mix.
Happilo Advertisement
Happilo – Partnership
Royal Challengers Bangalore
On March 22, 2023, Happilo announced their relationship with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as the team’s Official Snacking Partner for the Twenty-First Century. The brand’s emblem will be shown on the upper-right chest of the team’s official shirt, serving as snacking partners.
Happilo – Campaign
#DryFruitsKhaKeWow
Happilo Campaign
Royal Challengers Banglore appeared in the advertisement from the health food company Happilo on April 25, 2023. “Healthy snacking” is the main selling point of this dried fruit and nut company with headquarters in Bengaluru. It makes perfect sense for the healthy food brand to partner with cricketers as athletes are arguably the closest thing to celebrities in the nation.
Happilo – Competitors
Some of the top competitors of Happilo are:
Yoga Bar
Nutraj
Nutty Gritties
Eat Better
ProV
Enjoy Life foods
Happilo – Future Plans
By determination and innovation, Happilo has secured its place among the top healthy snack provider brands in India. Furthermore, in the upcoming months, the company intends to expand into exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) and open about eight company-owned stores. It is also planning to go international very soon by opening stores in about 10 other countries.
Happilo – FAQs
What is Happilo known for?
Happilo is a gourmet healthy food brand. It is known for offering a variety of snacks like nuts, berries, trail mixes, roasted and salted mixes, peanuts, corn, chickpeas, and flavorful seeds.
Who is the owner of Happilo?
Vikas D Nahar is the founder and CEO of Happilo.
Is Happilo an Indian brand?
Yes, Happilo is an Indian brand founded in 2016 and has its headquarters in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Who are Happilo’s competitors?
Some of the top competitors of Happilo are Yoga Bar, Nutraj, Nutty Gritties, Eat Better, ProV, and Enjoy Life foods.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations.
Having a fit and healthy body is everyone’s dream, but it has somehow not been everyone’s cup of tea. Lack of motivation and guidance bars people from achieving their health goals. HealthifyMe app was designed to solve this very problem. HealthifyMe app allows the users to keep track of their diet and exercise regime, take expert advice and connect to other fitness enthusiasts thus equipping them to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The HealthifyMe plans offer its customers and fitness enthusiasts many premium options that can help them reach their goals.
Recently, HealthifyMe has also introduced an array of free services to help its users maintain a healthy lifestyle during the 21-day lockdown. With HealthifyMe’s Funding of around $25 Million, it has clocked a revenue of Rs. 100 crore in 2020.
Let’s have a look at the journey of one of the best Health-tech app in India and how it is helping millions of people attain their health and fitness goals. Here is everything you about HealthifyMe Founders, Revenue, Funding, Business Model, Competitors, and its Growth.
HealthifyMe was co-founded in 2012 by Tushar Vashisht, Mathew Cherian and Sachin Shenoy. Initially, incubated by Microsoft Accelerator, the company delivers measurable results on eating habits, fitness, and weight and works with leading corporates and healthcare partners in India.
HealthifyMe works on a freemium model and has witnessed 10 million downloads, used by an estimated 25 million users, and spread across 300+ cities with over 1,500 coaches. Its app is rated 4.6/5 on Play Store and has been featured by Google and Apple multiple times for its quality benchmarks.
HealthifyMe’s vision is to build the world’s largest online health and fitness service. It wants to help millions of consumers achieve their goals by engaging with nutritionists and other health experts empowered with artificial intelligence.
The current HealthifyMe subscription plans cost range from Rs 999 to 1699 per month. Depending on what the users choose they get the number of coaches they need, while Healthifyme premier plan includes targeted programs like weight loss, muscle gain, diabetes prevention.
The HealthifyMe smart plan that is Rs. 999 includes a personalized diet plan, unlimited meal recommendations, access to Ria (AI personal assistant), and the customer’s daily and weekly reports. HealthifyMe membership can also be canceled easily as you can simply choose the HealthifyMe weight loss plan subscription the user wishes to cancel and then tap on the “Cancel Subscription” option.
HealthifyMe Plans
Cost
Features
Smart plan
Rs. 999
Personalized Diet Plan, track calories, nutrient tracking and insights, Healthy Recipes, Daily and Weekly Reports, RIA
Coach Plan 1
Rs.1299
Personalized Diet Plan, track calories, nutrient tracking and insights, Healthy Recipes, Daily and Weekly Reports, RIA, 2 Consultation Calls per month and Unlimited chat with coach
Coach Plan 2
Rs.1699
Personalized Diet Plan, track calories, nutrient tracking and insights, Healthy Recipes, Daily and Weekly Reports, RIA, Dedicated Diet Coach, Dedicated Fitness Coach, Personalized Fitness Plan, 2 Consultation Calls per month and Unlimited chat with coach
HealthifyMe during Covid Pandemic
Recently, in June 2021, the company hired the popular team of Under 45 to help find slots for covid vaccination. The HealthifyMe vaccine slot booking is available on both HealthifyMe app and website. It has also registered itself as an Application Service Provider (ASP) with CoWin. The HealthifyMe charges for vaccines were kept according to the Governments orders.
Earlier, Health- tech startups also took an initiative to help people lead a healthy and fit life during this 21-day nationwide lockdown to fight Covid-19. The company has introduced a free Immunity Assessment Test on the app and is also offering a free consultation to those who score low on immunity.
Some other services that HealthifyMe is offering to make its users stand strong in this coronavirus crisis are home workouts; daily live workouts with coaches and trackers for sleep, smoking, and hand washing. Users can access all these services under the ‘Immunity Tab’ of the HealthifyMe app. Many HealthifyMe reviews acknowledged the efforts that HealthifyMe made during the pandemic.
Tushar Vashisht (CEO), Mathew Cherian, and Sachin Shenoy (CTO) are the Founders of HealthifyMe
Tushar Vashisht and Sachin Shenoy
Tushar Vashisht
HealthifyMe founder and current CEO is Tushar Vashisht. Before starting HealthifyMe, Tushar worked with the Unique ID Authority with the Government of India for nearly two years. Tushar started his career as an investment banker on Wall Street and in the Bay Area before moving to Singapore with Deutsche Bank. Tushar is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a passionate musician by hobby.
Sachin Shenoy
HealthifyMe co-founder and CTO Sachin Shenoy is a Google Code-Jam finalist and is one of the fastest coders we know. He has over 15 years of experience out of which 6 were with Google, where he worked across Google Finance, Google SMS Channel, Orkut Developer Platform, and Google Dev. Platform. Sachin has 5 patent disclosures associated with his work.
Mathew Cherian left HealthifyMe in 2013. HealthifyMe has a team of more than 400 members and is continually growing.
How was HealthifyMe Started?
Tushar Vashisht was overweight when he returned to India eight years ago, after a stint as an analyst with Deutsche Bank in Singapore. His sedentary lifestyle continued after he took up a demanding project management role with the formative team that built India’s digital ID Aadhaar. Tushar was determined to do something about his flab and began by tracking the calories and nutrients in what he ate.
But he soon ran into a problem: there was little help available online in evaluating Indian dishes. Also at that time, Tushar and Mathew were working with UIDAI, and they took up an experiment to see what it feels like to live below the poverty line. Both the co-founders started living on just Rs 100 per day. During the experiment, Tushar and Mathew built an excel sheet with nutritional information on various Indian food.
Tushar came up with an analytical tool to break down the calories and main nutrients in 900 foods and presented it to the government’s planning council as a healthcare aid. This was how HealthifyMe started, the startup was then established in late 2011. Former Google employee Sachin Shenoy later joined him as a co-founder.
Ria AI first began interacting with HealthifyMe’s users in October 2017, when the company rolled out the service to a section of its paid subscribers as a pilot. Now, the service is available to all paid users among HealthifyMe’s more than one million users. The company, however, declined to reveal either the investment made into the bot so far or the firm’s paid subscriber base.
HealthifyMe subscription plans cost between Rs 999 and Rs 1,699 a month based on the features opted for. HealthifyMe has B2C as well as a B2B2C Business model. Though nearly 80% of the company’s revenue comes from the B2C model, HealthifyMe also has a B2B2C model. In the B2B2C model, HealthifyMe distributes its services via corporates and healthcare institutions.
HealthifyMe Co-founder, Tushar Vashist
HealthifyMe – Funding and Investors
In total, HealthifyMe’s total fundraising is worth around $130.1 million with 10 rounds to date. Here are the details of HealthifyMe Funding and Investors.
Around the last 12 months (Fy 2019-2020) , HealthifyMe has seen 3 times growth, surpassing Rs 100 crore in revenue run rate. As per February 2020 data, HealthifyMe’s user base has increased four-fold, while, the number of active users doubled from 8 million to 16 million. Last year, the company entered Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. In less than a year, it recorded a turnover of $ 1 million in the Southeast Asian Market.
The company has launched in Gulf Cooperation Countries market too and is already in the top 3 on Google Play in the UAE. HealthifyMe now has over 250 nutritionists and trainers on its platform, who are able to handle up to 250 clients, each thanks to the help they get from Ria. That’s up from around 100 users each back in 2016.
Financial
HealthifyMe Financial
HealthifMe Financial
FY21
FY22
Operating Revenue
Rs 86.05 crore
Rs 185.25 crore
Total Expense
Rs 105.82 crore
Rs 343.44 crore
Cash from Operations
Deficit of Rs 4.12 crore
Deficit of Rs 84.10 crore
Expenses Breakdown
HealthifMe Expenses
FY21
FY22
Employee Benefit
Rs 28.13 crore
Rs 93.84 crore
Advertisement
Rs 25.47 crore
Rs 133.18 crore
Legal and professional charges
Rs 1.15 crore
Rs 3.21 crore
Health care consultants
Rs 25.47 crore
Rs 80.25 crore
Others
Rs 22.93 crore
Rs 24.83 crore
Software and subscription charges
Rs 2.67 crore
Rs 8.13 crore
EBITDA
Due to difficulties, HealthifyMe’s EBITDA margin fell from -20.44% in FY21 to -83.38% in FY22. This decrease in profitability was caused in part by an increase in advertising costs, which went from Rs 1.23 to Rs 1.85.
HealthifyMe app serves as a calorie tracker, allowing users to lose weight and track their food and exercise regimens through their phones or computers. The HealthifyMe pricing for the premium version is low as it allows users to interact with nutritionists, fitness experts and yoga instructors.
HealthifyMe consists of three components. First is its lifestyle tracker, which it launched three years ago as the first calorie counter in India. The second is its social feed, which allows users to find others like themselves, with similar goals and problems. The third, and most innovative aspect, is HealthifyMe’s tech augmented coaching, which uses a combination of artificial intelligence and human trainers to help its users stay healthy and engaged with the app
HealthifyMe fitness coach is an AI named Ria
The debut of Ria, the cutting-edge AI-enabled nutritionist and fitness expert, has been announced by HealthifyMe.
HealthifySmart Legends Edition
Mahesh Bhupathi, a top tennis player, has joined HealthifyMe as a “strategic advisor.” As part of this smart plan, HealthifySmart Legends Edition, he will provide app users with a plethora of food and exercise tips from sports and fitness legends.
HealthifyStudio Platform
The launch of HealthifyStudio HealthifyStudio.com has been announced by HealthifyMe on June, 16, 2020. According to the company, the platform allows users to engage in interactive exercise in the comfort and safety of their own homes.
AI-powered Indian Food Recognition
An AI tool that recognizes Indian cuisine from photos and logs calorie intake was introduced by the Indian wellness business HealthifyMe on September, 22, 2023.
HealthifyMe – Partnership and Tie-ups
HealthifyMe works in partnership with various medical institutions such as Medanta, Apollo Hospitals, and Manipal Hospitals, with the aim to treat and prevent clinical obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and other lifestyle diseases. It has also partnered with MI to provide free consultation worth rupees 499 on the purchase of Redmi 3.
In February 2020, HealthifyMe announced partnerships with –
Swiggy – For delivering healthy food ( from a list of restaurants offering healthy food curated by HealthifyMe) to its users.
Milkbasket – HealthifyMe users can order groceries from Milkbasket through the HealthifyMe app.
Fitternity – It is a fitness discovery and booking app, that will give the HealthifyMe users access to 12000+ gyms and fitness studios across India.
Owled Media
OWLED Media, has partnered up with HealthifyMe on November, 22, 2023, a trailblazing company in the health and fitness space, to introduce “Snap,” an innovative AI-powered image recognition technology.
Vantage Fit Partners
One of Vantage Circle’s products, Vantage Fit, an AI-powered employee wellness platform, announced a partnership with HealthifyMe on August28, 2023 to enable people to live longer, healthier lives.
HealthifyMe CEO, Tushar Vashishtonce jokingly said that their biggest competitor is “lethargy”. Some of the main HealthifyMe competitors are WebMD Health, Weight Watchers International, GOQii and Curefit.
HealthifyMe – Awards
Some of the top HealthifyMe awards include the Google Play Top Developer Badge, which it received in December 2015. In addition to this, HealthifyMe was chosen as one of Google Play’s “Best Apps of 2015” and a ‘Made in India‘ feature on the App Store.
In December 2016, HealthifyMe received the Google award for best apps on the Google Playstore in the Health & Fitness category for the second time in a row.
In December 2017, HealthifyMe app received the Google “Editor’s Choice” award in the Health & Fitness category, apart from being named amongst the best apps of the year for the third time in a row. There are numerous HealthifyMe reviews that have given the platform 5 stars in many categories.
HealthifyMe – Future Plans
Expanding to new territories and giving Ria more capabilities are HealthifyMe’s short-term goals. The long-term goal is to be the world’s go-to health and wellness service provider, giving users access to more services than nutrition and fitness.
The company is currently looking to explore new geographies in Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific Region. HealthifyMe aims to cross $50 million in Annual Recurring Revenue in the upcoming 12 months, and is targeting a turnover of $400 million by 2025.
HealthifyMe – FAQs
Who are the Founders of HealthifyMe?
HealthifyMe was Co-Founded in 2012 by Tushar Vashisht, Mathew Cherian and Sachin Shenoy.
How much is the operating revenue of HealthifyMe?
HealthifyMe operating revenues is Rs 185.25 crore as of 2022.
Who are the Top HealthifyMe Competitors?
Some remarkable competitors of HealthifyMe are WebMD Health, Weight Watchers International, GOQii and Curefit
How much Funding did Healthify raise to date?
HealthifyMe has raised funding worth around $130.1 million with 10 rounds to date. Here are the details of HealthifyMe Investors.
What is HealthifyMe?
The company delivers measurable results on eating habits, fitness and weight and works with leading corporates and healthcare partners in India. HealthifyMe works on a freemium model.
How much does HealthifyMe cost?
Healthifyme diet plan cost range from Rs 999 to 1699 per month.
Is HealthifyMe a paid app?
Healthifyme is free, but also has a premium plan with numerous offers.
Is HealthifyMe safe?
HealthifyMe is one of the most trusted health and fitness app with over 16 million users and a 4.4 overall rating on play store.
What is HealthifyMe smart plan?
HealthifyMe smart plan offer costs Rs. 999 and includes a personalized diet plan, meal recommendations, access to RIA, daily reports.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations.
What is Software Development? In an uncomplicated way, the software is a collection of computer programs and data all stored in the memory of a computer for diverse roles.
In this particular industry – software development has emerged as the path for many IT companies. These companies offer SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) platform that delivers multiple applications over the internet. Nowadays, companies that offer SaaS platforms offer more than just basic functions like product management. The SaaS platform includes features like new-age automation, which helps many enterprises in streamlining the processes for sales to give an exact picture of their marketing efforts.
Founded in 2011 by three engineers Nilesh Patel, Prashant Singh, and Sudhakar Gorti, LeadSquared is a state-of-the-art SaaS platform that offers complete sales, marketing, and onboarding automation solutions.
In this article, we bring you all the relevant information regarding LeadSquared, its business and revenue model, funding and investors, its founders, growth, and more.
Designed as a SaaS platform, LeadSquared is for sales execution and marketing automation that enables firms to track, nurture, and manage prospects. It has customers crossing more than 2,000 across 40 countries. Some of the customers are from top industries like financial services, healthcare, education, marketplace CRM, automotive, travel, and real estate. The companies from these industries include HCL Technologies, Byjus, Omaxe, Happiest Minds, Zoomcar, Coldwell Banker, Bharti AXA, UTI Asset Management, and NIIT among various others.
The company works by implementing automation to construct thoroughly connected, empowered, and self-sufficient sales groups for organizations. Its sales technology stack includes sales execution, digital onboarding, and marketing processes along with various other automation solutions. The major goal of the company can be said to give its users the sort of support that boosts their closure and general efficiency, allowing them to control business pipelines with much ease and convenience.
LeadSquared – Industry details
The most booming industry, the software as a service market is assumed to grow at a very rapid rate. The industry is expected to increase at a CAGR of 27.5% from $130.69 billion in 2021 to $716.52 billion in 2028.
LeadSquared – Founders and Team
LeadSquared is founded by Nilesh Patel, Sudhakar Gorti, and Prashant Singh. Sukhbir Kalsi is the Vice President of LeadSqaured.
LeadSquared Co-Founders
Nilesh Patel
Nilesh Patel is the Chief Executive Officer at LeadSquared. He holds an engineering degree from Delhi University and worked for IBM for four years in their microprocessor test tools group before creating Proteans, which is a leader in software product development. At LeadSquared, he specializes in assisting firms with high-volume, high-volume sales to enhance sales execution and boost sales efficiency.
Prashant Singh
Prashant Singh serves as the Chief Operating Officer of LeadSquared. He graduated from IIT Delhi with a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science. Prashant was the COO of Proteans before starting LeadSquared. He looks after the business retention, growth, and expansion of LeadSquared.
Sudhakar Gorti
As the Chief Product Officer, Sudhakar Gorti leads the product design and development of LeadSquared. He graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He is also the co-founder of Proteans. Even before that, he worked in many software development jobs at IBM, Talisma Corporation (now part of Campus Management Corp), and Oracle Software.
Sukhbir Kalsi
Sukhbir Kalsi is the Senior Vice President, of Product Development, who looks after the product engineering team at LeadSquared. Sukhbir previously spearheaded the initiatives in administering and architecting MS Dynamics CRM systems for several medium and big organizations, resulting in excellent user and customer satisfaction. He has a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Karnataka University, Dharwad.
LeadSquared – Mission and Vision
The mission statement of LeadSquared is, “To offer the best sales execution platform for high-velocity sales teams.”
LeadSquared – Startup Story
After the acquisition of their first startup company, Protreans by Nilesh Patel, Sudhakar Gorti, and Prashant Singh, they decided to come up with a solution that can solve businesses’ sales problems and execute them properly while handling all the challenges. This pushed them to launch their first service in 2011 – MarketXpander.
After successfully serving many clients under the MarketXpander services, the main idea of LeadSquared was born. It started offering customized email marketing campaigns, user-friendly landing pages, and lead management for small and micro businesses.
In 2014, LeadSquared was named an “Exemplar” by NASSCOM. It was around this time that the company decided to widen its sales team by adding features like sales automation for larger teams, an app marketplace, customized reports, APIs, and Webhooks.
LeadSqaured launched its mobile app in 2015 and it reached over 100 customers. It was a hit among B2C businesses for having features like a workday planner, sales notifications, and geo-tracking. Within a year, the company officially launched its Automation Platform.
LeadSquared established its very own developer platform called ‘LAPPS’ for developers to build customized solutions for their companies. The company continues to empower businesses by creating some self-service portals (admissions application sites, digital applications for financial institutions, and partner connections).
Around 2021, LeadSqaured went global with the help of the International Finance Corporation by expanding its offices in New Jersey, the Philippines, South Africa, Australia, and Indonesia. Recently, the company joined the Unicorn club and launched a series of different solutions, such as the ACE, which is the company’s newest sales performance suite.
LeadSquared – Business & Revenue Model
The business model of LeadSquared is a SaaS-based service model for B2B technology companies and B2C businesses. It offers a wide variety of services and products to its paying customers. The main business lies in delivering a vertical-centric and flexible sales tech platform for its customers. The key products or services offered by LeadSquared are:
Marketing Automation
Mobile CRM
Sales Execution CRM
LeadSquared Apps (LAPPS) for developers
Customized Integrations
Customized APIs
Customer Portals
Sales Performance Suite
LeadSquared – Revenue Growth
LeadSquared is reported to have a total revenue of Rs 200 crores as of 2022.
Here’s what, Nilesh Patel, CEO has to say,
“Our revenue doubled to ₹200 crores in the financial year 2022 from about ₹100 crores in 2020-21. Now we are looking to increase our revenue to about ₹400 crores in the next five years. We have 1,200 employees at present which we will double in the next 18 months.”
Financials
Leadsquared Financials
Leadsquared Financial
FY22
FY23
Operating Revenue
Rs 193 crore
Rs 256 crore
Total Expense
Rs 262 crore
Rs 456 crore
Profit/Loss
Loss of Rs 62 crore
Loss of Rs 161 crore
Expense Breakdown
LeadSquared total expenses rise from Rs 262 crore in FY22 to Rs 456 crore in FY23.
EBITDA
The business had a difficult fiscal year in FY22–FY23. Due to growing costs (from Rs. 1.36 in FY22 to Rs. 1.78 in FY23), the EBITDA margin decreased, causing a decline in ROCE of -43.06% in FY22 to -22.12% in FY23.
FY22 – FY23
FY22
FY23
EBITDA Margin
-28.93%
-51.79%
Expense/Rs of Op Revenue
Rs 1.36
Rs 1.78
ROCE
-43.06%
-22.12%
Leadsquared – Products and Services
Ace
The marketing automation platform and software company LeadSquared has introduced Ace in December, 2021, a new suite for sales performance management. The Ace Suite gamifies sales processes and improves sales success by combining analytical and psychological strategies.
LeadSquared – Funding and Investors
LeadSquared has received $187.9 million in investment over four stages. On June 21, 2022, they received a Series C round of investment. It is supported by five investors. The most recent investors are Westbridge Capital and Gaja Capital.
Date
Funding Round
Fund Amount
Investors
June 21, 2022
SERIES C
$153 million
Westbridge Capital
October 5, 2021
Venture Round
NA
International Finance Corporation
December 16, 2020
SERIES B
$32 million
Gaja Capital
May 17, 2019
SERIES A
$3 million
Jyoti Bansal, Stakeboat Capital
LeadSquared – Awards and Achievements
Below is the list of awards and achievements won by LeadSqaured:
Financial Times – 1000 High-Growth Companies Asia-Pacific Award (2018)
LeadSquared was the Top rated CRM Solution by Capterra
G2 High Performer Enterprise (2021)
G2 High Performer Asia-Pacific (2021)
LeadSquared won the Marketing Automation Company of the Year by Frost & Sullivan (2018)
NASSCOM Presented LeadSqaured as the No.1 Marketing Automation Software in India
Consistently listed in Deloitte’s Fast 50 in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
LeadSquared – Shareholding
LeadSquared – Shareholding
Below are the shareholder details:
Founder: 38.4%
Angel: 16.1%
Enterprise: 15.9%
Fund: 14.6%
ESOP: 11.2%
Other People: 3.8%
LeadSquared – Partners
LeadSquared has partnered with various leading companies like Wipro, Nagarro, Ozonetel, 18.h, Visionet, Areneva, and Dgtl.
Through this partner program, LeadSqaured offers consulting services, integration services, and more.
Niro
A strategic partnership between LeadSquared and Niro in December, 2021 will provide complete SaaS solutions to companies looking to boost efficiency and optimize their sales operations.
Godrej Housing Finance
Godrej Housing Finance (GHF) and LeadSquared, a cutting-edge lending CRM and marketing automation platform, announced their partnership to increase sales productivity in December 2021.
MentorLab
A strategic partnership between LeadSquared and MentorLab on January 30, 2023 will provide complete SaaS solutions to companies looking to boost efficiency and optimize their sales operations.
LeadSquared – Online and Social Media Presence
LeadSquared knows how to keep its customers engaged with their latest news and updates. The company is very active with its blogs and articles, through which it shares all the information related to marketing automation. It has a dedicated blog page that has some relevant insights on the automation market. It has social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
LeadSquared plans to target $200 million in revenue in the coming five years. The company has also started expanding its offices globally, as it recently opened its office in New Jersey with over 50 employees working in various roles and functions.
CEO Nilesh Patel says about the company’s expansion, “We foresee North America to have the biggest revenue share in the future, which necessitates that we put a strong foot forward and build talent teams in sales and marketing based out of the US. In the future, we will look at building local teams for other business functions as well”.
With this, he also said, “With the expansion, the company is targeting USD 200 million in revenue in the next five years. This is in keeping with its vision to expand through partner networks in other geographies, meeting the needs of international markets by delivering new-age, industry-specific solutions.”
In the next three to four years, LeadSquared intends to go public, even though the software-as-a-service (SaaS) company anticipates $200 million in revenue during that time, as per news report of September 2022
FAQs
Does LeadSquared provide a CRM?
Yes, LeadSquared provides a CRM tool for Marketing Automation.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations.
The automotive industry is witnessing rapid changes in how it provides mobility to a massive proportion of the population. The need for minimizing emissions, increasing levels of autonomous functionality, and providing a more connected experience pressures engineers to develop simulation software rather than physical prototypes.
As the number of electrified autonomous vehicles rises, simulation allows firms to test integrated hardware for ultrasonic sensors, cameras, or lidar for automated systems. Applied Intuition is one of the prominent companies offering world-class simulation solutions for autonomous vehicles.
This article sheds light on essential details of Applied Intuition- its founders, startup story, funding, investors, growth, competitors, and more.
Applied Intuition is involved in developing simulation software for autonomous vehicles (AV). The company has made it faster, safer, and easier to bring autonomy to the automotive industry by offering a suite of simulation, validation, and drive log management software.
Headquartered in Silicon Valley, it has offices located in LA, Washington, Stockholm, Detroit, Munich, Tokyo, and Seoul. Applied Intuition provides custom solutions for small to large-sized companies across industries, from automotive, aerial, and trucking to agriculture and defense. Out of 20 global OEMs, 17 rely on the company’s solutions to develop, test, and deploy autonomous systems at scale.
Applied Intuition – Founders and Team
Qasar Younis and Peter Ludwig founded Applied Intuition in 2017.
Qasar Younis
Qasar Younis attended Kettering University for a a BSc in Mechanical Engineering and Harvard Business School for an an MBA. He is the ex-founder and ex-CEO of TalkBin. Moreover, he worked at Google as Group Product Manager, Google Maps.
Before co-founding Applied Intuition, he was Y Combinator’s general partner and chief operating officer. Currently, he is the CEO of Applied Intuition.
Qasar Younis – Co-founder and CEO, Applied Intuition
Peter Ludwig
Peter Ludwig attended the University of Michigan for a a BSc and MSc in Engineering and Computer Science. He has been a software engineer intern at NVIDIA and Microsoft.
He also worked as a product manager and SWE at Google; in 2017, he co-founded Applied Intuition and is the company’s CTO.
Peter Ludwig – Co-founder and CTO, Applied Intuition
Applied Intuition currently employs 201–500 employees.
Applied Intuition – Startup Story
Qasar Younis and Peter Ludwig grew up in the backyard of American automotive giant General Motors in Detroit and crossed paths when working as product managers at Google. Peter was planning to start his third company. When making the list of potential co-founders, he thought of approaching Qasar.
First, they planned to start an Autonomous Vehicles (AV) company, but in 2013, they, they concluded that it was not a good business idea. In 2016, Peter and Qasar had a casual conversation and came up with the idea of starting a software business. They figured out if they could run a business in software in the automotive industry. In 2017, they developed the idea of inventing software for autonomous vehicle simulation and set up Applied Intuition.
In 2022, the company started helping manufacturers simulate and test the mechanical parts of their automobiles in different environments.
Applied Intuition – Logo
Applied Intuition Logo
The caret ^ in the Applied Intuition logo signifies the company’s ability to assist its clients in being significantly more efficient in introducing autonomy to the market in a timely and secure manner.
Applied Intuition – Mission and Vision
Applied Intuition aims to accelerate the world’s adoption of safe and intelligent machines.
Applied Intuition – Business Model
Applied Intuition provides software, Simian, for autonomous vehicle simulation. The software imports maps and the behavioral objects for each region of those maps and creates real-world scenarios. Moreover, it has a scenario editor, enabling clients to test thousands of scenarios on the vehicle and debug their autonomous vehicle software if an error occurs.
Applied Intuition also offers analytics software to allow clients to evaluate their autonomous vehicle metrics and view the data that is collected during scenario testing. This data lets clients plan for future test drives. Additionally, the company provides consulting and support services to help businesses implement and integrate their software tools into the customer’s development process.
Applied Intuition classifies its product offerings into four categories:
Simulation: Simian, Spectral, Logstream, and Orbis
Vehicle Dynamics: carSIM, truckSIM, suspensionSIM, and bikeSIM
Data & Maps: Strada, Synthetic Datasets, Traffic Sign Datasets, and Meridian
Validation: Basis and Applied Test Suites
Virtual Simulator
Virtual Simulator was launched on October 28, 2018.Developers may access driverless simulators from businesses like Applied Intuition, a startup financed by Marc Andreessen. The Sunnyvale, California-based facility provides over 100,000 distinct driving scenarios for evaluation.
Applied Development Platform
In 2019, the company unveiled its Microsoft Azure-optimized Applied Development Platform.
Applied Intuition significantly shortens time to market and speeds up the development of autonomous driving features for companies worldwide by utilizing Azure’s cloud and edge capabilities.
Applied Intuition – Products
The company provides solutions, including Perception & Localization, Planning & Control, Map Creation, Scenario Creation, Log Visualization & Triage, Vehicle Dynamics, and more.
Applied Intuition – Solutions
Applied Intuition – Funding and Investors
Applied Intuition has undertaken five funding rounds and raised a total of $351.5 million. Its latest funding round, the Series D Round, was conducted on November 11, 2021, and raised $175 million. The company is backed by prominent investors: Andreessen Horowitz, Hemant Taneja, Mike Maples, Eld Gil, Bilal Zuberi, Lee Fixel, Semil Shah, and Jeannette Zu Furstenberg.
Date
Round
Number of Investors
Money Raised
Lead Investor
November 11, 2021
Series D
7
$175 million
Addition, Coatue
October 22, 2020
Series C
4
$125 million
Andreessen Horowitz, General Catalyst, Lux Capital
September 12, 2019
Series B
12
$40 million
General Catalyst
September 12, 2018
Series A
7
$11.5 million
Andreessen Horowitz
September 5, 2017
Seed Round
2
–
–
Applied Intuition – Mergers and Acquisitions
Applied Intuition has acquired three companies to date:
Company Name
Date
Price
Embark Trucks
May 25, 2023
$71M
SceneBox
March 21, 2023
–
Mechanical Simulation Corporation
March 14, 2022
–
Applied Intuition – Patents and Trademarks
The intellectual property of Applied Intuition comprises 2 registered patents with ‘Computing; Calculating’ as the primary category and 21 registered trademarks with ‘Scientific and Electric Apparatus and Instruments’ as the most popular class.
Applied Intuition – Growth
The estimated annual revenue of Applied Intuition in 2020 was $60.1 million ($186,635 revenue per employee), with its valuation standing at $3.6 billion. The company’s employee count rose 75% last year, and the monthly web visits rate increased to 6.19% with 33,166 visits.
Applied Intuition is recognized with an award for providing AITR with synthetic data.
The company has secured a contract with AFWERX for “virtual sensor optimization.’
Applied Intuition – Competitors
Applied Intuition is ranked 2nd among its 64 active competitors. Some of its competitors are:
aiMotive
Wayve
Cognata
Aurora
Intvo
Zoox
Momenta
Flux Auto
Waabi
FAQs
What does applied intuition do?
Applied Intuition is involved in developing simulation software for autonomous vehicles (AV). The company has made it faster, safer, and easier to bring autonomy to the automotive industry by offering a suite of simulation, validation, and drive log management software.
Who founded Applied Intuition?
Qasar Younis and Peter Ludwig founded Applied Intuition in 2017.
Who are the main competitors of Applied Intuition?
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations.
Ayurveda means ‘Knowledge of Life. It has its roots in the ‘Vedas’, the holy texts that originated in ancient India. The Ayurvedic system of medicine has, for ages, helped people live healthy lives. In today’s world, though medical science has evolved a lot, Ayurveda is still popular not only in India but also in other parts of the world.
However, looking at the other side of the coin, many fraudulent practices are going on in the name of Ayurveda. Ayurvedic medicine is still largely unorganized, and many self-declared doctors come up with fake medications in the name of Ayurveda. So, it is important to buy only genuine Ayurvedic products to reap the full benefit.
To meet the growing demand for genuine ayurvedic medicines, Dr. Vaidya’s, a Mumbai-based startup, was formed in 2016. Dr. Vaidya’s company is backed by over 150 years of expertise and experience in the field of Ayurveda and ensures that you get only the best of Ayurvedic products. Dr. Vaidya’s was acquired by RP Sanjiv Goenka Group on March 9, 2021.
Did you know Dr. Vaidya’s packaging was designed by a jewelry designer and an architect?
StartupTalky interviewed Dr.Vaidya’s founder, Mr. Arun Vaidya, who has disclosed several important facts and details about the company, its founders and team, valuation, acquisitions, and more. Find them all in this article ahead!
Dr. Vaidya’s new-age Ayurveda products have become popular because of the company’s 150 years of family legacy and 5,000-year-old science for modern consumers. Since the company’s expertise spans 150 years of Ayurvedic heritage, formulations and knowledge have been passed down from generation to generation through the dedicated practice of treating thousands of patients and by perfecting unique blends through careful expertise.
Dr. Vaidya’s company uses new-age packaging, branding, product formats, and communication. The brand aims to re-establish a connection between Ayurveda and modern consumers.
The brand owns more than 100 FDA-approved proprietary formulations and has launched a very unique and innovative products list which includes Chakaash (Goodness of Chyawanprash in a Toffee), LIVitup (Ayurvedic Hangover Shield), etc. Over the year, Dr. Vaidya’s product reviews proved the power of Ayurveda. If you want to buy the company’s products, you can simply search for “Dr. Vaidyas near me.” You will find many options.
The company was acquired by RPSG Ventures. The acquisition happened in March 2021, when the company acquired an additional stake in Herbolab India Pvt. Ltd. for full ownership of the ayurvedic company. On March 9th, 2021, RPSG Ventures acquired the remaining 35.37% stakes in Dr. Vaidya’s for INR 50.8 crore ($6.9 million). The same company earlier purchased over 64.34% stakes in Herbolab, the parent company of Dr. Vaidyas. With this acquisition, the valuation of the company rose from Rs 50 crore in 2019 to Rs 144 crore at present.
Arjun Vaidya
Ayurvedic Product’s Market in India
The ayurvedic market in India is valued at $3 billion and is expected to grow rapidly to 16% P.A., according to a CII study in 2016. More than $500 million in ayurvedic products are sold outside India, according to a Statistics MRC study, and this too is expected to grow at 16.2% P.A.
These numbers have seen a huge jump in the last five years owing to a consumer shift towards natural alternatives as well as government focus and support, i.e. creation of the Ministry of Ayurveda, schemes like the International Co-Operation Scheme for Ayurveda companies and researchers, etc. Dr. Vaidya’s Ayurveda products have played a main role in medicine alive in the country and around the world.
Ayurveda has undergone a “renaissance”. Having said this, there is tremendous further scope for the expansion of Ayurveda. The science can become a globally accepted form of alternative medicine and also serve as one more of India’s way to take our culture to the world.
Dr. Vaidya’s Founders and Team
The founders of Dr. Vaidya are Arjun Vaidya and his wife, Trisha Rajani Vaidya, who started the company in 2016.
Arjun Vaidya
Arjun Vaidya, Former CEO and Co-founder of Dr. Vaidya’s
Arjun Vaidya (the former owner and CEO of Dr. Vaidya’s) graduated from Brown University in 2013. Arjun has vast experience in the fields of marketing, business development, and investment management. The 6th generation Vaidya and Dr. Vaidya’s former CEO had previously worked with companies like Condé Nast India, Hublot Genève, The De Beers Group of Companies, and L Capital Asia prior to starting the ayurvedic company. The former Vaidya’s company chief is currently working as the Ventures Lead for India at Verlinvest.
Trisha Rajani
Trisha Rajani – Former COO and Co-founder of Dr. Vaidya’s
Trisha Rajani is a graduate of the University of Warwick. Dr. Vaidya’s founder and ex-COO had earlier worked with companies like ASA Philippines, Goldman Sachs, Nykaa.com, Intellecap, and RepIndia before joining Dr. Vaidya’s. Rajani, after Dr. Vaidya’s was acquired, became the advisor of GlobalBees and is presently working at GobalBees and as an advisor at Rukam Capital Mentor. Besides, she is also a mentor and angel investor in various startups.
The story is very interesting because the ‘co-founder’ and current COO of this business is my wife, Trisha. One year into running the business, I realized that my head was in too many places and I wasn’t able to give any department or aspect of the business 100%. I needed help and I had no shame in going out and asking for it. We needed someone who would have as much commitment to the cause as I did and thus, family made sense. Against much advice from friends and family, the moment we got engaged, Trisha joined the business. And, I must say the journey has been amazing. There is a clear allocation of responsibility and so far it has added huge value to the business.
Currently, Dr. Vaidya’s had 51-200 members in its team. This included the factory team in Silvassa, and Dr. Vaidya’s head office team is based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Our company culture is all about ‘getting things done’ and adding the most value to our customers. Even at 10 PM, there is no shame in the CEO of the company answering the phone and talking to a customer. The team itself is a great blend of experience (with team members from my grandfather’s time) as well as youthful exuberance, added Arjun Vaidya (Dr Vaidya owner and CEO)
Dr Vaidya’s – Startup Story | How was Dr. Vaidya’s Started?
Ayurveda has been a part of Arjun’s family for many generations. His grandfather, great-grandfather, and two generations before that were ayurvedic doctors. Arjun grew up with Ayurveda all his life.
“My grandfather even cured me of chronic asthma. By the late 80s, my grandfather had become Mumbai’s most successful ayurvedic doctor – seeing 300+ patients a day and getting 12,000+ patients writing to him via post on a monthly basis. He was a legend in the industry but never cared for sales, distribution marketing or strategy. Thus, he sold his products only through his clinic and never outside” recalls Arjun Vaidya Dr. Vaidya owner.
Arjun was pursuing his studies and career in the USA. It was around 2013 when Arjun returned to India. Arjun eventually started working for a private equity firm and was enjoying his role as an investor. Unfortunately, his grandfather passed away three months after Arjun came back to India. He left behind thousands of loyal patients and some very effective formulations.
Due to the loyal patients they had, Arjun’s family kept running his grandfather’s clinic as a dispensary. The intention behind starting Dr. Vaidya’s was also to save many successful ayurvedic formulations that his grandfather made, and that’s when the Dr. Vaidya story started.
“The moment is still vivid in my mind. It was my father’s 50th birthday and his team had a large celebration for him at the office. I gave a speech talking about his role in inspiring me. After the speech, my grandfather’s nurse of 25 years came up to me and said that while my father has done some great work, it was a shame we were letting my grandfather’s legacy die. This was the ‘aha’ moment for me – when everything changed”.
Dr. Vaidya’s business was taken up by Arjun Vaidya in the middle of 2016, after he left his job at L Catterton when he chose to further his family’s legacy.
Dr. Vaidya’s – Name and Logo
Dr. Vaidya’s company name was taken after Arjun’s grandfather’s name.
“My grandfather is my inspiration. He was also a legendary doctor. Thus, the name was easy – it had to be named after him”
Dr. Vaidya’s Logo
Dr. Vaidya’s logo is the company name written in green with three green leaves, symbolizing ayurvedic medicine. The Dr. Vaidyas tagline is “New Age Ayurveda” and stands for what the company offers.
Another interesting story is the name for one of Dr. Vaidya’s products, ‘LIVitup’, a hangover product. The team was doing a brainstorming session and came up with this name, which was instantly loved. But the team soon realized that the trademark was already taken. Thus, the team tried to come up with another name, but nothing worked like this one. Eventually, even before starting the company, Dr. Vaidya’s went ahead and bought this trademark from its owner.
Currently, Dr. Vaidya’s business model is online-focused. The company has its factory in Silvassa and sells its products through its own site and also other well-known e-commerce sites.
We realized that with limited resources, we had to be the best at what we do. Thus, contrary to popular belief we went the digital first way instead of focusing on offline. We also needed to add genuine value to the customers and so, took what my great grandfather had instituted to the 21st century.
Dr. Vaidya’s business model is guided by the belief that no patient should be charged for a consultation, i.e., to speak to an Ayurvedic doctor. Besides Dr. Vaidya’s products, the Dr. Vaidya website also has a provision for consumers to reach out to ayurvedic doctors via phone, video call, WhatsApp, text message, Facebook, Instagram, or email. Today, more than 1,000 customers reach out to Doctor Vaidya’s for knowledge, issues, and feedback on Ayurveda.
Dr. Vaidya’s – Funding and Investors
Dr. Vaidya’s funding history is not long, as Arjun Vaidya started the company with bootstrapped capital. In June 2019, Dr. Vaidya’s partnered with RP Sanjiv Goenka Group and raised a round of $5 million, which eventually owned a majority stake in the company.
Dr. Vaidya’s – Growth
Dr. Vaidya’s has been one of India’s largest ayurvedic product brands online and has taken pride in completing more than 750 orders a day across its own website as well as e-marketplaces like Amazon, Nykaa, Seniority, Snapdeal, Netmeds, 1mg, Medlife, etc.
The former founder of the company, Arjun Vaidya, recalled the idea of LIVitup, which is an age-old liver protector that helps prevent hangovers, and repackaged it. Vaidya then started sampling the product at every party he went to. At one of such parties, he met Rohan Rathod, his school friend, who was an architect by training and recommended the product to him. As intrigued as he was, Rohan promptly asked Vaidya about the packaging and who was doing that.
This made Arjun reveal to his father, Biren Vaidya, how interested Rohan was in doing the packaging of the products. With this, Arjun’s father was really enthusiastic and instantly suggested that he and Rohan must sit together and do the packaging of the Vaidya’s products. Arjun’s father is a jewelry designer, while Rohan was then an architect by training, and this was how Dr. Vaidya’s logo and packaging came into being.
In November 2020, Dr. Vaidya’s forayed into the international market with the launch of 11 products in the immunity, hangover, digestion, and sexual wellness categories in the US via Amazon.com.
Some of the growth highlights are:
It has reached 3,000+ cities.
The company has made 2 million+ Deliveries
As per the company’s website, it has 1 million+ happy customers.
Dr. Vaidya’s – Product And Service
Dr. Vaidya’s website offers ayurvedic products to treat illness and maintain wellness. The Dr. Vaidyas product list includes one-of-a-kind products like Dr. Vaidyas Herbopile, Chakaash (Goodness of Chyawanprash in a Toffee), LIVitup (Ayurvedic Hangover Shield), Sung Ho (Ayurvedic Inhalant), Dr. Vaidyas Weight Gain Pack, etc. that truly understand and simplify the needs of modern consumers.
At Dr. Vaidya’s Ayurveda products, we want to change people’s vision towards ayurvedic products and not perceive them as boring, old-school, and poorly packaged. These products do not have much of a connection with modern consumers. Thus, their aim is to pass on 150 years of family legacy and 5,000 years of science to 21st-century consumers.
The Dr. Vaidyas review says that their products are extremely effective as they have easy-to-understand packaging, a unique brand, and unique product formats designed to make Ayurveda appealing and accessible.
Dr.Vaidya’s offers three major popular categories of products:
Cold and Cough
A wide range of Ayurvedic medications for colds, coughs, seasonal allergies, and other respiratory conditions are available at Dr. Vaidya’s. With a variety of natural Ayurvedic treatments for coughs and colds, these include churnas, syrups, inhalers, and more.
Immunity Booster
Providing comprehensive solutions to enhance overall well-being and vitality, Dr. Vaidya’s offers a broad assortment of immunity boosters, such as the Fitness Pack, MyPrash for everyday health, and Ashwagandha tablets.
Pain Relief
Dr. Vaidya’s offers a variety of natural painkillers that can help with muscle and body pain from overexercising and injuries, as well as joint pain from aging and arthritic disorders. Dr. Vaidya uses only the best herbs in her Ayurvedic pain management formulas, which are safe and effective and free of synthetic or artificial additives.
Dr. Vaidya’s – Revenue/Turnover
Dr. Vaidya’s turnover in 2018–19 was INR 1.94 crore, while Dr. Vaidya’s revenue was estimated to be INR 13.6 crore the same year.
Dr. Vaidya’s – User Acquisition
Backed by the legacy of 100 years, Dr. Vaidya’s acquired a large base of loyal customers even before the company was started. The patients who were being treated by Arjun’s grandfather came to be the initial customers for Dr. Vaidya’s products.
“I actually sent out a letter (not email) to each of his old patients talking about how we are reinvigorating his legacy and continuing his good work. The response was phenomenal (also a testament to my grandfather’s goodwill) and served as the launching pad for our business” Said Arjun, Co-Founder of Dr. Vaidya’s.
Dr. Vaidya’s – Advisors and Mentors
Biren Vaidya is the chairman of the advisory board. Other than him, Dr. Vaidya’s also got a bunch of advisors from different fields.
Grey hair and experience to me are critical since I am a 27-year-old founder who hasn’t seen as much of the world as experienced folks may have.
Dr. Vaidya’s – Partnership
Dr. Vaidya’s has partnered with many companies, including:
The main competitors of Dr. Vaidyas are Himalaya, but Arjun says that he is inspired by the achievements made by ‘Himalaya’.
Speaking about competition, Arjun said, “We see competition as inspiration. For me, I am inspired daily by the work Himalaya does. This brand has built huge consumer loyalty and trust over the last 20 years. Himalayan products are now available in 80+ countries, which is a huge achievement. At Dr. Vaidya’s, each one of our products bears the mark ‘Proudly Indian’ and one day (in the near future), we hope to see this on shelves and in hands across the globe.”
Dr. Vaidya’s – Startup Challenges
Building an FMCG business online was a challenge, as Arjun said. Also, understanding the customer’s needs and providing products in line with those needs is a challenge that Dr. Vaidya’s team has to face.
Spending time to understand our customer’s needs and what the market was lacking was critical. Vernacular content, ease of explanation, seamless experience of consumption, etc. all helped us to grow. Having said that, I cannot say that there was a moment of virality which caused hockey stick growth. For us, it was months of effort and thousands of customer interactions that have got us to where we are.
Dr. Vaidya’s – Future Plans
The brand earlier looked forward to creating a selective offline presence and venturing into export markets. Dr. Vaidya’s Ayurveda products bear the mark ‘Proudly Indian’, and it was the dream of Arjun Vaidya to let this mark make its presence in 50 countries around the world. All of these might still be achieved by the company, but under the ownership of RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, because with its acquisition by the group, the Vaidya family has exited the company by selling their stakes in full.
The co-founders of Dr. Vaidya’s were Arjun Vaidya and his wife, Trisha Rajani, who eventually exited the company after the acquisition.
Which company acquired Dr. Vaidya’s?
Dr. Vaidya’s acquisition was led by RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group after it bought a majority stake in the ayurvedic company.
What are some of Dr. Vaidya’s products?
Dr. Vaidya’s offers ayurvedic products to treat illness and maintain wellness. The company has launched one-of-a-kind products like Chakaash (the goodness of Chyawanprash in a toffee), LIVitup (the Ayurvedic hangover shield), Sung Ho (the Ayurvedic inhalant), etc. that genuinely understand and simplify the needs of modern consumers.
Who is Arjun Vaidya?
Arjun Vaidya was Dr. Vaidya’s owner and co-founder and thesixth-generation Vaidya, who has inherited the family’s 100 India FDA-approved medical formulations and 50 trademarks accumulated over 150 years.
Who is Arjun Vaidya’s wife?
Arjun Vaidyas wife is Trisha Rajani Vaidya, who was the former co-founder and COO of Dr. Vaidyas.
Is Dr. Vaidya’s sold?
Dr. Vaidya’s now stands sold to RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, which acquired all of the stakes in the company on March 9, 2021.
Vidhi Punamiya
