Beauty Startup indē wild Nets $5 Mn From Unilever Ventures, Others

Beauty and personal care startup indē wild has raised $5 Mn (around INR 43.5 Cr) in an undisclosed funding round led by Unilever Ventures, along with participation from existing investors SoGal Ventures and True.

On the back of this funding, financial advisor Archit Vijoy has been roped in as finance director at indē wild.

The startup plans to use the fresh capital to boost the brand’s overseas expansion. 

It also aims to strengthen its partnership with Sephora in the UK and prepare for its upcoming launch in Sephora US. 

indē wild CEO Oleg Büller-Khosla said, “Unilever Ventures’ investment in indē wild and this partnership is the result of the immense respect and trust we developed in Rachel Harris and the whole UV team.”

Founded in October 2021 by Diipa Büller-Khosla, indē wild offers Ayurvedic-inspired skincare and haircare products. To date, the startup has raised a total of $8 Mn across two funding rounds.

Unilever Ventures is the venture and growth capital arm of Unilever. It has invested in beauty brands like RAS Luxury Skincare, CalyCo Cosmetics, Arata. It calims to invest in segments like beauty & wellness brands, commerce and technology. 

The investment comes amidst the growing investor interest in the beauty and personal care market.  Valued at over $5 Bn in 2023, the country’s BPC market is expected to become a $28 Bn+ opportunity by 2030, accounting for 7% of the overall ecommerce market.

The Indian BPC startups have collectively secured over $1 Bn in funding between 2014 and H1 2024. Also, at more than 68 funded startups, BPC appears to be the most sought-after segment in the ecommerce sector after fashion and F&B, which foster 100+ and more than 150 funded startups, respectively.