Fireside-Backed 10clubhomes Ropes In Former IKEA Exec Kavitha Rao As Cofounder

Direct-to-consumer home furnishing startup 10clubhomes has roped in former IKEA and Accenture executive Kavitha Rao as its cofounder and chief operating officer (COO). 

In her new role at 10clubhomes, Rao will lead various business functions to drive growth and profitability. Besides, the cofounder will also help the startup in boosting its retail expansion plan across both online and offline channels, doubling down on the product category and leading high-performance daily operations to further its growth in the Indian retail and consumer market, the company said in a statement. 

Under her leadership, the startup aims to meet the evolving needs of Indian consumers with a strategic focus on brand-building, expansion, product design, and technology to enhance the shopping experience. 

The home furnishing startup was founded by Bhavna Suresh in 2021. It has an omnichannel presence through which it offers home and kitchen products across several categories. The brand’s expansion strategy includes offline retail, starting with Bengaluru, and 10clubhomes plans to gradually expand to other metro and tier II cities. It counts Fireside Ventures and Olive Tree Capital among its investors, and has raised over $70 Mn till date as a mix of debt and equity.

“I am thrilled that we have come together, because with Kavitha’s extensive expertise and successful track record in the retail and lifestyle industry, it is going to be a much more enjoyable experience building to disrupt this extremely large opportunity. I am immensely grateful to have found a partner of her caliber as she embarks on her entrepreneurial stint. The board and team at 10clubhomes are fully committed to supporting and empowering her as she takes on the mandate with the focus on expansion of the brand, while ensuring explosive growth with a firm hand on profitability,” Suresh said about Rao’s appointment.

About the growth roadmap, Rao said that the startup’s projected CAGR is 12-15% over the next 5 years. According to the 10clubhomes cofounder, this underscores the promising trajectory of the home category, driven by increased consumer spending and the evolving aspirations of Indian consumers for their homes.

Fireside-backed 10clubhomes is also actively exploring distribution possibilities for specific products in its product range. All these initiatives align with the startup’s ambitious goal of becoming an INR 1,000 Cr brand in the coming years, she added. 

Prior to this, Rao was associated with Accenture’s retail division where she led the retail industry practice and supported retailers in their transformation journey across business, technology and operations. 

She had also worked as chief commercial officer at global furniture and home decor maker IKEA for over seven years and was a part of the India management team during IKEA’s early months in the country. At the furniture giant, Rao headed several functions including sales, marketing, sourcing, and merchandising across both physical and online retail channels. 

Other than these, she has also worked for Infosys and Capgemini in consulting roles.