D2C Weekly Buzz: Backbay’s Luxe Splash, Ather’s Stock Surge, Ultraviolette’s $21 Mn Boost & More
In this 102nd edition of Pulse Weekly, India’s D2C stage is on fire—beverages, EVs, beauty, and wellness all making power plays.
National Disruptors
1.Backbay Launch: Bhumi & Samiksha Pednekar’s Sustainable D2C Beverage Brand Debuts in India’s Premium Market
Backbay, a new premium beverage company founded by actress Bhumi Pednekar and her sister Samiksha Pednekar, has debuted in India's direct-to-consumer (D2C) market. Their first product, Backbay Aqua, is natural mineral water sourced from the Himalayas. It comes in eco-friendly cartons made from FSC-certified paperboard, with caps made from sugarcane resin.
Backbay aims to mix sustainability, purity, and a high-end image. This reflects the Pednekar family's 10-year goal to reduce single-use plastic. Backbay Aqua uses heat-resistant, lightweight cartons that prevent chemicals from leaching into the water, setting it apart from regular bottled water.
2. SuperYou Enters the Fitness Market with New Clean Protein, ‘SuperYou Pro’
SuperYou, the Indian brand supported by Ranveer Singh and Nikunj Biyani, is moving into functional fitness with the launch of SuperYou Pro. The company, known for its protein wafers and multigrain chips, now intends to change the wellness market with a protein powder using bio-fermented yeast technology.
This launch is a move, as SuperYou grows from food and drinks into the wellness and sports nutrition area. The brand plans to gain 10% of the protein supplements market in FY25, using its presence across retail and online platforms.
3.Bollywood actor Zareen Khan Enters D2C Beauty Space with the Launch of Happy Hippie
In the latest D2C startup news shaking up the Indian D2C updates space, Bollywood actor and wellness advocate Zareen Khan has officially entered the direct-to-consumer India beauty and personal care market with the launch of Happy Hippie. This new-age D2C beauty and skincare India brand is rooted in a philosophy of mindful beauty, offering cruelty-free, chemical-free, and gender-neutral products designed for simplicity without compromising on results.
Happy Hippie is positioned to be more than just another name in the crowded D2C ecosystem India. Drawing on her personal self-care journey, Zareen Khan spent over 18 months in research and formulation to ensure each product in the debut lineup serves multiple purposes—reducing routine clutter while delivering high-performance results. This makes Happy Hippie a timely entrant into the premium D2C brands India category, catering to consumers increasingly seeking intentional, clean, and effective solutions.
Business Boost
1.MakeO Acquires Apple Dental to Strengthen Offline Presence and Scale as a Leading D2C Wellness Brand in India
MakeO, the company behind Toothsi and Skinnsi, is buying Apple Dental for ₹10.98 crore. This move will help MakeO grow its presence and become a top wellness brand in India.
MakeO will acquire all of Apple Dental through a mix of cash and stock, making it a fully owned part of MakeO. They're also giving Apple Dental a ₹1.5 crore loan to support the deal.
Apple Dental has a chain of dental clinics in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. By acquiring them, MakeO plans to take its dental and skincare solutions beyond big cities and into smaller towns, which are becoming important for business.
This news comes after MakeO recently raised ₹100 crore from investors like Siddharth Shah (PharmEasy's CEO), 360 One, Eight Roads Ventures, and Paramark Ventures. This funding, along with the Apple Dental acquisition, shows that MakeO is serious about expanding its business by combining online and offline services to meet the changing needs of Indian consumers.
2. Ather’s Shares Jumps 9%, Reaches New Record High: Journey from D2C Startup to EV Industry Leader
Ather Energy, a fast-growing D2C brand in India, hit a new high, with its stock jumping 8.7% to ₹432.9 on the BSE. This happened even as the rest of the market dipped, showing how well Ather is doing in the EV sector.
This jump came after the company announced strong Q1 FY26 results on August 4, showing solid performance and quick growth. Since then, Ather’s stock has gone up almost 20%, which is rare for a D2C company so soon after its IPO.
From IIT Startup to Public Company
Started in 2013 at IIT Madras, Ather entered the Indian EV market with a focus on premium, innovative products. Going up against big names like Bajaj Auto, TVS Motor, and Hero MotoCorp, it built its brand on sustainability, tech, and customer trust.
Founders Funded
1.Holiday Tribe Raises ₹25 Crore in Pre-Series A to Power AI-Driven Travel Personalisation and Global Expansion
Holiday Tribe recently raised ₹25 crore (about $2.85 million) in a pre-Series A funding round. Powerhouse Ventures and GSF, who had already invested in the company, led the round, with other angel investors also participating.
This funding comes after Holiday Tribe secured ₹5.4 crore in seed money in September 2024. The company claims to have tripled its growth since then.
Founded by Anshu Sharma and Chirag Goyal, Holiday Tribe specializes in personalized travel packages. They use a direct-to-consumer model to provide convenient, curated experiences. They've arranged trips to over 30 destinations across the globe and have a supplier network of over 100,000 hotels and 1 million activities. By cutting out the middleman, they offer customers travel plans suited to their needs.
2. Ultraviolette Lands $21M to Grow D2C in India's High-End Electric Motorcycle Market
Electric motorcycle maker Ultraviolette, based in Bengaluru, just got $21 million in funding. TDK Ventures, from Japan's TDK Corporation, led the round. This shows investors are liking the high-end electric two-wheeler area in India. It also puts Ultraviolette up there with India's fastest-growing direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands.
Zoho Corporation and Lingotto (previously Exor Capital) also put money in, along with people like Sriharsha Majety from Swiggy, Ankit Nagori from Curefoods, Aprameya Radhakrishna from TaxiForSure, and actor Dulquer Salmaan. Their support brings not just money but also advice and D2C investing ideas, which will help Ultraviolette grow faster in India's competitive D2C space.
Taran Chhabra
From ₹10 Lakhs to 200 Crore ARR – Building Neeman’s with Purpose
When Taran Chhabra started Neeman’s, the question was simple but powerful:
“Can India have shoes that are better for people and the planet?”
The world said, “It’s too niche. It won’t scale.” But Taran and his team chose to believe in a different path—creating India’s first sustainable shoe brand, digital-first from day one, and committed to both style and sustainability.
From doing ₹10 lakhs a month to reaching around ₹200 crore ARR in 6.5 years, the journey was not just about growth—it was about proving that purpose and profitability can walk hand in hand.
Today, Neeman’s is EBITDA positive, a milestone that took years of navigating manufacturing chaos, breaking through skepticism, and building deep control over brand spends, logistics, and retention.
Taran’s vision is clear: with the right levers in place, Neeman’s can become a ₹1000 crore brand in the next 4–5 years—profitable, purposeful, and proudly Indian.
D2C Insider Update
Super Angels, Episode 3: Featuring Pranav Obhrai of Atrium Ventures
D2C Insider is set to host the third episode of its Super Angels series, featuring Pranav Obhrai (Co-founder & Partner, Atrium Ventures) on the theme “Leveraging Community Networks in Angel Investing.”
Obhrai, known for building thriving founder communities and backing consumer brands, will share how networks can enable smarter, strategic fundraising.
The Super Angels series offers early-stage entrepreneurs insider access to top investors and actionable insights.
📅 Date: August 21, 2025
⏰ Time: 5:00 – 6:00 PM IST
📍 Venue: Live on Zoom
👉 Register here: http://d2ci.co/superangels-webnr