Beauty 3.0 Brand Antithesis Bags INR 5 Cr In Funding From Rukam, V3 Ventures

D2C beauty and personal care brand Antithesis has raised INR 5 Cr (about $582K) in its pre-seed round co-led by Rukam Capital and V3 Ventures.

The D2C brand plans to use the funds to fuel its growth plans, drive product innovation, market expansion, and strengthen distribution channels. 

Founded by former Good Capital partner Aparna Saxena, Antithesis aims to revolutionise India’s beauty and personal care market. Prior to that, she worked with the Bharat Founders Fund.

The idea of the startup was born from Saxena’s observation that consumers, particularly women, are overwhelmed by complex routines and an array of products that often fail to deliver meaningful results. 

With the aim of filling this gap, Antithesis has adopted a data-driven approach for product development, with the thesis “the luxury of less”. 

The D2C brand is looking to grab a big share in the country’s beauty and personal care market, which is rapidly growing on the back of rising disposable incomes and a large population of young people, by meeting the evolving needs of consumers.

However, it will have to compete with the likes of Nykaa, Conscious Chemist, Minimalist, Pilgrim, among others.

India’s beauty and personal care segment is expected to clock a 28% CAGR and become a $28 Bn market opportunity by 2030.

Rukam Capital Strengthens Its Consumer Brands Portfolio

With the investment, Rukam Capital has added another consumer brand to its strong portfolio. Founded by Archana Jahagirdar, the Delhi-based early-stage venture capital firm invests in consumer brands with exceptional growth potential. 

It counts startups like Beca, Sleepy Owl, GO DESi, and The Indus Valley in its portfolio.

Recently, the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) also partnered with Rukam Capital and Bootstrap Incubation and Advisory Foundation (BIAF). The VC firm and the BIAF will develop programmes to fuel the growth of product startups, innovators and entrepreneurs across the country. 

At the heart of this push is the growing D2C space of the country, which is projected to become a $300 Bn market opportunity by 2030.