The group of Angel Investors also include Sairee Chahal of Sheroes, Harshita Singh of Times Prime, Ankit Mehrotra of Dineout, amongst others
In its bid to build scale and a diverse pan-India presence, women-led and run organic food brand Naario has raised an undisclosed sum in pre-seed funding from a group of angel investors led by women entrepreneurs.
Started by a young and dynamic Anamika Pandey, 24, Naario is India’s first women-led and run food product brand that offers organic cereals, condiments, and beverages. An engineering graduate from NIT Warangal and a Booth School of Business and BigBasket Alum, Anamika started Naario in January 2021 out of her hometown, Gorakhpur, in eastern Uttar Pradesh, over a cup of tea with her mom.
Some of the notable members of the group of Angel Investors included Sairee Chahal of Sheroes, Harshita Singh of Times Prime, Ankit Mehrotra of Dineout, amongst others. The pre-seed funding will help Naario invest in brand building, develop tech-based solutions to scale operations and expand distribution channels as it chases growth in a highly fragmented D2C market.
Commenting on the pre-seed funding, Anamika, Founder and CEO, said: “Naario is a brand built for women whose passion for cooking goes unrecognized. It was built with the mission to touch the lives of millions of women who have talent but no resources to realize their dreams. Ever since the launch, Naario has grown fast and this round of funding will help us to move rapidly in a highly competitive market,” explains Anamika Pandey, Founder and CEO, Naari
Commenting on the investment, Sairee, said: “Our strategic investment in Naario is in line with our endeavour to create a wide and diverse ecosystem of women entrepreneurs, who are working towards supporting women’s and their aspirations. In a short period, Anamika and her team have built something truly commendable.”
Within a few months of launch, Naario has expanded its product range from four to seven and its reach from Gorakhpur, a small city in Eastern UP, to more than 10 states across the country. The current product portfolio includes everyday favourites like 9-in-1 flour mix, South Indian Filter Coffee decoction, All Rounder Garam Masala, Lucknowi Masala, Classic Muesli, Jaggery powder with Chai Masala, South Indian Filter Coffee decoction and Rose Sherbet to name a few.
Naario combines the essence of two words- Naari and Opportunity – happens to be one of India’s first women led and run food brands. Naario is democratising good food while building a community of women who are more than ready to tie their creative talents to their identity. Naario, as a brand, comes in at a time when health has become an average Indian’s prerogative and women have realised that they need their own identity and financial freedom.
