Venture Catalysts, others invest in health food brand WickedGud

A guilt-free brand on a mission to unjunk India one kitchen at a time

Venture Catalysts Group, India’s first integrated incubator and a leading early-stage investment platform for startups, along with other marquee investors led this round of investment for WickedGud. WickedGud is a d2C health food brand that is on a mission to make every day eating guilt-free and change the way the world consumes comfort food for the better, using mom-approved ingredients found in every kitchen.

This round of Venture Catalysts comes in as an addendum to the $ 1 Million seed round secured by WickedGud earlier this year in their seed round. The round also saw participation from investors such as Bunty Sajdeh (MD Cornerstone Sport & Entertainment Pvt Ltd), Sahil Gilani (MD Gits Foods), Binoy Khimji (MD UBR Capital), and others. With this investment, WickedGud has raised a total of $ 1.6 Million since their inception a year ago.

Launched in October 2021, WickedGud sells high-protein pasta made of lentils (dal), Brown rice (chawal), and Chickpea (chana)- the chief constituents of an average Indian meal- among other super grains. In August 2022, the brand launched its instant noodle portfolio, a category that is in desperate need for healthier alternatives while being dominated by legacy brands. WickedGud noodles are made with the goodness of oats, jowar, lentil, brown rice, and whole wheat, and are thereby 100% maida free, 100% oil free, while also being free of MSG and other harmful chemicals that are frequently used by incumbents. The brand claims to have sold more than 25,000 packs, PAN India, in little less than 6 weeks- showcasing exponential growth in a category dominated by stalwarts.

WickedGud was founded by Bhuman Dani (MBA - INSEAD; ex-BCG London, previously the Co-Founder at TGL Co.), Soumalya Biswas (previously the COO (Brand & Revenue functions) at Rostaa; ex- HT Media, Edelman India), and Monish Debnath (previously the Lead Strategist & VP Planning at Havas Worldwide, Ex-DDB, BBH, JWT). The company also has Rinka Banerjee as an Advisor. Rinka spent more than 15 years with Unilever - her latest role as the Director - R&D Foods division for their South Asia business. She will help the company build the R&D capabilities for the product portfolio.

Indulgence in tasty food and obtaining wholesome nutrition have often been viewed as opposing markers on a spectrum. WickedGud poses a healthy solution to this conundrum, bringing high quality nutritional offerings to consumers in the form of delicious Pasta and Instant Noodles. The market size in India for these categories is way past 15,000CR while also maintaining a double-digit annual growth.

Reflecting on successfully securing funds in this round, Bhuman Dani, Founder & CEO of WickedGud said, “WickedGud is on a mission to unjunk India, one kitchen at a time. Our core offering is Wicked Taste and Gud ingredients. Why should anyone worry about their nourishment quotient while having a moment with his/her favorite bowl of indulgence?”

Welcoming the start-up to their expansive network, Dr. Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, Co-Founder, Venture Catalysts & 9Unicorns said, “WickedGud’s novel initiative to bring healthy options for pastas and noodles into a market where the consumer base is largely young, health-conscious, and family oriented is a cause Venture Catalysts is thoroughly excited to be a part of. We want to further help the brand in this empowering journey to avail healthy alternatives to junk food for Indian households.”

About Venture Catalysts

Venture Catalysts is India’s 1st integrated incubator for startups. It combines capital, mentoring and network for startups and has a presence in 47 cities across India with international presence in UAE, HK, UK, USA, Canada and Singapore. Venture Catalysts invests in the range of INR 2 - 15 crores per startup through a network of HNIs, Family Offices, CXOs, etc.

About WickedGud

Owned by 100Percent Nourishment Private Limited, WickedGud is on a mission to make every day eating guilt-free and change the way the world consumes comfort food, for the better, using mom-approved ingredients found in every kitchen. It currently sells pasta and noodles and will venture into other staple categories in the future.

Their products are currently available on www.wickedgud.com in addition to Amazon India, BigBasket, Flipkart Grocery, Blinkit, CRED and other marketplaces. They are also a part of Amazon’s Global Seller Programme and are already selling on Amazon US. Additionally, WickedGud has also been inducted in the prestigious, invite only Amazon Top Brands program for the UK & EU market even before their launch in those markets. The brand shall also be launching in the UAE market by October 2022.

WickedGud Raises $340K in a Pre-seed Round Led by Titan Capital and Other Marquee Investors

Funds to be utilized for building the brand across D2C channels and strengthening the team to support its initial growth

Delhi, 13 September 2021: WickedGud, a brand owned by 100Percent Nourishment Private Limited, has announced raising $340,000 in a pre-seed round led by Titan Capital. The round also saw participation from many successful founder angels and marquee investors such as Archana Priyadarshini Partner at Point One Capital, Gaurav Ahuja, MD at Chrys Capital, Amit Chaudhary, Founder, Lenskart, Aman Gupta & Sameer Mehta, Co-founders, boAt, Harsh Vakharia, founder, Invideo and Jorge Fernandez Vidal, Investment Director at Liechtenstein Group.

Bhuman Dani

WickedGud was founded in July 2021, by Bhuman Dani (MBA - INSEAD; ex-BCG London, previously the Co-Founder at TGL Co.), Soumalya Biswas previously the COO(Brand & Revenue functions) at Rostaa; ex- HT Media, Edelman India), and Monish Debnath (previously the Lead Strategist & VP Planning at Havas Worldwide, Ex-DDB, BBH, JWT). The company also has Rinka Banerjee as an Advisor. Rinka spent more than 15 years with Unilever - her latest role as the Director - R&D Foods division for their South Asia business. She will help the company build the R&D capabilities for the product portfolio. WickedGud has at its helm experienced professionals with decades of proven track record at building and growing consumer brands.

Several studies have demonstrated the necessity of nutrition and protein-rich foods and their beneficial effects on human health. WickedGud is on a mission to make everyday eating guilt-free and change the way the world consumes comfort food for the better using indigenous and high nutrition ingredients. The brand is firmly built on three core pillars – Indulge, Transform & Nourish with the aim of building a robust product portfolio with ‘Wicked Taste & Good Ingredients’.

Speaking of the funding, an ambitious Bhuman Dani, Founder, WickedGud, said --

Having lived across the globe for more than a decade and being an avid foodie, I truly understand the importance of balancing taste and health. With the backing of a titan like Titan Capital and some incredibly smart founder angels and marquee investors, I am extremely excited to embark on this journey of transforming wicked indulgences into truly good and nourishing meals.

"We look forward to building the brand across D2C channels and further strengthen the team to support our initial growth and ambitious future plans of adding WickedGud products into the kitchens of every Indian household," Bhuman further added.

Talking about their investment, Bipin Shah, Partner, Titan Capital, said, "WickedGud is as human as a brand can ever get. It's an enabler for all the mothers out there who constantly worry about their family's health. The brand promise is unique, the formulation story is unheard of, and the team is high octane. I look forward to seeing them disrupt this space for the better!"

Another Investor, Amit Chaudhary, Founder, Lenskart, said, "I invested in Bhuman and his team. He has tremendous hunger for delivering goodness to consumers. With WickedGud, he is on this mission to un-junk the junk from our daily comfort foods."

Today, Generation Z dictates household purchasing habits, mothers have begun to domesticate junk food, resulting in them compromising at all levels. They are constantly looking out for healthier options that offer high nutrition without any meaningful compromise in taste. Therefore, brands like WickedGud are solving this problem by empowering these very mothers by deconstructing "junk" and reconstructing it with fresh, nutrition-rich, homely versions to avoid the constant compromise with food and offer 100% nourishment to their families.

About WickedGud

Founded in July 2021 by Bhuman Dani, – a second-time entrepreneur, ex-BCG – London, MBA from INSEAD – WickedGud is owned by 100Percent Nourishment Private Limited and is on a mission to make eating guilt-free and change the way the world consumes comfort foods for the better by using indigenous, high nutrition ingredients. To begin with, they are looking to disrupt the pasta and instant noodle categories before venturing into other categories in the future.

Website: https://wickedgud.com/