Actor Suniel Shetty Invests in Gurugram-based Regrip, A Startup that Re-engineers Old Tyres

Bollywood actor Sunil Shetty (Suniel Shetty) has made an investment in Regrip, a Gurugram-headquartered startup brand that recycled old/used tires.

On Saturday, in an announcement event, Suniel Shetty said in a statement, "I am very excited about joining Regrip We are not only creating a new definition of recycling but also contributing to the green future by reducing waste and increasing the life of every tire. By adopting innovation and eco-friendly methods, we can create a better future for generations to come."

The actor has invested in about 6 startups so far. In early of this month only, Shetty had invested in the DIY healthcare venture ‘The Biohacker’. Prior to that, he had invested in Klassroom Edutech, in May this year, and even invested in the blockchain-run startups when he invested in Colexion, a blockchain based NFT marketplace. Shetty also has HealthTech in his portfolio as Vieroots Wellness Solutions Pvt Ltd (VWS), in which he invested in August 2020.

Announcement event (Image – Twitter/@SunielShetty_FC)

The regrip works by repairing old and worn tires and making it worth using again. These tires, which are priced at about half the price of new tires, can be used by small and medium truck transport companies.

Gurugram-headquartered Regrip uses quality grade rubber to make refurbished tyres through the process of shearing and retreading. These tyres cost half the price of new products and are used by small and medium trucking companies.

Mahavir Pratap Sharma, the first investor in the startup, said, the brand whi focuses on refurbished tyres is "a win-win solution" for his investment.

Founded in 2021, by Tushar Suhalka, Regrip make re-engineered tyres that are the high performing alternative of the new tyres for the dummy and drive axles in heavy commercial vehicles.

With these Re-engineered tyres the startup aims to help fleet owners in saving money spent on their tyre consumption with an affordable, reliable and sustainable product range.

Regrip tyres are made from refurbishing the old & used tyres using cold process retreading and converting them into reusable tyres which are equally serviceable as new tyres and the startup sell these with an unconditional warranty at half the cost of new tyres.

Notably, Tyre manufacturing process uses rubber, Carbon black and oil-based synthetic varieties as primary ingredients. However, India’s natural rubber (NR) production in 2020 has been scaled down by 42,000 tonne to 668,000 tonnes due to COVID-19, according to the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC). In later, the NR production registered a growth of 8.3% but at the same time its consumption also increased to 9% in the 2022-23 fiscal compared with the previous fiscal. The production increased to 8,39,000 tonnes from 7,75,000 tonnes in 2021-22, while consumption rose from 12,38,000 tonnes in 2021-22 to 13,50,000 tonnes in 2022-23.

Thus, the country is witnessing more consumption of rubber then it can produce which isn't a good sign for industries using NR as one of its primary ingredients.

In this scenerio, startups like Regrip can play a vital role — at least for tyre industry — wherein it minimizes the use of natural rubber and recycle the used, worn-out rubbers, and bringing sustainability into tyre-consumption.

Moreover, as per Regrip's LinkedIn profile, it is also minimising the carbon footprints as it takes 22 gallons of oil to make one new average size truck tyre whereas we only use about 7 gallons to have it re-engineered for reuse thus every REGRIP tyre saves 56 litres of oil for the nation.

Fancy a Mahindra Thar or Kawasaki Ninja as your fitness gift? Fittr announces Grand Prizes in their latest Ed. of Transformation Challenge

In the latest edition of the fitness competition, Fittr expects more than 15000 entries from across the world

Apart from the grand prize of Mahindra Thar, the first prize would be Kawasaki Ninja 650 or an Apple Kit, and the top 50 runners-up will get Hero Cycles

In their constant endeavor to motivate people to get fit, Fittr, the Pune-based fitness startup is set to bring in yet another edition of their fitness competition Transformation Challenge (TC) Series 11. The 12-week online challenge which began from September 1, 2020, is currently accepting registrations till September 7 from across the world.

The TC 11 winner will be awarded either a Kawasaki Ninja 650 or an Apple kit of the equivalent value. In addition to this, the top 50 Runners Up will be given a Hero Cycle each, sponsored by Hero Cycles Limited.

Fittr will also choose the top 10 challengers each from the 9^th, 10^th & 11^th edition of the competition.  A grand prize, Mahindra Thar will be presented to the one who stands out amongst these top 30 contenders vis-a-vis his/her transformation journey and consistency.

Known for their extraordinary offerings in the transformation challenges, Fittr gave out Harley Davidson Street 750 as the top prize for the 9^th edition of the Transformation Challenge. The prizes keep getting better with each series.

Under the challenge, the participants are required to upload a video every week for 12 weeks clearly showing their transformation. The idea is to compete with the self as the candidates will be evaluated on the basis of their past journey. Factors such as gain in muscle mass, fat loss, and consistency from the past transformation challenges will be taken into account. The one who excels on all fronts will walk away as the winner of the challenge.

Speaking about TC 11, Jitendra Chouksey, Founder & CEO, Fittr, said, “The entire world is facing a major challenge right now in the form of the pandemic. At such a crucial time, it’s important to stay positive and motivated and that’s what we at Fittr aim to do through our Transformation Challenges. We motivate people through constant support and unique gratifications to rise to the challenge and make the most of it. We’re all in this together and the best thing we could do is to invest in our health and fitness.”

FITTR started as a WhatsApp group by Jitendra Chouksey. The aim was to help his family and friends to achieve their fitness goals through mentorship, mainly in the form of tips and short video bytes. Soon from WhatsApp, the group extended its reach to Facebook. 2016 was the year when this group completely transformed into an online health and fitness coaching portal.

The bootstrapped fitness startup, backed by actor Suniel Shetty, one of Bollywood’s fittest actors has now been rebranded as FITTR to take its fitness vision forward while serving its customers, both domestic and international. Fittr was recently in the news again when it secured pre-Series A funding from Sequoia Capital and became a part of the latest batch of Surge, Sequoia’s rapid scale-up program for startups in India & Southeast Asia.

Actor Suniel Shetty Invests in Kochi-based Healthtech Startup Vieroots

• Vieroots, founded by noted Wellness evangelist and bio-hacker Sajeev Nair, is a Kochi-based health-tech start-up.
• Suniel Shetty gives further impetus to the Vieroots brand.
• Vieroots is a pioneer in Personalized Lifestyle Management using Epigenetics with a focus on peak performance and healthy aging.

Bollywood stalwart Suniel Shetty has invested an undisclosed amount in Vieroots Wellness Solutions Pvt Ltd (VWS). Registered in 2018, Vieroots is estimated to be valued at around 100 Crores.

Vieroots, founded by noted Wellness evangelist and bio-hacker Sajeev Nair, is a Kochi-based health-tech start-up and pioneer in Personalized Lifestyle Management using Epigenetic science. Vieroots also provides world-class research-based products and services for people who aspire to live healthy and productive lives, with specific focus on productive aging.

 

Vieroots' association with celebrity investor Suniel Shetty who's well known for his passion in the areas of fitness and wellness was fascinated by the pioneering concept authored by Mr. Sajeev Nair, called Epigenetic Lifestyle Modification, gives further impetus to the brand. Suniel Shetty said, “I could relate to the company‘s core values and innovative thought process in the wellness category hence the decision to invest.“

Epigenetic lifestyle modification is a three-step method which includes V genome test, Vieroots App -EPILIMO and a detailed personalized lifestyle modification plan. Through this process one will get every possible information on all disease which may have inherited from their ancestors. This valuable and authentic information will help a person to modify his lifestyle to avert the possible dangers on his health. VIEGENOME test is the most comprehensive genetic predisposition test available in the world which analyses more than 200 different health parameters. The Epigenetic Lifestyle Modification mobile App, ‘EPLIMO’, is a user-friendly next-generation health & wellness ecosystem converging genetics with AI and robotics and provides a Geno-Metabolic report. Vieroots’ medical and genetic experts create a highly personalized wellness management plan for users based on their genetics and metabolism. The whole process can enhance overall quality of life and support to live long and stay young, physically and mentally.

Suniel Shetty is widely regarded as a smart investor. This investment is the latest one in a series of investments that include FTC – India’s first online talent and casting platform, the fitness app – FITTR which raised USD 2 million from Sequoia Capital in pre-series A Funding in April 2020, Sai Estate Management & Skills Institute’s (SEMSI) curated online platform offering online courses and certifications in real estate, sales and marketing. Previously, Suniel’s Beardo, a range of Men’s grooming products, had raised USD 0.5 million from Venture Catalyst and followed by approximately USD 8-10 million from Marico Ltd.

Booming Wellness Sector

The wellness sector has been booming since 2018 as alternative therapies and measures are being deduced to shield Indians from mass sickness hazards.

As per a recent study by Stanford Research Institute International, the global wellness industry represents a market of nearly US$ 2 trillion as opposed to the Indian Wellness Industry, which is a US$ 9.8 billion market; accounting therefore, 2% of the global wellness industry. Securing a sustainable future and boosting health, the Indian wellness industry is looking to reach new heights of success.

Speaking about the stake sale, Sajeev Nair, Chairman & Chief Mentor, Vieroots, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Suniel Shetty on board to drive the Live Long and Grow Young Movement which is a critical juncture for the Wellness industry. We feel that the market has huge prospects to get bigger amidst the looming health uncertainties. Co-morbidity causing lifestyle diseases and pandemics tell us to place more emphasis on disease prevention, and enhance the community’s herd immunity.”

Speaking about the partnership, Suniel Shetty said, “Vieroots sees a world where people live long, healthy, fulfilling lives by taking charge of their own bodies and minds. They offer a happy synergy between modern sciences; technology and age-old wellness concepts thereby bring forth innovations long awaited in the wellness industry. Their key brand element is the continuum which depicts the regeneration and regression of life. I am positive that my association with the brand will boost its prospects."