These entrepreneurs braved the odds to strike an opportunity | Shark Tales - Week 2

There will be challenges at every step, be it prior to starting up or once you’ve embarked on your entrepreneurial journey. The startup life will have its ups and downs, there will be challenges but a true entrepreneur always overcomes them to emerge champion.

Week 2 of Shark Tank India season 2 showed the grit of entrepreneurs who rose from ground zero and went on to create companies that are leaders in their respective fields.

Key takeaways from this week’s episodes are:

No obstacle is unconquerable - Every entrepreneur can take a leaf from Bhaskar NR’s book. He started from scratch and went on to build sweets and savouries outlet with presence across Karnataka.

Entrepreneurial spirit in the family - Payal Pathak braved all odds to bring her startup idea to life and she needn’t venture far to get a partner. In her son Soham she found a perfect co-founder.

Inclusivity in action, not just in words - Beyond sympathy and empathy, what our differently-abled counterparts actually need is an equal employment opportunity. Atypical Advantage is bridging that gap and providing just that.

There’s cash in colours - India’s hair colour market size is ₹7500-8000 Cr. Paradyes through innovation and youth-focused approach is making a dent in it, one shade a time.

Opportunity in the cultural shift - Two 19 year old’s spot a business in the hip hop. Neither are they singing, nor selling hip hop songs. So, how do they make money? Read on to know their business model.

EPISODE 6

Episode 6, Brand 1:

TeaFit

Founders:

Jyoti Bharadwaj

Ye inki expertise hai:

TeaFit is an unsweetened beverage brand. It uses a proprietary brewing process to create beverages using green tea, black tea, hand-toasted barley and a formulation of 15 herbs.

The problem it solves:

The market is flooded with beverages containing high amounts of sugar. TeaFit aims to give conscious consumers a healthier option. It has already served 20,000+ customers and is available at 200+ retail outlets across India.

Ask:

₹50 L for 3% equity (₹16.67 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

DEAL - TeaFit raised ₹50 L from Aman Gupta, Anupam Mittal, Peyush Bansal, and Vineeta Singh for 8% equity at a valuation of ₹6.25 Cr.

Episode 6, Brand 2:

Haqdarshak

Founders:

Aniket Doegar

Ye inki expertise hai:

It uses technology and a wide network of agents to create awareness about government’s schemes and programs. It also helps people with paperwork and benefit from government’s schemes and programs.

The problem it solves:

The various governments in India allocate ₹20 lakh crores to several schemes and programs. However, last-mile delivery and awareness about these schemes is an issue. Haqdarshak through technology and thousands of trained agents is working to ensure government’s schemes and programs benefit those who need them most.

Ask:

₹1 Cr for 0.5% equity (₹200 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

DEAL - Haqdarshak raised ₹1 Cr from Aman Gupta, Namita Thapar, and Peyush Bansal for 2% equity at a valuation of ₹50 Cr.

Episode 6, Brand 3:

Bhaskar's Puranpoli Ghar

Founders:

Bhaskar NR

Saurabh Choudhary

Vittal Shetty

Ye inki expertise hai:

They have standardised the manufacturing process and taste of sweet delicacy puranpoli (also called as hollige, obbattu, poley, etc.). Through its brand, it aims to take this dish across India.

The problem it solves:

Loved by millions getting a standard taste of puranpoli across India is challenging. Also, being a festive dish, it isn’t available round the year. Bhaskar’s Puranpoli Ghar is solving this problem through standardisation and making it available 365 days a year.

Ask:

₹75 L for 1% equity (₹75 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

No Deal

EPISODE 7

Episode 7, Brand 1:

GunjanApps Studios

Founders:

Gunjan Gupta

Sourav Gupta

Ye inki expertise hai:

It has developed 40+ mobile games for kids and has 200+ mn downloads to date. These games are designed to teach kids in the age group of 1.5 to 12 years using gamification techniques.

The problem it solves:

Today kids spend more screen time. While it's challenging to reduce screen time, it's possible to make the time spent on the screen productive. GunjanApps Studios through gamification is teaching kids several subjects like English, Maths, and puzzles.

Ask:

₹2.5 Cr for 1% equity (₹250 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

No Deal

Episode 7, Brand 2:

The Simply Salad

Founders:

Payal Pathak

Soham Payal Pathak

Ye inki expertise hai:

With 35,000+ orders fulfilled, The Simply Salad is on a mission to make meals healthier and affordable. In addition to selling on Swiggy and Zomato, it also offers a weekly and monthly subscriptions.

The problem it solves:

Cooking nutritionally balanced meals on a daily basis is challenging for many. The Simply Salad is solving this problem by selling wholesome salads and delivering them to the user's doorstep.

Ask:

₹30 L for 10% equity (₹3 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

DEAL - The Simply Salad raised ₹30 L from Aman Gupta and Vineeta Singh for 10% equity at a valuation of ₹3 Cr.

Episode 7, Brand 3:

AyuSynk

Founders:

Adarsh Kachappilly

Tapas Pandey

Varad Patil

Ye inki expertise hai:

They are making the existing stethoscope better and smart. Their innovation reduces background noise, and improves audio and visual clarity. It also connects the stethoscope with an app and helps livestream the data. Doctors and patients in remote areas can use this technology to get advice from other doctors.

The problem it solves:

The stethoscope used currently is decades old and not feature-rich. AyuSynk aims to change that by converting any traditional stethoscope into a smart stethoscope. This enables data to be transmitted to an app and can be used for remote consultations.

Ask:

₹1 Cr for 1.5% equity (₹66.67 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

DEAL - AyuSynk raised ₹50 L from Namita Thapar for 3.5% equity at a valuation of ₹14.29 Cr. Namita Thapar will also provide an additional ₹50 L in debt at 10% interest.

EPISODE 8

Episode 8, Brand 1:

Atypical Advantage

Founders:

Vineet Saraiwala

Ye inki expertise hai:

On a mission to enable differently-abled persons to get access to employment opportunities and live a life with dignity. They help companies recruit full-time employees as well as hire performing artists. They have partnered with 100+ companies, and 100+ NGOs, and have helped generate 1,000+ opportunities!

The problem it solves:

There is no platform that caters to the needs of differently-abled people. Atypical Advantage is bridging that gap by connecting them with the right opportunity and also helping companies become more inclusive.

Ask:

₹30 L for 1% equity (₹30 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

DEAL - Atypical Advantage raised ₹30 L from Aman Gupta and Namita Thapar for 3% equity at a valuation of ₹10 Cr.

Episode 8, Brand 2:

House of Chikankari

Founders:

Aakriti Rawal

Poonam Rawal

Ye inki expertise hai:

The famous Chikankari art form from Lucknow is one of the few art forms to have a GI tag. House of Chikankari is preserving, reviving, and modernising this art form. It is providing employment opportunities to 5,000+ women artisans and has helped 15,000+ customers buy authentic Chikankari products.

The problem it solves:

In absence of market and demand, many Chikankari artists struggled to make ends meet and switched to other professions. House of Chikankari aims to give artisans an opportunity to practise their craft and earn a livelihood from it.

Ask:

₹75 L for 1% equity (₹75 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

DEAL - House of Chikankari raised ₹75 L from Aman Gupta and Peyush Bansal for 3.75% equity at a valuation of ₹20 Cr.

Episode 8, Brand 3:

Magic of Memories

Founders:

Pretty Maggo

Ye inki expertise hai:

Personalised jewellery has existed for some time, and Magic of Memories is adding a whole new dimension to it. It makes custom jewellery wherein the buyer can choose to preserve precious moments from their life, e.g., their baby’s hair, nails, etc. They also let shoppers choose from a range of jewellery including rings, pendants, bracelets, etc.

The problem it solves:

Currently, precious moments are mostly captured in images or videos. Magic of Memories is changing that by helping people preserve their memories in custom-made lasting jewellery.

Ask:

₹25 L for 5% equity (₹5 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

No Deal

EPISODE 9

Episode 9, Brand 1:

Paradyes

Founders:

Siddharth Raghuvanshi

Yushika Jolly

Ye inki expertise hai:

In a market filled with permanent hair colours, Paradyes lets users choose semi-permanent hair dyes from 20+ colour options. They are available on their website, marketplaces, and 35+ Health & Glow stores.

The problem it solves:

Permanent hair colour once applied lasts for several weeks, sometimes 1-2 months at a stretch. The semi-permanent hair dyes solve this problem as they last for only 8-10 washes.

Ask:

₹65 L for 1% equity (₹65 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

DEAL - Paradyes raised ₹65 L from Aman Gupta and Vineeta Singh for 2% equity at a valuation of ₹32.5 Cr.

Episode 9, Brand 2:

Nestroots

Founders:

Chhavi Singh

Ye inki expertise hai:

They design and sell home products that are uniquely designed, look elegant and are aesthetically pleasing. Priced affordably, products by Nestroots are present in 1+ lakh households. They sell on both marketplaces and their website.

The problem it solves:

The current home decor and kitchen products are of old design and aesthetically not appealing. Also, the brands that sell elegant kitchen and home decor products are priced higher, making it out of reach of most buyers. Nestroots through its wide range of products is solving this problem.

Ask:

₹50 L for 1% equity (₹50 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

DEAL - Nestroots raised ₹50 L from Namita Thapar for 2% equity at a valuation of ₹25 Cr.

EPISODE 10

Episode 10, Brand 1:

Zillionaire

Founders:

Aaditya Fatehpuriya

Raghav Goyal

Ye inki expertise hai:

A new age lifestyle jewellery brand that sells customised iced out jewellery. Being Gen Z themselves, the founders understand the pulse of their target audience better.

The problem it solves:

The hip hop music and culture are fast rising in India. With that the need for hip hop jewellery (they are called iced out or icy jewellery). Zillionaire aims to provide hip hop lovers iced out jewellery which was earlier not so commonly available.

Ask:

₹50 L for 3.3% equity (₹15.2 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

DEAL - Zillionaire raised ₹1 Cr from Anupam Mittal for 10% equity at a valuation of ₹10 Cr.

Episode 10, Brand 2:

Credmate

Founders:

Gaurav Kundra

Gaurav Sharma

Ye inki expertise hai:

It has 2.75 lakh registered users on its app, of which 40,000+ are KYC verified. Credmate enables retail borrowers and lenders to have a digital record of their transactions. This helps build a transaction history and creditworthiness.

The problem it solves:

The offline credit market is largely unorganised and technologically untapped. Credmate through technology aims to bring both lenders and borrowers on a platform and through technology solve the trust deficit.

Ask:

₹50 L for 5% equity (₹10 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

No Deal

Episode 10, Brand 3:

Freebowler

Founders:

Pratheek Palanethra

Vishwanath HK

Ye inki expertise hai:

They sell bowling machines that can bowl at a speed of up to 130 kmph in various bowling styles. These machines are helping both budding and existing players level up their game. Being lightweight and portable, Freebowler’s machines can be easily carried.

The problem it solves:

Automatic bowling machines are both expensive and at times difficult to carry easily. Freebowler is solving this problem through its patent approved bowling machine that are available in both automated and non-electric variant.

Ask:

₹75 L for for 7.5% equity (₹10 Cr valuation).

Deal or no deal?

DEAL - Freebowler raised ₹25 L from Namita Thapar for 7.5% equity at a valuation of ₹3.33 Cr. Namita Thapar will also provide an additional ₹50 L in debt at 10% interest.

klub’s conclusion:

You may have heard stats like 9 out of 10 startups fail. Startups are difficult but never impossible and this weeks entrepreneurs prove it. They are the flagbearer of change and they show there’s opportunity in building startups for a large cause.

Be it Haqdarshak who is on a mission to reach crores of people who can benefit from government’s schemes and programmes or Credmate that is making rural lending and borrowing creditworthy, startups aimed at India’s rural, tier II and tier III markets are tapping massive untapped opportunity.

Now, it’s more easier than ever to scale your startup by raising equity-free capital that are fast, flexible, and founder-friendly.