Chennai-based D2C foodtech startup The Divine Foods has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from actor Nayanthara and her husband and director Vignesh Shivan.
Founded in 2019 by Kiru Maikkapillai, The Divine Foods specialises in making products from traditional superfoods such as turmeric, moringa, millet, and others. Its portfolio includes products such as turmeric oil, turmeric golden milk, masks, turmeric drinks, turmeric powder, honey, among others.
Shivan took to social media to announce the partnership. “Happy to be a part of bringing the traditional foods of Tamil Nadu to your home. Superfoods are only Super if they’re sourced holistically! Me and Nayanthara are happy to join hands with divine foods in this pure journey,” he said in a post on Instagram.
The startup plans to use the fresh funds to scale up its infrastructure and expand its product line, Maikkapillai told Inc42.
“We are happy that Nayanthara and her husband Vignesh came forward and invested in our early-stage startup that creates rural impact,” he said.
Without disclosing the funding amount, the founder said the funds would help the startup create brand awareness among the masses and encourage other celebrities to support the growth of native businesses.
Earlier, the D2C startup received a grant from the Tamil Nadu government under its flagship seed funding scheme TANSEED 4.0. Thereafter, it has not raised any funding from investors.
The funding comes at a time when a number of actors and other celebrities have backed homegrown companies. The popularity of the celebs has helped early-stage startups reach a wider audience and grow their revenue.
Earlier this year, actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu invested in the D2C superfoods brand Nourish You. Shilpa Shetty also invested an undisclosed amount in agritech startup KisanKonnect, in May 2023. Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar and Virender Sehwag invested in Two Brothers Organic Farm.
As per an Inc42 analysis, the Indian D2C market is expected to grow exponentially and reach a market size of $100 Bn by 2025.
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