Anveshan, a D2C healthy food firm, raised $2 million in a pre-Series A funding round from DSG Consumer Partners, Force Ventures, and We Founder Circle. The round also included participation from Rahul Sharma (Zetwerk), Amit Jain and Amit Hooja (Netgraph, Vardhman Group), and numerous other individuals.
The funds raised will be used for hiring staff, standardising operating procedures, and doing research and development on both current and upcoming product categories. The company also plans to expand into the premium department stores in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi NCR.
Anveshan offers traditionally made culinary items from rural areas that have undergone little processing. It was founded in 2020 by Aayushi Khandelwal, Akhil Kansal, and Kuldeep Parewa. In order to be completely visible, traceable, and quality managed along the entire supply chain, the company plans to implement technological solutions.
“Anveshan’s remarkable growth in the last two years has shown strong consumer demand for Indian-origin authentic food products. In general, heavy food processing in factories and the addition of preservatives has led to the deterioration of food quality in the market. Hence, we are setting-up micro food-processing units near the farms to bring the best of the food materials directly from farmers to consumers. This setup helps in efficiently shortening the supply chain, adding value to farmers’ raw produce and generating employment opportunities in the rural areas,” said the co-founders of Anveshan.
The firm trains food micro-entrepreneurs in townships all over India to produce these foods using conventional methods while maintaining strict quality control.
“We are excited to deepen our partnership with the Anveshan team on their journey to build the leading ‘minimally processed’ food brand in India. The team is committed to empowering and facilitating fair-trade with the farmers by setting up micro-processing units near the farms. The brand has grown rapidly in a capital efficient manner and is well poised to be a leading food brand trusted by customers for quality, traceability and transparency,” said Hariharan Premkumar, investment director and head of India, DSG Consumer Partners.
A2 cow ghee, wood-pressed edible oils, raw honey, nutritious sweets, and beverages are all being offered by the brand. Anveshan had raised Rs. 1.12 crore in its pre-seed round, which was backed by Titan Capital, in October 2020.