Brands
Foodpanda acquires Holachef
MUMBAI: Food delivery company Foodpanda, India’s fastest growing today announced its acquisition of Mumbai-based food-tech venture Holachef.
Through this collaboration, Foodpanda marks its strategic entry into cloud kitchens and plans to launch its own brand of food products in different categories.
Foodpanda will build deeper capabilities to serve the diverse needs of millions of Indians by bringing different trusted offerings tailored to the needs of specific customer segments alongside an enhanced food ordering experience. With India’s largest food delivery network of 125,000 delivery partners, Foodpanda is well poised to address the increased demand on its platform.
Foodpanda India CEO Pranay Jivrajka says, “Through the Ola platform, we already have an unmatched access to over 150 million customers and an understanding of their preferences. We have been able to bring an enhanced experience for millions of customers over the past year. We aim to build India’s largest cloud kitchen network that will be a major step in further elevating the food experience for our customers.”
As part of the acquisition, Foodpanda will take over Holachef’s business including its kitchens, equipment, as well as bring onboard the company’s employees.
Holachef’s founders are set to join Foodpanda’s leadership team.
Launched in 2012, Foodpanda’s cumulatively reach is over 150 million consumers across the country. With an enhanced focus on local innovation, technology, and delivery logistics, we are redefining the experience for every one of our stakeholders viz. customers, delivery partners, and restaurant partners.
Foodpanda is also India’s fastest growing food delivery platform, processing over 300,000 orders a day from 25,000+ restaurant partners across the country with the largest food delivery network of 125,000+ Delivery Partners.
Brands
Pre-seed funding fuels nailinit, India’s new-age nail care brand
Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund backs Gen Z-focused beauty startup
MUMBAI: nailinit, a community-first nail care startup targeting Gen Z and millennials, has raised Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 crore in a pre-seed round led by Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund and Marsshot VC, alongside a clutch of consumer, technology and operator angels.
Backed by entrepreneur and investor Nikhil Kamath, Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund is betting on nailinit’s attempt to give India’s nail care aisle a long overdue makeover. The fresh capital will be used to deepen distribution across quick commerce and D2C channels, build its community engine, and accelerate product innovation in a category that is high frequency but still light on strong brands.
Founded by Tanishq Ambegaokar and Shubham Singhal, nailinit is positioning itself at the crossroads of beauty, self-expression and culture. The brand wants nails to be more than a finishing touch. It sees them as a canvas for identity, content and commerce.
“At nailinit, we are building for a generation that sees beauty as self-expression, not just routine,” said Ambegaokar. “The nail category in India has largely been underserved by strong brands. This capital allows us to invest in product depth, community and distribution in a thoughtful and long-term way.”
Singhal added that while the brand’s tone may be playful, its operating focus is sharp. “This round strengthens our supply chain, expands our digital footprint and enables disciplined execution as we scale.”
The funding round drew notable angels including Shashank Kumar of Razorpay, Arjit Johri of Marsshot VC, Yash Jain, formerly of NimbusPost, Karan Jindal of Meta, Jivraj Singh Sachar of ISV Capital, Nishank Jain of Accel, Yashvardhan Kanoi, Ashwarya Garg of HYPD, Venus Dhuria of Phot.AI and Amishi Parasrampuria of The Whole Truth.
Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund fund manager Gauri Kuchhal, believes the opportunity lies in shifting habits. “Nail care remains underpenetrated in India, with consumers relying on time-intensive salon visits. As convenience and self-expression gain ground, press-on nails can unlock more frequent and experimental usage. Nailinit is well-placed to expand beyond press-ons into adjacent categories.”
The brand is currently the only nail care player in India blending product-led retail with a dedicated kiosk at Jio World Drive in Bandra, where customers can walk in for services while discovering the range. It has also built early traction across quick commerce platforms such as Zepto and Blinkit, with a launch on Instamart in the pipeline, and is available on Amazon, strengthening its omnichannel presence.
In a space long dominated by salon chairs and scattered labels, nailinit is attempting to file, shape and polish the category into something sharper. With fresh funding in hand, the startup is setting out to prove that in beauty, small details can make a bold statement.
