MAM
The Knot Worldwide names Jenny Lewis as CMO
Mumbai: The Knot Worldwide, a global digital wedding planning company and the parent company of WeddingWire India on Monday announced the appointment of a former executive of Uber Technologies Inc Jenny Lewis as its new chief marketing officer.
In her new role, Lewis will lead all marketing, insights, and editorial initiatives for The Knot Worldwide and its 19 global brands across 16 countries, said the statement.
“Lewis is a highly experienced, seasoned business leader responsible for building one of the most well-known global marketplace brands: Uber,” said The Knot Worldwide chief executive officer Tim Chi. “I am confident that Jenny’s consumer-centric approach to full-funnel marketing and ability to anchor a brand’s relevancy with current and prospective consumers will drive innovation for the millions of engaged couples and hundreds of millions of wedding guests that we serve each year in the $200 billion global wedding industry.”
Over the course of her seven-plus years with Uber as head of US & Canada marketing, Lewis was the driving force behind a number of product and brand-defining initiatives, including UberPool and the brand’s Covid-19 response campaign. Before Uber, Lewis worked at Undertone Advertising and Fox Networks Group (FX, National Geographic Channel, Fox Sports), where she developed co-marketing strategies with Fortune 500 brands such as MillerCoors and Volkswagen, according to the statement.
“As the number of weddings around the world will hit an all-time high this year, I’m thrilled to join this talented leadership team at such a pivotal moment when our services are needed more than ever,” said Lewis. “I look forward to further developing and implementing a strategy that supports our global growth plans, eCommerce business objectives, and above all, provides couples with an unparalleled experience during one of the most important moments of their lives.”
The company has most recently scaled its e-commerce offerings, which include The Knot Registry, The Knot Invitations, WeddingWire Invitations, and more.
“Jenny joins us at a pivotal time when the market opportunity is immense,” commented WeddingWire India associate director of marketing Anam Zubair. “She brings on board a wealth of experience from managing brands like Uber, where she has been instrumental in driving growth. This empowers The Knot Worldwide and WeddingWire India to identify new growth opportunities and derive actionable insights from an audience that is extremely digital-savvy. We are certain that with Jenny’s leadership, we’ll be able to make WedTech an indispensable part of every Indian consumer’s life.”
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.
