Farm-to-Face Skincare Brand RAS Raises USD 5 Mn Series A Funding Led by Unilever Ventures The Raipur-based skincare brand plans to deploy the fresh capital to fuel its offline retail expansion, talent acquisition, product innovation, and branding and marketing endeavours.

Luxury skincare and personal care brand RAS Luxury Skincare has secured USD 5 million in its Series A funding round, led by Unilever Ventures, the investment arm of Unilever. The round also included participation from the Amazon Smbhav Venture Fund, along with existing investors such as Sixth Sense Ventures and prominent angel investors like Keki Mistry's Family.

The Raipur-based startup had earlier raised USD 1.5 million in a pre-Series A round in April 2023 from Green Frontier Capital, a venture capital firm focused on sustainability.

Founded in 2017 by Shubhika Jain, Suramya Jain, and Sangeeta Jain, RAS operates on a unique Farm-to-Face philosophy. The vertically integrated startup claims to manages every step of its production process—from farming 100% organic ingredients to in-house R&D and manufacturing—ensuring premium quality and sustainability. The brand's luxurious skincare products blend natural ingredients with potent scientific formulations, offering consumers high-performance solutions backed by rigorous standards.

The fresh capital will drive RAS's retail expansion through exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) and shop-in-shop formats. Currently operating two EBOs, the company plans to establish 50 more EBOs across India within the next three years. It is also investing in talent acquisition, R&D for new product lines, branding, marketing, and technological advancements to enhance customer experience.

Shubhika Jain, Founder and CEO, remarked, "Luxury skincare in India is growing rapidly as consumers increasingly value natural, authentic, and high-performance products. With this funding, we aim to accelerate our vision of becoming India's top luxury skincare brand while expanding globally. We remain committed to sustainability, innovation, and profitability."

RAS has experienced a 140% CAGR over the past year, with its D2C channel contributing over 50% of its revenue. Its products are also available on e-commerce platforms like Nykaa, Amazon, Flipkart, and Myntra, alongside quick-commerce platforms like Blinkit and Zepto. The offline segment is projected to contribute 25% of revenues within four years, complementing robust growth expected from the HORECA segment.

"We are delighted to support RAS on its journey to create a luxury skincare brand from India that seamlessly combines richness of Indian heritage with the needs of the modern consumer for superior products. As a vertically integrated brand, RAS is uniquely positioned to deliver on its promise of sustainability, safety and products that deliver. We believe that over the next 5-7 years, the premium beauty market in India will witness significant growth, and RAS, with its distinct value proposition, is well poised to capture this opportunity," said Pawan Chaturvedi, Partner and Head - Asia, Unilever Ventures.

Abhijeet Muzumdar, VP Corporate Development, Amazon and Head of Amazon Smbhav Venture Fund added, "Recently, we signed an MoU with DPIIT to propel India as a global manufacturing hub. As part of this endeavour, we are excited to support RAS Luxury Skincare's next phase of growth. Through our USD 350 million Amazon Smbhav Venture Fund and our association with DPIIT, we remain committed to fuelling India's economic development by supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs."