This Start-up Aims to Make Premium Digital Wellness Products with its Latest Round of Funding Yoga and wellness start-up SARVA raised INR 20 Cr from VC firm Fireside Ventures
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Yoga and wellness start-up SARVA has raised INR 20 crore from Bengaluru-based venture capital firm, Fireside Ventures. The funds will be utilized in retail expansion, marketing and launching an integrated digital service, according to the company statement.
Commenting on the funding, Sarvesh Shashi, Founder of SARVA, said, "We are very happy to have like-minded partners in Fireside Ventures supporting us in our mission to connect 7 billion breaths across the globe. We want to drive a cultural change and make yoga-based wellness a part of modern lifestyle. Our aim is to encourage more individuals, especially those under the age of 35, towards mindful and holistic wellness."
So far, SARVA has successfully raised around $5 million from several Indian as well as international celebrities, including the likes of model Malaika Arora, director Aishwaryaa R. Dhanush, Bollywood couple Shahid Kapoor and Mira Kapoor, and the popular American actress and singer Jennifer Lopez. Fireside Ventures is SARVA's first institutional financing round.
Commenting on the fundraise, Kanwal Singh, founder and Managing Partner at Fireside Ventures, said, "We are aware that stress, anxiety, depression, obesity, etc. are becoming global health concerns. Our investment in SARVA is embedded in the Fireside philosophy of investing in exciting young brands and helping them with a strong ecosystem support."
Shashi also added that they hope to reach a consumer base of 100-million in the next five years. SARVA also plans to double its retail footprint in the next 12 months and is eyeing Mumbai and Bengaluru as its key expansion markets.
Ushering a New Era of Wellness
SARVA was founded by Shashi in 2016, with the first studio established in Chennai. In the last three years, 91 studios have been opened across the country. SARVA has also partnered with OYO Townhouses to setup 500 wellness studios by 2020.
In an interview with Entrepreneur India, Shashi shared how the yoga studio came into existence. "There is no organized chain of yoga studios in the country and that is the market we decided to penetrate," he said. Shashi was clear that he wanted to build a "business which is laid on the foundation of yoga."
Singh of Fireside Ventures also said what SARVA is doing is, in a way, democratizing access to yoga, "SARVA is a credible player in the space of holistic wellness and has tremendous potential to scale up as a global Indian brand. Their physical, digital and lifestyle products and services catering to different needs and age groups, democratize the power and reach of yoga."
Shashi and his team are working on premium products "to become the world's largest chain of yoga studios." They are aiming to onboard 5+ million users globally and 100,000 paying subscribers by March 2020.
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