Arata, an Indian brand offering a range of ‘all natural, vegan, cruelty-free and non-toxic’ personal care products, has raised US$ 1 million in pre-series A funding from Nikhil Vora, founder and CEO of Sixth Sense Ventures, and Rohan Vaziralli.
Launched in February 2018, Arata is a community-led lifestyle brand with an entire ecosystem built around the core philosophy of clean formulations, responsible practices, and sustainability. The company sells all-natural, plant-based, vegan, and chemical-free unisex skin and hair care products.
Arata has been selling its products online across various marketplaces, including Amazon, Nykaa, etc., as well as on its website. With a product range priced between Rs 249 -899, the brand has over 100,000 customers across India.
Arata is the first personal care company in India to use upto 100% recycled plastic packaging across its entire product range. It takes waste plastic from the oceans and landfills across the globe and sanitize, pelletise, melt, and remould it into the packaging of its products, as per the company website.
In a statement, Nikhil Vora, Founder & CEO, Sixth Sense Ventures said, “One of the biggest themes to play out in India is wellness in everything that a future consumer will look out for. Arata can potentially be a path breaker here with its ethos lying in 100% natural, plant-based, chemical-free products, which are good for all. I believe that in a cluttered personal care category, they have cracked the right code. Beyond the product proposition, I am delighted to be part of the exciting journey of the passionate founder duo and do believe that an early mover in this space will be extremely valuable.”
Dhruv Bhasin and Dhruv Madhok, Co-Founders of Arata, commented in the statement, “Our revenues have grown 2x in the past seven months. Consumers today speak the language of sustainability, inclusivity, honesty, and transparency. They are forming new habit patterns and are choosing responsible brands that are not only healthy and effective but also have a positive impact on the environment. The fundraise will help us scale as we aim to become a global voice with our unique product offering.”
Existing investors including DSG Consumer Partners, along with promoters also participated in this round. The brand plans to use the funding to create brand awareness, R&D, new product launches while fuelling marketing and building inventory to cater to drastically increasing demand. Dexter Capital Advisors were the exclusive financial advisors to Arata. The company is on track to achieve an ARR of Rs 20 crore by March 2021.
