JUNE 20239IN FOCUSSHILPA SHETTY INVESTS RS 2.25 CRORE IN SHARK TANK FAME WICKEDGUDANUSHKA SHARMA-BACKED WHOLSUM FOODS INTRODUCES MILLET-BASED NEW HEALTH FOOD BRAND MILLEhilpa Shetty, a Bollywood starlet, said that she has invested in WickedGud, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) startup. Shetty has contributed Rs 2.25 crore to the Mumbai-based company 100Percent Nourishment Pvt Ltd, which sells wholesome indulgent food items under the WickedGud brand.Shetty, a veteran start-up investor, has made several investments in the past. These include capital from Titan Capital, Mumbai Angels, NB Ventures, Dholakia Ventures, Venture Catalyst, and other illustrious founder angels like boAt co-founder Aman Gupta.In 2021, Bhuman Dani, Monish Debnath, and Soumalya Biswas founded WickedGud, a company that aims to "unjunk" India one kitchen at a time. Thanks to its delicious and healthy pastas and noodles that are 100% maida-free, 100% oil-free, and 100% MSG-free, the brand has grown by more than 300% in the last year. Its goods are produced using cutting-edge Steaming and Convection Air Drying (SCAD) technology from wholesome, mom-approved ingredients like atta, dal, chawal, chana, oats, and jowar.On the season finale of Shark Tank India, WickedGud received more exposure, which helped the company grow successfully in foreign markets like the UAE, Singapore, Mau-ritius, and Nepal. The company's items are also sold on a number of other websites, including Amazon, blinkit, BigBas-ket, SwiggyInstamart, Zepto, and Flipkart.In a statement, Bhuman Dani, founder and CEO of Wick-edGud, stated, "We are happy to welcome Shilpa Shetty to the WickedGud family. Her passion of eating and exercise complements the goals and values of our company. We are confident that her influence will increase our visibility and encourage responsible consumption.We're a family of food aficionados, and we're constantly seeking for chances in the decadent, healthier food sector, according to Shilpa Shetty. When I tasted the WickedGud Spaghetti, I was surprised not only by the flavour and health advantages but also by how much my kids enjoyed it. It's one thing for adults to like it, but when my kids devoured it, I was convinced. This motivated me to invest in the company in ad-dition to endorsing it. I'm thrilled to assist WickedGud in their endeavour to purge India of garbage one kitchen at a time. ollowing the success of its childrens' food brand Slurrp Farm, a 100 crore brand in 2023, health food startup Wholsum Foods recently launched its second brand Millé offering high plant protein, fibre-rich, millet-based health foods to customers of all ages. Wholsum Foods brand ambassador and Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma, who invested in the company in 2022 having been a customer of Slurrp Farm, took to Instagram to share glimpses of a typical day in her busy life. Known as an advocate of healthy living and sustainable eating, she shared how adding Millé to every meal is helping her stay active and light through the day, fight cravings, and enjoy healthy indulgences.Launched in 2023 - the UN declared `International Year of Millets', Millé is an innovative supergrain company actively promoting the consumption of the nutrient-rich, climate-smart grain which uses very little water and no fertilisers or pesticides. Working closely with a diverse group of stakeholders including leading Indian and international chefs as well as nutritionists and farmers, Millé is playing an important role in the movement to bring millets - known as the `mother of all grains'- back to contemporary food culture. "Wholsum Foods has consistently brought us delicious millet-based foods over the last 7 years and the company has built a lot of trust. Millé offers the perfect combination of high plant protein and fibre that helps you eat right and live an active, healthy, fulfilled life at any age. We're are happy to be a part of the millet movement which is bringing this ancient climate-friendly supergrain back to the mainstream", Anushka Sharma, Wholsum Foods Investor, and Bollywood Actor. SF
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