Actress Samantha Prabhu has backed D2C wellness business Secret Alchemist, marking her second investment in the Indian startup sector.  Thanks to this investment, the brand has also welcomed her as a cofounder. The business stated that it will utilize the additional funding to increase its marketing efforts, build its brand, and reach a wider audience, but it did not provide the financial details of the deal.  Secret Alchemist, an aromatherapy-based wellness firm founded in 2021 by Ankita Thadani and Akash Valia, promises to provide a selection of items focused on essential oils and holistic well-being.  

Additionally, the business stated that it had raised $500,000 in a Seed funding round headed by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV), in which Plix founder Rishubh Satiya and Pharmeasy founder Siddharth Shah also participated.  The money will go into growing the staff, increasing operations, and creating inventory in order to get ready for the holidays.  In addition, the firm wants to expand the variety of products it offers by introducing pure-grade essential oils in the form of shower gels, mists, and lotions. 

Roll-ons, candles, pain relief products, hair care products, and skin care items are among its handcrafted product offerings. The company also offers consultations with licensed aromatherapists and bulk order alternatives.  In addition to selling goods on its own website, Secret Alchemist is present on a number of well-known e-commerce platforms, including Nykaa, Tata Cliq, Cred, Blinkit, Pharmeasy, and Amazon.  It is important to remember that Samantha has already invested in a minimum of three startups: the vegan food product firm Nourish You, the e-commerce marketplace SustainKart, and the casual clothing line The Souled Store.   This is the main reason why a number of Indian firms are enlisting actresses and other celebrities as cofounders and investors.   

Actress Nayanthara and her husband, acclaimed filmmaker Vignesh Shivan, invested in event tech startup Ticket9 earlier this month.  2023 was a record year for celebrity investors, according to Inc42, with over 19 figures contributing funds to 26 firms.  

Expressing to this, Ankita Thadani, Founder says, Samantha’s personal journey with aromatherapy perfectly aligns with our philosophy of addressing wellness at its roots, and together we plan to utilise the new funds to expand our product line, invest in brand building, and enhance our customer reach while deepening our impact in the personal care industry”.