Anmasa, a direct-to-consumer grocery startup based in India, has secured US$1.1 million in pre-seed funding.

The round included participation from Snow Leopard Technology Ventures, Veltis Capital, Blume Ventures, Indigram Lab, and several undisclosed angel investors.

Founded in 2024 by Yatish Talvadia, previously of Milkbasket, and Shailendra Upadhyay, formerly of Veggie India, Anmasa sells products such as flour, wood-pressed oils, spices, and dry fruits.

The company plans to open 10 new outlets and microprocessing centers in Delhi-NCR by the end of the current quarter.

India’s direct-to-consumer market is valued at over US$80 billion in 2024, with more than 800 brands and 250 million online shoppers, according to Statista.

🔗 Source: The Economic Times

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Acquisition alumni are launching new ventures in familiar markets

Anmasa’s founding follows a pattern where entrepreneurs from acquired companies return to launch competitors in the same sector.

Founder Yatish Talvadia previously led Milkbasket, which Reliance Retail acquired for $40-43 million in 20212. Following the acquisition, Milkbasket’s leadership team, including CEO, COO, and CFO, exited after integration into JioMart3.

This phenomenon reflects both the entrepreneurial resilience of experienced operators and their deep sector knowledge, as Talvadia is now targeting the same Rs 80,000 crore staples market he previously operated in1.

Founders with acquisition experience often possess valuable insights about market gaps and operational challenges that weren’t fully addressed by their acquirers, motivating them to build improved solutions.

2️⃣ Hybrid retail strategies address India’s trust-building requirements

Anmasa’s approach of establishing physical stores before driving online orders aligns with documented Indian consumer behavior patterns.

Research shows that 72% of Indian shoppers research online before purchasing in-store, indicating the importance of omnichannel presence for building consumer confidence4.

Talvadia specifically noted that “most customers order online after building trust through in-store experiences,” suggesting that physical touchpoints remain crucial for grocery purchases despite the D2C market’s projected growth to $60 billion by 20275.