Brown Living, an online marketplace for eco-friendly and plastic-free goods, has raised an undisclosed in a pre-seed funding round led by Blink Digital, with participation from angel investors Sanjay Nayar, Founder and Chairman of Sorin Investments, and Bharat Iyer.
The fresh capital will be used to accelerate its growth and enhance market access for artisans and small to medium enterprises (SMEs) across India.
Currently hosting around 650 sellers and 1,800 artisans, Brown Living plans to expand its platform significantly in the coming months.
Since its inception in 2019, Brown Living has also onboarded Bollywood producer and environmentalist Pragya Kapoor as a partner investor, whose investment value has grown more than 350%. The brand has also seen a phenomenal YOY growth of 500% since its first round of funding in June 2021.
Chaitsi Ahuja, Founder and CEO of Brown Living, said, “This funding will enable us to scale our efforts to reach our next million customers and expand our Artisan-to-Consumer (A2C) model. Our platform empowers consumers to choose eco-friendly products while supporting small businesses and we’re excited to deepen our partnerships with artisan communities and help them go digital and make sustainable living mainstream.”
Dooj Ramchandani, Co-founder of Blink Digital said, “What sets Brown Living apart in the startup and D2C space is their deep-rooted connection with India’s artisans and SMEs. They’ve created a direct line between these creators and the conscious consumer, delivering authenticity and transparency. Their unique A2C (Artisan-to-Consumer) model will allow Brown Living to directly engage with consumers while giving artisans access to fair pricing and a global stage for their eco-friendly, sustainable products. This will build trust and exponentially accelerate the market for sustainable living.”
Sanjay Nayar, key investor and Founder of Sorin Investments added, “Brown Living’s platform has the potential to scale impact across India. Their mission-driven approach, combined with strong tech infrastructure, positions them to lead the shift toward sustainable living at a national level.”