Kult, the digital beauty platform making waves with its tech-first approach, has just raised a cool $20 million (over ₹170 crore) in Series A funding. The round was led by Dr. Payal Kanodia and Aishwarya Bansal from the M3M Family Office, with additional support from early-stage backers at Venture Catalysts.
The platform was co-founded by Karishma Singh and Ruchika Pallavi, who are betting big on AI as the future of beauty. Kult blends artificial intelligence with expert knowledge to offer tailored skincare suggestions, matching products to individual skin types, concerns, and preferences. And it’s not just about algorithms — the brand’s product catalogue showcases how items actually look on a wide range of Indian skin tones, helping users feel seen, understood, and confident in their choices.
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Behind the scenes, Kult is tapping into advice from over 300 beauty professionals worldwide — all to bring more trust and clarity to the chaos of online beauty shopping.
What’s Next for Kult?
The new capital is being used to grow the business across several fronts. Kult plans to expand its catalogue to over 700 premium beauty brands and process more than 10,000 orders a day by the end of 2025. It’s also scaling its team, with plans to hire over 200 people in engineering, product, sourcing, and user experience.
Currently operating with a strong 35%+ margin, the company has its sights set on a gross merchandise value (GMV) between ₹650 and ₹700 crore for the ongoing fiscal year — ambitious, but well within reach if current momentum holds.
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Dr. Payal Kanodia, one of the lead investors, put it this way: “Kult isn’t just riding a trend. It’s reshaping what the future of beauty looks like in India — ultra-personal, tech-powered, and hyper-relevant. The fact that users keep coming back at this early stage shows just how ready the market is for this kind of focused beauty experience.”
