D2C snacking brand Sweet Karam Coffee (SKC) recently raised $1.5 million in funding from Fireside Ventures.
In an official announcement, the startup headquartered in Chennai expressed its intention to utilize the funding for expanding its presence offline, entering new geographical markets, and enhancing its region-specific product offerings.
Established in 2020 by Anand Bharadwaj, Nalini Parthiban, Srivatsan Sundararaman, and Veera Raghavan, SKC provides an assortment of genuine South Indian sweets and snacks. The brand asserts that its offerings are devoid of palm oil and preservatives. Additionally, the D2C company markets filter coffee and ready-to-cook meal blends featuring a diverse array of delicacies from Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Its objective is to elevate South Indian delicacies by resolving the issue of limited availability and accessibility of well-packaged traditional sweets and snacks.
SKC is strategically looking to broaden its product range by incorporating snacks and sweets from the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Commenting on the funding, Co-Founder Parthiban said, “With Fireside’s vast portfolio of building leading D2C brands, we are excited to partner and work together with them to make Sweet Karam Coffee a global south Indian FMCG snacking brand for those seeking the authentic flavours of south India.”
SKC predominantly markets its products via its official website and dedicated app, boasting worldwide delivery to 32 countries in addition to serving the Indian market. Furthermore, the brand has formed collaborations with Tamil Nadu farmers to introduce a variety of millet-based offerings.
Since its establishment in 2020, SKC asserts a year-on-year revenue growth rate that doubles, underscoring its robust financial performance. In the market, the startup faces competition from other D2C snacking brands such as id Fresh Food, DropKaffe, Chaayos, TagZ, and more.
The surge in internet accessibility and the growth of disposable incomes in the nation have paved the way for the emergence of numerous direct-to-consumer snacking brands in recent years. According to analysis, the food and beverage sector constitutes a significant 27% share of the direct-to-consumer market in India.
This surge in the sector has not gone unnoticed by investors. Just this year, cricketer Shikhar Dhawan made an investment in the omnichannel snack brand TagZ Foods. Before that, TABP Snacks and Beverages, the company behind the Tanvi Foods brand, successfully secured INR 20 crore in its pre-Series A funding round.
Read More: TagZ Foods gains Shikhar Dhawan’s backing, enlists him as brand ambassador for nutritious snacking
Also Read: Coimbatore’s TABP Snacks and Beverages raises INR 20 Cr funding led by LC Nueva AIF
