Star-studded startups: Five celebrities who are betting on Indian companies

From Deepika Padukone to Virat Kohli, many B-town celebrities and cricketers have already invested in startups ranging from food to edtech

Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh is the latest celebrity to join an Indian startup by becoming an investor. The financial details of the investment were not disclosed. Singh has invested in SUGAR Cosmetics, a leading omnichannel beauty company. The financial details of the investment were not disclosed. Launched in 2012, the cosmetics brand offers cruelty-free and premium quality makeup products.

Singh's partnership is likely to solidify SUGAR's fan favourite status while opening up new channels for the company for customer acquisition. His investment comes on the heels of a $50 million series D fundraise, led by L Catterton's Asia fund.

Not just him, many B-town celebrities and cricketers have already invested in multiple startups.

Here is a list of celebrities who have invested in different companies:

Virat Kohli
 

Ace cricketer Virat Kohli has invested in various startups, some of which include Digit Insurance, Universal Sportsbiz, Chisel, and Rage Coffee. In 2015, he invested Rs 90 crore in gyms and fitness startups, Chisel, with a 30 per cent stake in the company. 

Kohli, along with actress Anushka Sharma, invested a total of Rs 2.5 crore in Digit Insurance, an insurtech startup. It was founded in 2017 by Kamlesh Goyal. 

In 2020, he invested $1.8 million in fashion startup, Universal Sportsbiz, founded in 2012 by Anjana Reddy. The company's last round of funding was raised via debt financing.

In March 2022, Kohli invested in Rage Coffee, a food and beverage D2C brand, launched in 2018. Earlier in August 2021, Rage Coffee had raised $5 million of growth capital as part of its series A funding round led by Sixth Sense Ventures.

Katrina Kaif
 

Katrina Kaif has invested in Falguni Nayar's e-commerce platform, Nykaa, a marketplace for various beauty and wellness products. After launching her line of makeup products, Kay Beauty, Kaif invested Rs 2.02 crore in Nykaa in 2018. Nykaa's last round of funding included fundraising from the secondary market.

FSN E-commerce, which operates under Nykaa brand, had a consolidated net profit of 42 per cent to Rs 5 crore in the April-June quarter of FY23.

The company had recorded a net profit of Rs 3.52 crore in the same period a year ago.

Deepika Padukone
 

The actress has investments in a total of six companies -- Furlenco, Purplle, BluSmart, Epigamia Bellatrix Aerospace, and Front Row. 

Furlenco is a subscription-based furniture rental platform, founded in 2012 in Bengaluru.  
 

Purplle is an online store selling cosmetics, skin care products, hair care, and perfumes. Launched in 2011 in Mumbai, the firm's latest round of funding, includes Series E fundraise. 
 

BluSmart offers reliable and affordable taxis to consumers in Delhi-NCR. Founded in 2019, the firm recently received funds via Series A fundraising.
 

Launched in 2015, Epigamia is a premium all-natural Greek yogurt brand that helps in making a healthier choice. The company's latest round of funding is a Series A fundraise.
 

Bellatrix Aerospace is a 2019 startup, founded by Indian Institute of Science. Deepika Padukone was one of the lead investors in the company, which received funds through a grant.
 

FrontRow is a learning platform, which offers classes taught by celebrities in creative fields. The edtech platform was launched in 2020.

Ayushmann Khurrana
 

In 2019, the actor invested in The Man Company, a men's grooming products company, founded in 2015. Khurrana was not only the brand ambassador but also made an undisclosed investment. The firm recently raised funds through a corporate round.

This was the first time, Khurrana had made such an investment, according to the company’s press statement. TMC founder and managing director Hitesh Dhingra said that the funding is part of a strategic investment in the company, and the actor would not hold any board position. He added that the funds will be used for branding and ramping up presence across India.

Priyanka Chopra

In 2021, she invested in dating-app, Bumble, and an alternative college education startup called Holberton School. Launched in 2011, Bumble was a feminist dating app, whereas, San Francisco-based Holberton School was founded in 2015. 

In August, Bumble cut its full-year revenue forecast, taking a hit from the war in Ukraine while also grappling with stiff competition from rivals such as Match Group Inc in the online dating market.

Shares of Austin, Texas-based Bumble fell nearly 13 per cent in after-hours trading, as its current-quarter forecast also remained below Wall Street estimates.