Mumbai : Shark Tank India Season 3 started premiering on 22 January 2024, showcasing a diverse array of pitches and narratives from emerging entrepreneurs. With a lineup of 12 sharks in the latest season, the pool of guidance and support for aspiring entrepreneurs has doubled up, promising enhanced mentorship and opportunities.
CarDekho founder and CEO Amit Jain has been an integral part of this journey since season 2, offering investment and mentorship to ventures spanning various sectors. Amit's commitment to nurturing and empowering young entrepreneurs has been a cornerstone of his involvement. His investment decisions are often guided by a shared ethos of determination, creativity, and sustainability. The same was seen in the very first episode of Shark Tank India Season 3 where Amit saw a connection between himself and the sustainable business philosophy of The Honest Home Company founder Mayank Sisodia.
In Season 3, episode 8 of Shark Tank India, Amit's dedication to supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs was evident in his interaction with Anuva Kakkar, the founder of Tiggle.
Acknowledging the importance of fostering an ecosystem that uplifts visionary entrepreneurs like Amit Kakkar said, “Magar iss show par aakar maine aap jaise entrepreneur ko support nahi kiya toh mere yahan aane ka faida hi nahi.” Tiggle, which offers vegan and dairy-free ready to make hot chocolate mixes, represents a promising player in the rapidly evolving market landscape.
Among the ventures Jain backed in the previous season are notable names like Mopp India, Licksters, Maisha Lifestyle, Ekatra, and Gladful, showcasing his diverse portfolio and unwavering commitment to driving innovation and success in the Indian startup ecosystem.
Read about Amit Jain’s learnings from the three pitches below:
Tiggle:
The episode started on a sweet note with Anuva Kakkar, founder of Tiggle, pitching her brand that sells ready-to-make hot chocolate mixes. Her pitch was solid, the packaging was on point, and the chocolate tasted really good. Plus, being vegan and dairy-free, Tiggle is catering to a fast-growing market and has a bright future, even more so if they focus more on targeting their products to kids, in my opinion.
Anuva's story was also inspiring. It was inspiring to hear her bootstrapped story. This is how I feel any startup story begins, with the founder trying to find product market fit. She started from a small room and sold her first batch with a steel jar in hand at a bustling Gurgaon metro station within 40-50 minutes. It showcased the demand and appeal of Tiggle and her ambition. She lives the dream of every entrepreneur - turning their passion into a startup.
I definitely appreciated Anuva coming prepared with precise unit economic data and dressed to match her brand! Her grip on her numbers was just amazing to see. I love such founders with this level of attention to detail. Glad I partnered with Peyush and sealed the deal with Tiggle. It's a bet on Anuva's entrepreneurial passion to create not just good products but a good culture - be it a team of 9 or 9000, her strong potential, and a delicious future for Tiggle. Because like always, Pehle Banda, Phir Dhanda!
Wyld :
Next came WYLD, a Visa-powered social currency card, founded by IIT-B alumni, offering cashback for Instagram posts. I loved their idea, especially gestures like customised cards that read 'Founder Member', but I think execution is key. They had the right partnerships in place, and their algorithms for assigning "WYLD scores" seemed great. I loved the way they solved working capital by getting money to pay cashback from brands in advance.
I appreciate the founders, their love for tech and their ambitions – they were young, adaptable, and loaded with energy. Namita and Anupam saw the potential too. I gave them an offer, but they went ahead with Anupam's offer. It will be interesting to see them turn those influencer dreams into reality. I wish them all the best.
Upliance.ai:
Lastly, we had Upliance.ai, an AI-powered personal cooking assistant. Now, I love AI & innovation, but this one wasn't for me because I found the AI bit missing. While the technology and patented recipes were interesting, the price point and lack of market fit raised questions. It's great that they have a feedback system in place, but is it enough to justify the cost? The limited market and slow growth raised more questions.
AI is surely going to be a game-changer, but it needs to solve real problems and offer value at a reasonable price. Upliance.ai has to cover some distance to get there. I do hope they adapt and get there eventually!
Overall, the episode was a mixed bag of promise, treats, tech and more. And that's the beauty of Shark Tank. Stay tuned for more Shark Tales!
