4 Startups That Stole The Show At The EAST Network’s Demo Day

Held on March 17, The EAST Conference brought together over 250 attendees, comprising entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts, to mark the launch of the EAST Network. 

The platform is designed to support founders in their entrepreneurial endeavours by providing access to crucial growth levers, including funding, networking opportunities, media exposure, and skill-building resources.

Founded by Bhavik Bhatt, Veeky Ganguly and Gourab Mukherjee, The EAST Network provides founders, VCs, policymakers and corporate leaders with an opportunity to engage informally.

The idea was to provide founders with a platform that is organised and driven by full-time founders and not directed by the demands of accelerators and marquee sponsors.

The meetup also hosted “EAST Stars In The Spotlight”, a startup spotlight where 14 startups were shortlisted based on certain parameters such as the veracity of the idea, the team, USP, market fit and competition. 

These startups showcased their ideas in front of a panel comprising industry stalwarts like Ghodawat Consumer Limited’s Shrenik Ghodawat, Shiprocket Ventures’ Apoorv Singhal, Dentsu’s Prantik Mazumdar, ex-Coca-Cola’s Simple Juneja and Neeraj Garg, Brand Capital’s Sanjay Sondhi, and GetVantage’s Bhavik Vasa.

Meanwhile, Meet The 4 Startups That Stole The Investor Awe With Their Pitches

Papa BoYo

• Founded In: Amar Choudhary
• Founders: 2021
• Headquarters: Delhi NCR
• Sector: Ecommerce

The market for healthy snacks has skyrocketed since the pandemic. A report by Avendus Capital reveals that Indian households are expected to double their spending on health-focused foods and beverages in the next five years, leading to a projected market size of $30 Bn in the healthy foods segment.

With health becoming a major priority, several Indian startups have entered this space. Amar Choudhary, an IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, founded Papa Boyo, a relatively new brand on the block.

The startup offers its health-o-holic consumers a wide range of health products, including nut butters, exotic dry fruits and sugar-free snacks.

Recognised by Startup India and incubated by Punjab Agriculture University and IIM Kashipur, the health and nutrition brand reported gross revenue of INR 3.6 Cr in FY23, with 77% of sales coming from its online function, 18% from the B2B/offline segment, and 5% from export.

The startup received an investment of INR 50K from Ghodawat.

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Achivr

• Founded In: 2018
• Founders: Rishi Misra, Kushagr Mehta, Vinod Kumar
• Headquarters: Bengaluru
• Sector: Ecommerce

Achivr, a sports social commerce startup, is the brainchild of Rishi Misra, Kushagr Mehta and Vinod Kumar. 

The Indian sports apparel market, according to a Maximize Market Research report, was valued at $579.47 Mn in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.2% to reach $2,238.13 Mn by 2029. 

Seeing the massive growth opportunity, the trio launched Achivr to offer sports enthusiasts a one-stop shop for sports merchandise as well as a way to connect with fellow fans and stay up-to-date on sports news and other industry-related information.

Initially established as an ecommerce platform, Archivr plans to delve into social commerce, combining commerce, content, and community. This move is expected to broaden the company’s reach, lower CAC, boost engagement and increase LTVs. Achivr aims to expand its offerings with the release of Achivr-branded sports gear, the Achivr Digital Academy, and Achivr Tokens.

Its app, available on Android and iOS, currently allows users to buy sports goods for beginner, intermediate, advanced, and pro-level sportspeople.

The ecommerce startup was the runner-up at the EAST Conference. It won one lakh Shiprocket shipping credits from RocketFuel, a two-month platform fee waiver, five lakh email credits and 50% off on the Retention Hero Course from Wigzo.

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Skin Secrets

• Founded In: 2016
• Founders: Siddharth Arora, Bharat Arora
• Headquarters: Delhi NCR
• Sector: Skincare

One of India’s fastest-growing segments, the beauty and personal care market, has witnessed a surge in growth in recent years. Consumers’ shift towards eco-friendly and chemical-free products and growing concerns over personal hygiene have led to high demand for wellness items. 

Seizing this opportunity, first-time entrepreneurs Siddharth Arora and Bharat Arora founded Skin Secrets, a brand that offers over 200 products across skin, hair and body categories, in 2016.  

The company is looking to create a brand that’s synonymous with skincare and beauty done the natural way. The Delhi-based startup claims to provide toxin-free, result-oriented products at affordable prices, with consumer health and eco-consciousness at the core. 

According to the startup, 75% of its total sales come from offline channels, with 55% of its client base being salons and parlours. It reports monthly sales of 20K units and caters to over 10K salons across India.

Skin Secrets bagged 50K Shiprocket shipping credits from RocketFuel, a two-month platform fee waiver, three Lakh email credits and 50% off on the Retention Hero Course from Wigzo.

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Sova Health

• Founded In: 2019
• Founders: Tanveer Singh, Max Kushnir
• Headquarters: Delhi NCR
• Sector: Healthtech

Sova Health, a Gurugram-based startup, aims to revolutionise preventive healthcare by leveraging the power of gut microbiota. The startup offers a full-stack gut health solution that comprises microbiome-based testing, nutrition coaching and synbiotic supplements.

The gut health company boasts over 300 paid users and has experienced 40% MoM growth with an average order value (AOV) of INR 7.6K. 

With a vision to add a billion healthy years to people’s lives through biome-based precision care, Sova Health has secured investments from several prominent investors, including CIIE, Practical VC, BRINC, Goodwater Capital US, Let’s Venture, Artesian Australia, and Antler.

The healthtech company received 30K Shiprocket shipping credits from RocketFuel along with a two-month platform fee waiver, two Lakh email credits, and 50% off on the Retention Hero Course from Wigzo.

Update | May 10, 12:55 PM
The revenue of Papa BoYo has been updated.