Footwear startup RARA Barefoot has raised $500K in an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round and announced the launch of its first sneaker line. The round was led by Zomato, Urban Company, Tata1mg, Shyft, and HexaHealth founders and senior executives, as well as ChrysCapital and BCG managing directors and partners.

Key Highlights

• RARA Barefoot raised $500K in an oversubscribed pre-seed round, launching its debut sneaker line.
• Investors include senior operators from Zomato, Urban Company, Tata 1mg, Shyft, HexaHealth, and ChrysCapital.

The proceeds will be used to support the brand's national direct-to-consumer rollout, the establishment of select offline retail partnerships, and local manufacturing scale-up as it prepares to bring barefoot sneakers to Indian consumers, according to a press release.

Varun Mimani and Manas Tripathi co-founded RARA Barefoot in 2024, a performance footwear company that pioneered barefoot sneakers.RARA's goal is to create footwear that allows the body to move naturally, as nature intended, by combining evolutionary design with modern aesthetic.

RARA debuts as a direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand, with its first collection available online through its website. In 2026, the company plans to expand into major cities with select multi-brand stores and experience-driven offline pop-ups.

According to RARA Barefoot, each sneaker has three designs: a flat sole with zero heel-toe drop, a wide toe box for natural toe spread, and a flexible sole that bends with the foot's 33 joints. All sneakers are made in India using global barefoot design and locally sourced, high-performance materials.

Also Read: Handmade Sneakers Brand Gully Labs gains Rs. 8.7 Crore Seed Fund

According to market research, the Indian sneaker market is expected to reach $4,665.9 million by 2030, with a CAGR of 5.7%.