RAS, a farm-to-face luxury skincare and personal care business, raised USD 5 million in a Series A financing backed by Unilever Ventures, Unilever's investment arm. Amazon Smbhav Venture Fund participated in the round as well. Earlier in April 2023, RAS raised $1.5 million in a pre-Series A investment from Green Frontier Capital, a New York-based venture capital firm focused on climate change and sustainability.
The funds will be utilized to increase its retail footprint, with an emphasis on exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) and shop-in-shop retail. Other areas of investment include talent acquisition, R&D for new product lines, branding and marketing initiatives, and technology advancement. This round was also participated in by RAS' existing investors, including Sixth Sense Ventures and other noteworthy angel investors, such as Keki Mistry's family.
RAS, founded by Shubhika Jain, Sangeeta Jain, and Suramya Jain, manufactures beauty and skincare products with natural ingredients and potent scientific formulations at its proprietary vertically integrated research lab and farms in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
The company now operates two EBOs, with 50 more Pan-India EBOs planned over the next three years.
With offline retail expansion as one of the primary emphasis areas following investment, the company expects offline channels to contribute 25% of revenue over the next four years. Furthermore, it expects growth from the HORECA industry.
