Rakyan Beverages Gets A Fresh Round Of Funding From Sequoia Capital

Rakyan Beverages, the makers of organic juices and health drinks sold under the Raw Pressery brand, has raised $4.5 million in series B funding from Sequoia Capital, Saama Capital Management Ltd and DSG Consumer Partners. The juice brand, which targets the health conscious, provides cold-pressed juices for cleansing and detox and is a major player in the fitness segment of the country. 

Nutrition In a Bottle

Raw Pressery, which was launched in 2013 by Anuj Rakyan, has seen a steady rise in brand recognition in the past few years and has played a significant role as part of the regimen of fitness enthusiasts. The company currently has 8 juice based products in its portfolio targeting people with an active lifestyle. The company hopes to introduce more products in the near future and will use the funds raised to launch low-priced beverages and smoothies, ranging from Rs. 50 to Rs. 150 per bottle. The company also has plans to expand the distribution of its products to over 1,500 facilities. Currently, the product is available in six cities, including Mumbai and Bengaluru. 

Fad Rising

Cold-pressed juices has gained a significant following around the world from fitness enthusiasts and people with an active lifestyle for its juice extraction process which retains most of the nutrients from fruits and vegetables. Although the consumption of these products is restricted to the urban areas in India, there is potential for significant growth as more people in the country have started to include healthy and nutritional products as part of their daily diet. Speaking about the company’s growth potential in India, Ash Lilani, the managing partner and co-founder of Saama Capital, said, “The category of cold-pressed juices and all natural beverage is growing very fast and has huge potential with the focus on wellness which, even in India, is only going to continue getting larger.”

Premium Product

Rakyan Beverages hopes to target the growing segment of health enthusiasts and has plans to turn Raw Pressery into a premium juice based product. “Over the next three years, you’re going to see Raw Pressery become a sort of lifestyle brand, ” said Rakyan. With the introduction of new and lesser expensive products, the company hopes to extend its reach in the country.