Secret Alchemist, India’s pioneering clean perfume brand, has successfully raised $3 million in a seed funding round. This significant investment was led by Unilever Ventures, with active participation from DSG Consumer Partners, marking a pivotal moment for the brand co-founded by Ankita Thadani, Akash Valia, and popular actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu. The funding underscores the growing confidence in Secret Alchemist’s mission to redefine the Indian perfumery landscape with its innovative, ingredient-led fragrances for modern consumers.
Strategic Funding Details This $3 million seed round includes both primary and secondary capital, building on prior backing from IPV. The sustained institutional interest highlights Secret Alchemist’s robust long-term vision and its potential to establish a new category within the fragrance market. The investment will fuel key growth initiatives:
* Portfolio Expansion: Broadening the brand’s clean fragrance offerings. * R&D Capabilities: Strengthening formulation depth and research & development efforts. * Team Building: Investing in leadership and core operational teams. * Market Presence: Scaling brand presence and distribution channels.
Revolutionizing Indian Perfumery with Clean Fragrances Secret Alchemist began its journey rooted in aromatherapy and essential oils, initially focusing on wellness solutions. The brand has since strategically evolved into a fragrance-first entity, seamlessly blending the science of aromatherapy with contemporary perfumery. This unique approach creates lifestyle-led, emotion-driven clean fragrances that bridge wellness, scent, and self-expression, catering to an discerning audience seeking transparency and quality.
Ankita Thadani, Co-Founder of Secret Alchemist, emphasized the global shift towards 'clean' as a baseline in beauty and personal care, stating, “With Secret Alchemist, our focus is on building perfumes that are ingredient-led, well-formulated, and uncompromising on quality. We are among the first in India to openly publish full ingredient and allergen disclosures in perfumery, because for us, clean means being honest.”
Vision from the Founders & Investors Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Co-Founder, expressed her enthusiasm, noting, “As Secret Alchemist evolves, this feels like the right moment for us. It gives us the opportunity to build more deeply on what matters: clean ingredients, thoughtful formulations, and fragrances people genuinely enjoy using every day.”
Akash Valia, Co-Founder, added, “Clean fragrance is seeing strong traction globally, and India is ready for brands built with that mindset from day one. This fundraise allows us to scale Secret Alchemist as a fragrance-first, ingredient-led clean perfume brand while strengthening distribution and brand presence and eventually bringing Indian perfumes to the global market.”
Pawan Chaturvedi, Partner & Head of Asia at Unilever Ventures, commented on their investment, highlighting Secret Alchemist's potential to lead India’s emerging clean fragrance category. Hariharan Premkumar MD & Head of India at DSG Consumer Partners, praised the strong founding team and their ability to build high-quality fragrances, expressing bullishness on the brand's long-term potential given the significant under-penetration of the fragrance category in India.
