9Unicorns Declares Undisclosed Amount of Seed Funding in Malaki beverage

9Unicorns, India’s debut idea-phase accelerator VC fund, has declared an undisclosed amount of seed funding in Malaki, a world-class brand in the functional beverage space. The round witnessed participation from individual investors — Dharmesh Dalal, collaborator at Inga Ventures, and Rahul Parekh, director of Suraksha Realty.

Established by Ashish Bhatia and Mohit Bhatia, both members of a family that has more than 60 years of experience in the F&B industry, Malaki targets to redefine India’s functional beverage landscape. Since its inception in 2018, the brand’s luxury beverage offerings have received wide acclamation both nationally as well as internationally. Its uncommon range of premium beverages comprises of 24-karat gold water, alkaline nutrient-rich drinks, zero-calorie tonics, sparkling vitamin beverages, and sparkling water from the Himalayas.

Talking about the investment, Mohit Bhatia, co-founder of Malaki stated- “Every generation has a voice, and we are representing ours by marrying technology and art to create products that delight. We are excited to partner with 9Unicorns and others who share our vision to build the next disruptive homegrown non-alcoholic beverage brand, made in India, for the world.”

Anuj Golecha, co-founder of 9Unicorns mentioned- “The market for luxury dining and drinking products in India has a lot of white space that discerning brands with innovative products can capture. India’s functional beverage market alone is worth US$5.9 billion and is growing at a CAGR of 21%. On the back of its swanky range of beverages and a strong founding team with unrivaled expertise under its belt, Malaki is disrupting this space and carving a new niche for itself. We are delighted to associate with a homegrown brand with global ambitions and are committed to guiding the founders towards placing India’s functional beverage industry on the world map.”

Besides establishing its strong footprints in India’s functional beverage space, the homegrown brand started exporting its premium, innovation-driven products to more than four countries in a short span since its establishment. The company has been targeting all patterns of distribution channels right from D2C to HoReCa for sales. The brand is also distinct in being the only Indian company to have been sponsored the Rolls-Royce club event in the UK in 2018 – where it unveiled its first product. The brand has been honoured with a quality mark for its beverages by Acque Minerali Academy (Italy).