Licious operates an e-commerce platform that sells fresh meat, seafood and other animal-protein products directly to consumers across India. The company has built an integrated supply-chain network across multiple cities to procure, preserve and deliver fresh protein within hours of order. It operates in over a dozen Indian cities and last year became the nation’s first D2C brand to reach unicorn status. Licious has seen rapid growth—reporting over 500% year-on-year growth in October—and has benefited from stronger demand for D2C brands during the pandemic. Financially, the startup has raised multiple rounds and disclosed a new funding extension in this latest announcement. The company has signaled that the new funding appears to be a precursor to an initial public offering. Licious is a direct-to-consumer fresh meats and seafood delivery company serving Indian consumers. The company says it will invest in technology for supply-chain excellence, product innovation, talent, and vendor partner upgrades to build the category. Licious aims to build a sustainable, responsible business and to reimagine the animal protein category with a mix of global influence and products curated for the Indian palate. The Bengaluru-based startup has expanded across 14 Indian cities and reported growth of more than 500% over the last year. It has delivered to more than 2 million unique customers to date and allocated ESOPs to over 1,000 employees, including blue-collar workers, followed by a Rs 30 crore buyback. Recent financings have bolstered its cash position and market profile amid a boom in D2C funding in India. Licious operates an eponymous online platform selling fresh meat, poultry and seafood across more than a dozen Indian cities. The company has built a supply-chain network to procure products, keep them fresh and deliver within hours of orders. Licious says it has seen 500% growth in the past 12 months and has delivered to more than 2 million unique customers. The six-year-old startup competes with FreshToHome and benefits from rising protein consumption among consumers. It plans to use new capital to expand to multiple geographies and to broaden its technology and supply-chain networks. Industry estimates cited in the article value India’s online meat market at over $4.4 billion and growing rapidly since the pandemic. Licious operates an e-commerce platform selling fresh meat and seafood in cities across India. The company does not stock inventory; it sources raw material, processes it, and ships orders the same or next day through its own supply-chain network. Licious processes more than 17,000 orders daily, employs over 2,000 people, and reports roughly 300% year-over-year growth. The startup has raised $94.5M to date, including a new $30M Series E, and aims to generate $140M in annual revenue by 2023. It plans to use the fresh capital to expand into additional Indian cities and to launch new products. Licious competes with firms like FreshToHome, highlighting a rapidly evolving market and a large unorganized opportunity in India's meat and seafood sector. Licious is a gourmet meat start-up run by Delightful Gourmet Pvt. Ltd. The company operates in India. It focuses on the gourmet meat segment. Licious has completed a $25 million Series C funding round. The round was led by Bertelsmann India Investments, Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India, and UCLA, with participation from existing investors Mayfield India, 3one4 Capital, Sistema Asia Fund and InnoVen Capital. Earlier reporting said the company was in talks to raise between $25–$30 million from new and existing investors.

Total raised

$449M

Funding rounds

5

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Mar 2022