- Musings From Deepak @ DSG Consumer Partners
- Posts
- Musings From Deepak @ DSG Consumer Partners #105
Musings From Deepak @ DSG Consumer Partners #105
All things consumer & insurgent brands. What I am currently reading, thinking about, and reflecting upon. You can follow me on Twitter at @dishahdadpuri or follow DSGCP at @dsgcp.
EazyDiner raises $5m in fresh funding round
DSGCP first invested in Eazydiner in 2015. This was pre-product and pre-revenue. We partnered Kapil Chopra and Vir Sanghvi to build a digital tool to make it hassle-free for diners to dine out. From discovery to reservations to payments. It has been a challenging 7 years, and a large part of the turbulence being COVID headwinds which closed restaurants and cities for almost 2 years.
Today, EazyDiner can be accessed and used at over 12,000 restaurants in India and Dubai and has also partnered with 15 leading banks, including Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank.
And......it is profitable every month at the bottom line. This is a great case study of building a business brick by brick.
Southeast Asia: Is it time to hit the gym?
DSGCP's Anthony Adiputra does a deep dive into SEA's gym and fitness markets.
TLDR: The Southeast Asian fitness industry, while filled with potential, undoubtedly has a lot of challenges to overcome. Based on our research and reflection, we could believe that the region is not yet at the inflection point for mass market consumption of fitness studios.
Read the full note to learn more.
DSGCP is thrilled to announce our investment in Blood, a trailblazer in the period care revolution for modern Southeast Asian women 💪🩸
Blood, founded in Singapore, focuses on innovative and natural period care solutions, addressing the needs of millions of women across Southeast Asia. Their game-changing corn-based sanitary pads have disrupted the menstrual care market, offering superior dryness, skin-friendliness, and eco-friendliness compared to traditional alternatives 🌽🌏
DSG Consumer Partners is committed to investing in ideas that transform lives and resonate with our core consumer themes; "Healthy Living," "Millennials & Gen Z & Gen Alpha," and "Looking and Feeling Good." Blood's dedication to revolutionizing period care, breaking taboos, and empowering women aligns perfectly with our mission. 🎯
Not only does Blood offer exceptional sanitary pads, but their diverse range of products, including Bamboo Underwear and Menstrual Cups, caters to the varying needs of women during their periods. 🌸
We're excited to join forces with Peck Ying Tan, Caleb Leow, and the entire Blood team as they continue to break barriers and create better days and endless possibilities for women in Southeast Asia and beyond! 🌟 Want to know why we invested? Read it here 👇 👇👇
Kind Kones: A case study (in the making) of building a brand brick-by-brick
2018 - A friend tells me about the best plant-based ice cream she had ever tried. Where? Kuala Lumpur. Brand? Kind Kones ("KK").
2019 - I get another friend to hand carry a pint of their ice cream packed in dry ice for me to try in Singapore.
2020 (1) - I meet founders Serina Bajaj and Ishpal Bajaj. Get to know them, the story behind KK. Visit their Singapore outlet at Forum and speak to their customers. Insane brand love and product love.
2020 (2) - Numerous conversations including whether they wanted to stay a scoop shop and play in the F&B space or pivot and become a CPG brand. Decision: Let us build a CPG brand to take on the big boys like Ben & Jerry's and Häagen Dazs.
2021 - Build a team including a food technologist. Reformulate core products to extend shelf-life so that we can sell in the grocery channel. Build a semi-automated factory during COVID.
2022 (1) - Formulating product. Building team. Getting the factory commissioned. Very hard work with tons of challenges.
2022 (2) - Product ready. Launched a pilot with our close friends at Little Farms. The response was amazing. Fantastic sales velocity and repeats. 2023 - Constant knocking on doors of distributors and retailers. Many nos. Persistence pays off. NTUC FairPrice takes on Kind Kones.
This is the story so far..........
...... this is the story of an #insurgentbrand in the making.
My favorite flavor is their #AlmondBrittleFudge or known to regulars simply as #ABF. Available at all @FairPriceSG #Finest outlets in Singapore. Visit your nearest outlet and let me what you think.
The latest consumer sentiment data from GfK India suggests a shift to aspirations buying and premiumisation
Data that we are seeing suggests that the premium and luxury segments are outperforming, while the value segment faces headwinds in view of inflationary pressures.
Reply