Gurugram-based startup Happie Curves, specializing in plus-size innerwear and comfort clothing, recently secured Rs 20 Lakhs in angel funding, diluting 30 percent equity. The funding came from two prominent angel investors, Rikant Pittie (Co-Founder of EaseMyTrip) and Aparna Thyagarajan (Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Shobitam Inc.). This equity deal followed Happie Curves’ participation in ‘Indian Angels,’ the world’s first OTT angel investment show on the JioCinema platform.
Previously bootstrapped, the startup plans to strategically utilize the newly raised capital for expanding operations, enhancing brand value, and reaching a broader audience throughout India. Happie Curves aims to establish itself as the leading brand in the plus-size/curvy category.
Sonal Somani, Founder, Happie Curves, said, “I am thrilled to get the backing of two renowned Angels for my venture, whose investments in Happie Curves not just validates the huge promise and potential of my business idea, but also reaffirms and strengthens our belief that every woman deserves to be happy, and deserves to feel good from outside and within. And to enable that, diverse body type inclusive clothing is, of course, the way to go. Beyond the funding support, the immense experience and knowledge of these Angels will help us to learn valuable entrepreneurial lessons, grow, and be able to scale the brand rapidly and efficiently in the upcoming months and years. Getting support from these big stalwarts of the startup world itself is a huge achievement, and marks a significant milestone in our journey of taking Happie Curves to the next level of phenomenal growth.”
“Our biggest achievement to date is the widespread acceptance and love received by the brand amongst the country’s plus-size women – for so many of whom Happie Curves’ comfortable and trendy bralettes and lingerie items have emerged as a game-changer. Going forward, we will endeavor to reach out with our inclusive and stylish offerings to the TAM entirely by scaling the brand, and in the long run, ultimately striving to make it the numero uno brand in India for the curvy-plus-size community. In the process of doing that, Happie Curves will continue to innovate constantly, and we will never cease to embrace and celebrate ‘curves’ as we attempt to expand into new forms of comfort clothing and athleisure shortly,” added Somani.
The plus-size intimatewear market in India faces a major challenge due to the limited availability of sizes, with existing brands often overlooking the plus-size segment. Happie Curves seeks to address this gap by offering fashionable fits for curvy individuals, presenting a range of intimate wear, beachwear, swimwear, and more – all Made in India with top-quality fabrics.
Led by Sonal Somani, a one-woman army with a background in finance, law, and digital marketing, Happie Curves has gained acceptance and success. Initially targeting metro cities and tier-II cities, the startup has organically become popular in various smaller cities in India, indicating positive growth for the brand.