Carmesi, India’s first premium, all natural and biodegradable sanitary pad brand, on Monday, said it has raised a Pre-Series A funding of $ 500,000 (Rs.3.44 crore) from Samrath Bedi, Managing Director, Forest Essentials, a luxury Ayurvedic beauty brand.
The round also saw participation of other investors including Satveer Thakral from the Thakral Group, Mahesh Patel, Rohit Reddy, and Samir Saran. The existing investors who invested in Carmesi’s seed round raised in May 2017, also participated in the new funding round, said Tanvi Johri, Co-Founder, Carmesi, in a statement.
It is the first and only brand in India to offer completely biodegradable disposal bags that enable a safe and hygienic disposal of used sanitary pads, which are very thin and soft to use.
The brand will utilize the funds to further strengthen its marketing, expanding the product line to introduce more sustainable period-care products, and establish a stronger distribution strategy, she added.
Co-founded by Tanvi Johri and Rikshav Borah in November 2017, Carmesi aims to make menstrual periods a ‘safe’ time of the month for women. Made of corn starch and bamboo fiber, the pads provide a natural and sustainable alternative to the chemically-laced synthetic pads. The brand promises tailored delivery and customization of sizes. Each Carmesi pad comes with a re-sealable and biodegradable disposal bag.
With a base of more than 50,000 customers, Carmesi is growing at a rate of about 25% month-on-month.