Venture fund Mayfield India II, along with other investors, is likely to pump in another $10 million in Bengaluru-based online meat shop Licious. The deal is likely close by next month, according to sources.
The Menlo Park-based fund has already invested about $3 million in the start-up that sells fresh and processed meat, poultry products, seafood and other gourmet food products. Mayfield is quite active in the Indian start-up space and has investments in companies such Lendingkart, Simplilearn, The Beer Cafe, TripHobo and Talview.
Both Mayfield and Licious could not be contacted on the development.
According to the source, the fresh infusion is likely to be used to expand operations and product range, and for product innovations and logistics.
Licious has also raised about $1 million from investors including Kanwaljit Singh, Mohandas Pai and Kaushal Agarwal.
Founded in 2015 by Abhay Hanjura and Vivek Gupta, Licious is owned by Delightful Gourmet Pvt Ltd.
The company has its own processing unit and an innovative packaging system that uses patented vacuum-sealed containers to avoid contamination. According to industry experts, with rising income and awareness about quality control, there is an increasing demand for fresh and processed meat in India.
This has led to a spurt in several organised retail chains — from local players such as Nothing But Chicken in Mumbai to supermarkets such as Star Bazaar, Godrej Nature’s Basket, and Foodhall.
Meanwhile, Licious aims to be a full-stack meat product seller.