Team Startupcity

• Chennai-based food startup Cookd raises Rs 16 crore in pre-Series A funding, led by Spring Marketing Capital to expand across South India and launch preservative-free product lines.
• With over 6 million followers and 150M+ monthly video views, Cookd leverages chef-led digital content to build a strong community and inform product development.
• Best known for its biryani kits and ready-to-cook innovations, Cookd plans to deepen retail presence and introduce new convenience-based categories for modern home cooks.

Consumer food startup Cookd from Chennai has raised Rs 16 crore in pre-Series A funding, led by Spring Marketing Capital, with further support from Eternal Capital, Sun Icon Ventures, and PeerCheque. The funds will fuel the expansion of the company in South India, consolidating its presence in Tamil Nadu and entering the markets of Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. Cookd also hopes to speed up the introduction of its innovative line of preservative-free cooking lines such as masalas, gravies, and ready-to-use kits.

Established in 2020, Cookd works at the nexus of digital influence and consumer packaged goods. The brand has a significant, active base on channels such as YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, collectively drawing over six million followers and averaging over 150 million monthly views on videos. The chef-led content strategy has allowed the startup to develop a loyal fan base that is also a perpetual feedback loop for product development.

Its existing range of products consists of biryani kits, masalas, cooking pastes, and recipe kits carefully crafted to provide convenience without losing authenticity. Its brilliant success in the category of biryani kits, especially through instant commerce platforms, can be credited to its strategy of selling complete kits instead of masalas alone. As founder Aathitiyan V.S. tells us, this unique strategy clicked with customers looking for ease as well as control in the kitchen. "Everybody in the market thought of biryani masala. We provided a kit and the recipe clicked well for us", he said.

Cookd's products are retailed in more than 1,600 stores and also directly delivered to consumers through its own channels, and fast commerce platforms like Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit, and Zepto. The fresh funding will be utilised for further market penetration as well as the launch of a new product category that brings authenticity and convenience. As Aathitiyan described, "Our goal is simple: help people cook more often and with joy".

With its combination of digital-first community interaction and innovative product solutions, Cookd is poised to become one of India's leading players in the changing packaged food market, especially among South India's next gen home cooks.