Direct-to-consumer (D2C) footwear startup CHK has secured $2.5 million in funding from Accel, jewelry retailer Bluestone, and other investors. This follows Bluestone’s earlier investment of approximately Rs. 12 crore (around $1.3 million) in November 2024.

According to CHK’s press release, the fresh capital will be used to scale up production and strengthen research and development (R&D) efforts ahead of its planned public launch in April.

CHK was Co-founded in October 2024 by Sankar Bora, Deepan Babu, Bharat Mahajan, and Deepak Patil. The company focuses on designing, manufacturing, and selling footwear, following a "concept to creation" model that allows full control over the production process. CHK aims to develop innovative footwear for the premium and mass-premium markets.

Sankar Bora, previously a Co-founder of DealShare, exited the company in November 2023. CHK currently operates a manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu and plans to launch sales through its own D2C website before expanding into offline retail channels. The startup currently employs around 25 people across Bengaluru and Tamil Nadu, with plans to increase its workforce to 100 by April.

In compliance with new regulations, the Indian government now requires all footwear brands to obtain certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). This has prompted several companies to manage design and production in-house. CHK has applied for BIS certification and expects approval by April. The company is targeting an average price of Rs. 4,500 per product.

Prashanth Prakash, Partner at Accel, expressed enthusiasm about CHK, stating that they are thrilled to be part of the brand’s journey early on as it works toward establishing an innovative, manufacturing-driven D2C footwear company in India.