[Funding alert] Rannvijay Singha’s fashion label Disrupt raises Rs 1.5 Cr in pre-series A round

Mumbai-based unisex retail startup, Disrupt, founded by TV host and actor Rannvijay Singha, has raised pre-series A round of funding at a valuation of over Rs 17.5 crore. The funding amount is said to be Rs 1.5 crore, a person aware of the development told YourStory. The investment brings the total capital received by the company so far to Rs 2.5 crore.

The investors who participated in this round include Harsh Shah and Farooq Adam, co-founders, Fynd; Ambi Parameswaran, former CEO of FCB Ulka; Anil Gelra, co-founder of SnapMint, and micro VC firm First Cheque.

The company said in an official statement that the funding will enable Disrupt to further invest in strategic collaborations, research and development, executive appointments, talent acquisition, and offline retail expansion. The investment will help the company aggressively expand its sales and marketing efforts as well as to increase its offline retail footprint through franchise route.

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TV's popular reality show Roadies' ex-contestant Rannvijay Singha ventured into the fashion business with his label, Disrupt – Defy Ordinary, in July 2018. The clothing label aims to ‘disrupt’ the fashion industry with styles which stand out from the crowd, are relatable, and dominate the streets. Especially catering to the misfits, go-getters and the independent-minded, Disrupt offers shirts, graphic tees, hoodies, joggers, denims, and more.

Rannvijay Singha, Co-Founder, Disrupt said,

“As a company, we are showcasing how powerful influencer-led marketing can be when talent with the benefit of experience, perspective, and relationships are combined with the massive scale offered by the homegrown retail ecosystem.”

Till date, Disrupt has amassed over 12 million unique brand impressions using top influencers from MTV, Desi Rap Scene, Bollywood, and YouTubers. The brand has been able to create a scalable ecosystem of close to 250 influencers, designers, suppliers, and manufacturers in a span of one year, and envisions providing affordable, ready-to-wear clothing to consumers.

Going ahead, it is looking to partner with host of other influencers to launch their capsule collection and capture their life story and unsaid version of struggle, grit and acceptance with an intent of creating a relevance and aspiration.

Shakeef Khan, CEO and Co-Founder, Disrupt said,

"I believe the market will continue to see a shift towards both content marketing and programmatic advertising as consumer brands increase their reliance on content-centric programs and look to scale those efforts. With our unique understanding of influencer economy and our lead investor’s expertise in retail and omnichannel, we are excited to build a unique clutter breaker category, an ecosystem of omnichannel powered influencer led fast fashion, which will be the first of its’ kind in India."

Last year, Rannvijay picked up 10 percent stake in sports management company IT Magia Solutions for Rs 1 crore, and invested an undisclosed amount in Gurugram-based online lifestyle media platform What’s Up Life. He also invested in fashion styling app IStyleYou in 2016.

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