Frido strives to be a one-stop shop for ergonomic body support products
Pune-based brand Frido makes body support products such as seat cushions, backrests, neck support pillows, and shoe insoles. It aims to serve consumers who are looking for affordable and effective products.
During the pandemic, while working from home, Ganesh Sonawane, Founder of Mobility, which makes wheelchairs, experienced intense back pain and discomfort due to poor posture.
This was a consequence of working long hours hunched over makeshift desks and improper chairs. The pain was chronic and aggravated over time.
“It was so difficult to sit on an uncomfortable chair and work all day. I developed terrible lower back pain that lasted several months,” says Sonawane.
He scouted the market for cushions and backrests and also tried out more than a dozen international brands, but he struggled to find an ideal solution.
So, Sonawane decided to come out with suitable solutions himself. He spoke to several ergonomics experts to understand the ideal design. This was followed by a couple of years of research before Sonawane finally hit upon the winning design for cushions and backrests that would offer adequate support and alleviate pain.
Sonawane incorporated the brand Frido in February 2022, under the parent company Arcatron Mobility, to sell body support products.
Today, the Pune brand sells a range of products including backrests, coccyx-support seat cushions that give support to the sensitive lower back area, and neck and sleep pillows through its website. It also sells through the online marketplace Amazon. Its shoe insoles are sold in over 1,000 offline retail stores across Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, and Bengaluru.
Last week, Frido’s parent Arcatron raised an undisclosed amount of growth capital from global healthcare firm OrbiMed to fuel its research and marketing efforts as well as the launch of new body support products.
Making in India
Sonawane’s tryst with Made-in-India products began in 2015 when he set out to build solutions for the differently abled under Arcatron Mobility.
Arcatron aimed to solve a critical problem—making daily activities such as sitting and moving around more comfortable for the differently abled. After several years of testing materials and designs, the company developed seven different types of wheelchairs, including a commode-friendly wheelchair and an attendant-propelled one for shower and travel assistance.
Arcatron introduced its flagship product—a shower commode wheelchair, which the company claims to be the first such product in the world, in 2018. The product is exported to eight countries and has been used by several athletes at the Paralympic Games. Business from the product is growing 70% year on year, notes Sonawane.
In 2022, Frido introduced an N-85 face mask made in South Korea. During the pandemic, the mask not only offered protection from coronavirus but also provided breathability, making it much better than its competitors, says Sonawane.
“We chose to sell surgical masks for keeping the engines running. Little did we know that it would be our best-selling product at the time,” he says, adding that the masks drew celebrities, including actor Hrithik Roshan and singers Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal.
Frido continues to sell more than 7 lakh masks every month.
Last year, Frido launched a range of backrests and cushions offering tailbone support—these have emerged as the brand’s top-selling products, according to Sonawane.
Currently, Frido sells two types of seat cushions—Ultimate Pro and Ultimate Coccyx Support—meant to alleviate tailbone and lower back pain for all body types.
Frido’s products are designed and built in India; some parts are imported. The company assembles its products at its outsourcing facilities in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and the National Capital Region.
“In-house designing and manufacturing processes have helped us customise products for the Indian consumer, who may have tried expensive international products but haven’t found the right ones yet,” says Sonawane.
Indian consumers are generally price-conscious and have the tendency to de-prioritise health concerns, says the founder of Frido, adding that Frido is an ideal choice for those who struggle to find affordable yet effective products.
Frido’s products are available from a starting price point of Rs 1,500—they are at least 20% cheaper than international brands, says Sonawane. He believes Frido is India’s only mass-premium brand offering comfort and a luxurious feel.
In just two years, Frido’s body support products have emerged as strong competition in a segment filled with unbranded products and international brands like Dr Scholl’s, helping it earn a monthly revenue run rate of Rs 7 crore, according to Sonawane.
The brand has an average order value of about Rs 1,400 and its revenue is more than doubling every month, he adds.
Online channels contribute to most of Frido’s business, with nearly 60% of sales coming through its website and the rest from Amazon. A small percentage of sales (through shoe insoles) comes from the offline channel.
Sonawane says that Frido has received investor interest given its popularity and success in a short time frame.
Market size and trends
The body support products market in India has been growing consistently over the last few years, given the surge in awareness about lifestyle-related ailments and the adoption of the hybrid work culture across organisations.
Despite being price conscious, Indian consumers are realising the need to prioritise their health and invest in body support products for long-term comfort. This has led to the entry of several brands like The Sleep Company, Dr Ortho, and Wakefit that offer pillows and back cushions.
The global back support pillow market was valued at $2.82 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $4.96 billion by 2032, according to Persistence Market Intelligence. India has a 36% share of the back support pillow market in South Asia, and this is expected to grow at a steady CAGR of 3.9% through 2032.
The road ahead
Frido aims to be a one-stop brand for all ergonomic needs and is looking to launch more products in its portfolio, including orthopaedic footwear. Most recently, it rolled out a neck support pillow meant for the car seat.
The company is open to launching company-owned and company-operated stores in the near future once it achieves scale. It expects to be profitable and touch an annual revenue rate of Rs 120 crore by the end of FY24.
“Our EBITDA has been improving quarter on quarter. We started with a margin of negative 35% in the quarter when Frido insoles were launched. We have reached negative 6% already and are hopeful of being cash flow positive soon,” says Sonawane.
Going forward, Frido plans to adopt an omnichannel strategy for growth, with an emphasis on customer retention and enhancing product features.
(Lead image design by Nihar Apte)
Edited by Swetha Kannan