Salad Days, a healthy food brand, has raised Rs 30 crore ($3.6 million) in its first institutional funding round, co-led by V3 Ventures and Client Associates Alternate Fund (CAAF). After 10 years of bootstrapped success, this funding will be used to expand its omnichannel presence, open new stores, enhance technology, acquire talent, and boost marketing efforts. Founded in 2014, Salad Days operates 25 cloud kitchens across Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, and Mumbai, offering a wide range of healthy meals. The brand is positioned to thrive in India’s growing $30 billion healthy food market, with plans to expand further while focusing on profitability.
What Is Salad Days?
Salad Days is a healthy food brand that offers a variety of nutritious meals. Founded in 2014, it serves fresh options like salads, grain bowls, sandwiches, oatmeal bowls, soups, smoothies, and desserts. The brand operates through cloud kitchens, with locations in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. Salad Days focuses on providing affordable, wholesome meals for people who want to eat healthily. It sells its food online through its website and popular food delivery platforms like Swiggy, Zomato, and ONDC.
Why is This Funding Significant?
This funding marks an important milestone for Salad Days, which has been operating profitably for over 10 years without any external investment. The Rs 30 crore ($3.6 million) raised in this Series A funding round will allow the company to grow faster and reach more customers. With this money, Salad Days plans to expand its presence by opening new stores and cloud kitchens, improving its technology, and investing in marketing and talent.
This funding will also help the company strengthen its operations and increase sales through its own website and food delivery platforms. The investment comes at a time when India’s healthy food market is growing quickly, and Salad Days is well-positioned to take advantage of this trend. It will also help the company compete with others in the market and increase its share, making it a stronger player in the health-focused food industry.
How Will the Funds Be Used?
According to the founder, Varun Madan, the funds raised will help Salad Days grow. The money will help open new stores, upgrade technology, hire more talent, and boost marketing efforts. Salad Days plans to expand its presence in existing cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai, and add 20 more cloud kitchens in the next year. The goal is to meet the growing demand for healthy, affordable meals in India while focusing on profitability. The funds will also strengthen its online and offline sales channels, including its website and food delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato.
Founders’ Perspective
The founder, Varun Madan, believes the healthy food market in India is growing rapidly, with strong demand for affordable, wholesome meals. He sees Salad Days as well-positioned to capitalize on this trend. After years of bootstrapping and achieving profitability, Madan is confident about the brand’s potential for scaling. Madan said, “I feel that the pull towards eating healthy is much stronger today than it was five or six years ago. Healthy food categories are definitely expanding in a robust manner and are expected to grow even more aggressively in the coming years in India.”
He also highlights the company’s 100% year-on-year growth and aims to strengthen its presence in existing cities before entering new markets. He views the funding as a way to accelerate growth, increase accountability, and build Salad Days into a larger, more impactful brand.
Key Takeaways
- Funding Details: Salad Days raised Rs 30 crore ($3.6 million) in its first institutional funding round, co-led by V3 Ventures and Client Associates Alternate Fund (CAAF).
- Fund Usage: The funds will be used for omnichannel expansion, opening new stores, upgrading technology, hiring talent, and boosting marketing efforts.
- Growth Plans: The company plans to add 20 more cloud kitchens in the next year and strengthen its presence in existing cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai before expanding to new markets.
- Market Opportunity: The healthy food market in India is growing rapidly, projected to reach $30 billion by 2026, and Salad Days aims to meet this demand with affordable, wholesome meals.
- Founder’s Vision: Founder Varun Madan is confident about scaling the brand, focusing on profitability, and leveraging the funding to grow Salad Days into a larger, impactful entity.
Conclusion
With plans to open 20 new cloud kitchens, enhance technology, and boost marketing, Salad days is well-positioned to meet the rising demand for affordable, wholesome meals. The focus on profitability and scalability, coupled with strong investor confidence, highlights Varun Madan’s potential for rapid growth. As Salad Days strengthens its presence in existing cities and explores new markets, it aims to become a leading player in India’s $30 billion healthy food industry.
