Women-Co-Founded Protein Pantry Raises ₹9 Crore Seed Round Led by Sharrp Ventures to Build a Clean-Label Protein Food Brand

Protein Pantry, a Delhi-based clean-label frozen food brand co-founded by Disha Bhattacharya and Prashanth Bhushan, has raised ₹9 crore in a seed round led by Sharrp Ventures, as investors continue to back consumer brands built around India's fast-growing appetite for protein.

The round, announced on 22 September 2026, also saw participation from Peercheque, Consumer Collective by Atrium and Indian Silicon Valley Capital. A group of prominent founder-angels joined the round, including Varun Alagh of Honasa Consumer, the parent of Mamaearth, Rishubh Satiya of Plix, Avnish Anand of CaratLane, Arush Chopra of Just Herbs and Saurabh Munjal of Lahori Zeera, along with Signal Ventures and others.

From kitchen idea to manufacturing plant

Protein Pantry builds high-protein, ready-to-cook frozen foods made without refined flour, preservatives or palm oil. The brand launched in November 2025 and has already served more than 30,000 households, according to the company.

The fresh capital will primarily be deployed into setting up and scaling a manufacturing unit, alongside continued investment in research and development and supply chain. The remaining funds will support marketing and working capital as the company extends its range into new formats.

The decision to invest in manufacturing is a notable one for a brand this young. Many Indian direct-to-consumer (D2C) food companies begin with contract manufacturers to conserve capital and move quickly. Owning production gives a brand tighter control over quality, formulation and cost, which matters particularly in a clean-label category where ingredient integrity is the core promise to consumers.

Riding the quick-commerce wave

Protein Pantry sells through its own D2C channel in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Jaipur, and through quick-commerce platforms including Blinkit, FirstClub and Flipkart Minutes across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The company plans to expand into six more cities on quick commerce by the end of the year and is targeting availability across all major Indian cities over the next 12 to 24 months.

Quick commerce has become one of the most important launchpads for new food and personal-care brands in urban India. Ten-to-fifteen-minute delivery platforms give emerging brands immediate visibility in the metros, and frozen food is particularly well suited to the model because it relies on the cold-chain infrastructure that dark stores already operate. For consumers, the appeal is convenience; for brands, it is access to high-intent urban shoppers without building a traditional distribution network.

The model is not without risks. Quick-commerce platforms command significant commissions and advertising spend, and shelf space in dark stores is limited. Brands that rely heavily on these channels must manage margins carefully and build enough brand recall to avoid becoming interchangeable with private labels.

Why protein, and why now

India has long been described as a protein-deficient market, with diets that rely heavily on cereals. Over the past few years, awareness of protein intake has risen sharply among urban consumers, driven by fitness culture, social media and a growing focus on preventive health. What began as a supplements market has spread into everyday foods such as snacks, breakfast products, dairy and ready-to-cook meals.

Investors have taken note. Protein-focused food brands have attracted a steady stream of funding, and large consumer companies have shown interest in acquiring brands that have built loyal audiences. The angel participation in Protein Pantry's round, featuring founders of several successful Indian consumer companies, reflects confidence that the category can support new, differentiated brands.

A women-led founding story in a capital-intensive category

Disha Bhattacharya's role as co-founder places Protein Pantry within a still-small group of women-led food brands raising institutional capital at the seed stage. Women founders in India continue to receive a disproportionately small share of venture funding, even as they build businesses across consumer, health and financial services. Industry data have repeatedly shown that the gap widens as companies move from seed to growth rounds, making early institutional backing and strong angel networks particularly important.

The composition of Protein Pantry's cap table, blending a consumer-focused fund with operators who have scaled their own brands, gives the company access to experience in manufacturing, distribution and brand building that could prove valuable as it moves beyond the early-adopter phase.

What the investor line-up reveals

Sharrp Ventures has built a reputation for backing consumer brands at an early stage, and its decision to lead the round signals conviction in both the category and the founding team. The involvement of Consumer Collective by Atrium and Indian Silicon Valley Capital adds institutional depth, while Peercheque brings a community-driven investment model.

The angel list reads like a roll call of India's D2C success stories. Varun Alagh co-founded Mamaearth and took Honasa Consumer to a public listing. Rishubh Satiya built Plix into a plant-based nutrition brand. Avnish Anand has been a senior leader at CaratLane, the jewellery brand majority-owned by Titan, while Saurabh Munjal created Lahori Zeera, a fast-growing beverage brand. Collectively, these investors have navigated product development, manufacturing partnerships, retail expansion and marketing at scale, precisely the challenges Protein Pantry now faces.

For a brand that plans to set up its own manufacturing, that operational advice may prove as valuable as the capital itself. Scaling food production introduces regulatory requirements, quality assurance processes and cost pressures that can overwhelm young companies if not carefully planned.

The road ahead

The next phase will test whether Protein Pantry can maintain its clean-label positioning while scaling production and expanding into new cities. Frozen food requires careful cold-chain management, and consumer trust in ingredient claims can be damaged quickly by inconsistent quality. Building a manufacturing unit will also place new demands on working capital and operational discipline.

Yet the opportunity is substantial. If Protein Pantry can combine clean ingredients, convenient formats and the reach of quick commerce, it has a credible chance of becoming a recognisable name in one of India's fastest-evolving food categories. For the growing number of Indian consumers seeking healthier convenience foods, and for investors looking for the next generation of food brands, the company's progress over the coming year will be worth watching closely.

The company's founders have framed the round as the beginning of a longer build rather than a finish line. Extending the protein range across new categories, securing reliable cold-chain partners in new cities and proving that a clean-label promise can survive the pressures of scale will define whether Protein Pantry becomes a durable household name or remains a promising niche label.