The Cinnamon Kitchen’s Founder Secures Investment on Shark Tank India

The Cinnamon Kitchen is a special bakery, not just an ordinary one. It is a place where the owners have a strong passion for making delicious but healthy treats. The bakery is committed to using organic, plant-based, and gluten-free ingredients to create their products. The bakery was founded by a woman named Priyasha Saluja. Priyasha started the bakery in 2018 after personally struggling with a health condition called PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) since she was 13 years old. 1 She wanted to turn her personal struggles into a positive project, so she started sharing healthy recipes and lifestyle tips on social media.

The Cinnamon Kitchen has gained attention not only from regular food lovers, but also from famous Bollywood celebrities like Sonam Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, and Malaika Arora. 1 This shows that the bakery’s unique, healthy offerings have become popular. Additional, the Cinnamon Kitchen operates in the Business-to-Consumer (B2C) market, serving customers directly through retail channels, and is active in the Retail, Food, and Agriculture Tech market segments.

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• The Cinnamon Kitchen started as an Instagram page in 2018, sharing recipes, healthy eating, and lifestyle tips.
• It then transitioned to a small home kitchen in 2019, as the founder Priyasha Saluja realized not everyone had the resources to prepare these healthy foods themselves.
• The brand grew organically through word-of-mouth and celebrity following in 2020.
• It moved to a bigger 1000 sq ft facility in 2021 and then to an even larger commercial facility in 2022 with over 25 employees.

• The Cinnamon Kitchen now has prominent retail partnerships with Blinkit, LeMarche, Amazon, and other community collaborations.
• The brand is still growing rapidly while aiming to preserve its essence and commitment to delivering high-quality, healthy products.

Priyasha wanted to expand her business and reach more people. To do this, she decided to appear on the business reality show ‘Shark Tank India’ in its third season. On the show, Priyasha showcased her range of baked goods, including cookies, fudge, cake, and vegan chips. She emphasized that her products were gluten-free and dairy-free, catering to people looking for healthier indulgences. The Sharks, or investors on the show, initially provided feedback on her product packaging and labeling.

Despite the challenges, Priyasha remained committed to her brand and the quality of her products. When the Sharks asked tough questions about scaling the business and sales figures, Priyasha demonstrated her resilience and determination. 3 She was seeking not just investment, but also guidance to help her business grow.

Shark Aman Gupta, the co-founder and CMO of BOAT, made an initial offer to Priyasha. After negotiations, they reached a revised deal where Priyasha received Rs 60 lakh (approximately $75,000 USD) in exchange for a 5% equity stake in her company. 3 This deal allowed Priyasha to access not only the investment, but also valuable mentorship and guidance from Shark Aman Gupta to help her business succeed.

The Cinnamon Kitchen is an internet-first brand that offers a variety of artisanal bakery products. It has a total of 82 competitors and ranks 82nd among them. Out of these 82 competitors, 6 of them have received funding. Collectively, The Cinnamon Kitchen and its competitors have raised over 21.4 million in funding across 10 finding rounds, involving 111 investors. However, there are no private “unicorn” in this competitive set. 

• Bakingo: An online gifting store for cakes, which has raised $16 million in a Series B funding round.
• WarmOven: An online confectionery offering custom cakes and desserts, which has raised $1.55 million across 2 funding rounds.
• The Bread Company: An internet-first brand offering multi-category bakery products, which has raised $2.62 million across 4 funding rounds.

Shark Tank India has become a game-changer for the Indian startup ecosystem, offering a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to receive financial backing and strategic advice from some of the country’s most successful business leaders.