Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez has recently invested INR 35 million in Rakyan Beverages, a juice making startup company that makes juices under the Raw Pressery brand. She thus becomes the first Bollywood celebrity to invest in a consumer products firm and help drive sales.
With Jacqueline’s investment of Rs.3.5 crore, the Mumbai-based startup now stands at Rs.120 crore. The company provides door delivery services in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bengaluru as well as in Gurgaon.
Anuj Rakyan, Founder of Rakyan Beverages said in an interview: “Professional investors calculate the risks while investing, whereas celebrities are believers and users of the brand. Jacqueline has about 13 million followers only on Instagram and can influence the buyers. Hence, she is just not an ambassador of our product but an evangelist who can have an impact on the top line,”
This trend of celebrities investing in consumer products firm is gradually increasing. Singer Madonna funded Vita Coco, a coconut water, rapper 50 Cent has minor stakes in Glaceau vitamin water while American singer Beyonce invested in watermelon-water startup WTRMLN WTR.
Anuj Rakyan received two awards as the entrepreneur of the year in the categories of service business beverage and in the consumer business and his company Raw Pressery is planning to raise another $10 million by the end of this year.