Bollywood’s biggest stars are becoming an enticing investment destination in the Indian start-up ecosystem. And lately, Tinsel Town actresses are cutting out cheques and making their first major investments in some of the big startups in India.
Although many of them are strategic investments where in return for promotions, marketing, and PR, the actors pick up an equity interest in the venture, many bet on startups solely as an investment exercise.
Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone runs her own family office from which she makes investments in her start-up. The actress invested in the yogurt company Epigamia last year. And most recently, with another investment in the FrontRow teaching and cultural network, the actress is back. Marquee investors such as Lightspeed and Elevation Capital (SAIF Partners) joined the actress in investing $3.2 million in the start-up.
The learning platform of Frontrow focuses on creative arts and sports and that’s what attracted the investment in the start-up of Padukone.
Alia Bhatt
An undisclosed amount was recently invested by Alia Bhatt in the beauty e-commerce site Nykaa. By a secondary transaction, the investment was made. Nykaa raised $100 crore ($13 million) from Steadview Capital, one of its existing investors, earlier in May 2020. The investment had brought Nykaa a ticket to the unicorn club, having already raised over $100 million in total funding.
Kajal Aggarwal
South Indian star Kajal Aggarwal recently picked up an equity interest in Okie Gaming, a gaming site. Aggarwal’s was a strategic investment, and in its promotions, marketing, and PR, she would support the startup and draw new users to the site.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
In 2019, Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, along with her mother Vrinda, made her debut as an angel investor. They invested in Ambee, a startup for environmental intelligence, which monitors air quality with data that has already installed over 100 sensors in Bengaluru.
Malaika Arora
Since 2012, Malaika Arora has been part of the Startup Club. This fashionista has been involved with The Label Life, an online luxury retail start-up that offers high-end clothes, accessories, and home decor and also features works by top designers from India. Arora joined global stars including Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez in May 2019 to invest in the start-up of an Indian yoga fitness chain, Sarva.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Social networking and dating app Bumble is backed by actress and entrepreneur Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Chopra had invested in Bumble in 2018, after which the startup had forayed into India.
The Bumble social networking and dating app are supported by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, an actress, and entrepreneur. In 2018, Chopra invested in Bumble, after which the business forayed into India.
Shilpa Shetty
In the FMCG start-up Mamaearth, the actor, yogi, and entrepreneur Shilpa Shetty invested around 1.6 crores. Mamaearth manufactures and sells products for skincare, haircare, and babycare. It was founded in 2015 by Varun and Ghazal Alagh.
