FundingCommerce & Consumer Brands
ISLAND Beauty raises ₹2.58 crore from AJ VC
By Abha Lohia · Editor ·
SeedFounded 2023
- ISLAND Beauty is a skincare brand pairing Korean ingredients with formulas made in India for Indian skin and weather
- Early-stage investor AJ VC put in ₹2.58 crore; the round was not named and no valuation was shared
- The money funds product development, brand awareness and customer acquisition over the next three years
What happened
- Raised ₹2.58 crore from AJ VC.
- Round name and valuation not disclosed.
- Funds go to product and brand awareness.
- Plans a wider range over three years.
Why it matters
- Products focus on the skin barrier (outer layer that holds moisture).
- Co-founder Shirley Setia is a singer-actor.
The business
- Core Barrier Matrix combines a ceramide repair part and an ectoin-based defence part.
- Range: cleansers, toners, serums, moisturisers, lip care.
- Ingredients from South Korea, formulated in India.
- Founded in 2023.
The founders
- Singer-actor
- Korean skincare expert
SJ
Sakshi Jain
Co-founderWho put in money
- AJ VC Investor — Early-stage investor
What happens next
- Widen product portfolio
Earlier rounds
- ₹2.58 Cr, Oct 2026
The numbers around it
Commerce & Consumer Brands in October 2026: 32 rounds with a disclosed amount, $195 million in all; the biggest was Boldfit (₹400 Cr). Every sector this year →
Other articles talking about it
Terms in this story
- Valuation: A startup's valuation is the total price investors agree the company is worth, and it decides how many shares their money buys. For young companies it is set by negotiation and comparison, not a formula. In India, pricing rules for foreign investors apply, and angel tax no longer does for money raised since 1 April 2024.
- Mergers and acquisitions: An acquisition is when one company buys another, and a merger is when two companies combine into one. For most Indian startups a sale is a likelier exit than an IPO, and the Competition Commission of India (CCI) must approve deals that cross its asset, turnover or ₹2,000 crore deal-value limits.
- Valuation: A private startup does not have a net worth you can look up. It has a valuation: a price tied to a funding round, a share sale or a company statement. Net worth means assets minus debts, and it belongs to people and listed companies. In Indian news, valued at usually points to a recent deal.
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