Funding · Commerce & Consumer Brands

Nailinit raises pre-seed round of ₹2.5–3 crore

By Startup Enthusiast · 26 February 2026

What they do

Nailinit is a nail care brand selling press-on nails and nail products to Gen Z and millennials

It raised a pre-seed round of ₹2.5–3 crore co-led by Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund and Marsshot VC

The nail care category in India is high-frequency but under-branded, with most consumers relying on salon visits

Nailinit has raised a pre-seed round of ₹2.5–3 crore.
The round was co-led by Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund (GCCF) and Marsshot VC.
Angel investors include Shashank Kumar (Razorpay founder), Arjit Johri (Marsshot VC), Yash Jain (ex-NimbusPost founder), and Karan Jindal (Meta).
Other angels are Jivraj Singh Sachar (ISV Capital GP), Nishank Jain (Accel EIR), Yashvardhan Kanoi (ex-Alter Global partner), and Ashwarya Garg (HYPD founder).
Additional angels include Venus Dhuria (Phot.AI founder) and Amishi Parasrampuria (The Whole Truth head of partnerships).
Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund is backed by Nikhil Kamath.
The funds will be used to expand quick commerce and D2C distribution, build the community, and innovate products.

The nail care category in India is high-frequency but under-branded, with few organised players.
Most consumers currently depend on time-intensive salon visits for nail care.
Press-on nails can unlock more frequent and experimental usage among young consumers.

Nailinit is a nail care brand targeting Gen Z and millennials.
It sells press-on nails and nail care products.
The brand positions itself as community-first, at the intersection of beauty, self-expression, and culture.
It distributes through D2C, quick commerce (Zepto, Blinkit, and Instamart upcoming), and Amazon.
It has a dedicated kiosk at Jio World Drive, Bandra, offering services and product discovery.

Expand quick commerce and D2C distribution.
Invest in community-led brand building and product innovation.
Strengthen supply chain and expand digital footprint.
Scale thoughtfully while investing in culture, community, and category creation.

Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund (co-lead) — A consumer-focused fund backed by Nikhil Kamath.
Marsshot VC (co-lead) — A venture capital firm.
Shashank Kumar (angel) — Co-founder of Razorpay.
Arjit Johri (angel) — From Marsshot VC.
Yash Jain (angel) — Ex-founder of NimbusPost.
Karan Jindal (angel) — Works at Meta.
Jivraj Singh Sachar (angel) — GP at ISV Capital.
Nishank Jain (angel) — EIR at Accel.
Yashvardhan Kanoi (angel) — Ex-partner at Alter Global.
Ashwarya Garg (angel) — Founder of HYPD.
Venus Dhuria (angel) — Founder of Phot.AI.
Amishi Parasrampuria (angel) — Head of partnerships at The Whole Truth.

Product: Nail care and beauty products designed for modern consumers with focus on high-frequency, under-branded nail care category
Customers: Beauty-conscious consumers seeking community-led, modern nail care products and experiences
How it makes money: Multi-channel distribution through quick commerce, D2C, and retail partnerships with community-driven brand engagement
What sets it apart: Combines products with experiences and culture-led engagement; operates at intersection of beauty and community