Funding · Commerce & Consumer Brands

SkinInspired raises ₹12.25 crore seed round

By Startup Enthusiast · 27 August 2026

What they do

SkinInspired is a dermatologist-led skincare brand with products priced ₹800–₹1,500

It raised a ₹12.25 crore seed round led by Unilever Ventures, with angel investors including Arjun Vaidya

The brand operates omnichannel across clinics, quick-commerce, and international markets like Nepal and UAE

SkinInspired, a dermatologist-led skincare brand, raised a ₹12.25 crore seed round.
The round was led by Unilever Ventures, with angel investors including Arjun Vaidya.
The brand was launched in February 2023 by founder Piyush Jain and co-founder Dr. Prashant.
Piyush Jain previously served as P&G India Sales Director for Olay, leading a ₹2,000-crore business.
The founders invested over ₹1 crore of personal capital before external funding.
SkinInspired has raised $4.17 million in total to date.
It also won a ₹1.25 crore prize from the Beauty & You India programme by Estée Lauder and Nykaa.

Indian consumers lacked trusted, innovative, affordable skincare between mass (₹300–₹600) and premium (₹3,000+) segments.
The brand uses an asset-light model with outsourced production to three partners.
It has adopted refillable-airless pump packaging across 70%+ SKUs, cutting plastic use by 82%.
The company has a 47-person team and sells through 100+ dermatology clinics.

SkinInspired is a dermatologist-led skincare brand targeting the gap between mass and premium skincare.
Products are priced ₹800–₹1,500, addressing the ₹300–₹600 mass and ₹3,000+ premium segments.
It operates omnichannel: website, marketplaces, quick-commerce, 100+ dermatology clinics, modern trade.
International markets include Nepal, UAE, and Mauritius.
Production is outsourced to three partners in Dera Bassi, Chandigarh, and Ahmedabad.
Packaging uses refillable-airless pumps across 70%+ SKUs, reducing plastic use by 82% and cost by 14%.
Product pipeline includes PEP Booster, iREVIVE, InviShield 365, AcNil3, Underarm Serum Mist, and Nail Serum.
It conducts clinical work: registered CTRI trial for AcNil3, ISO 24443 sunscreen testing, and patch testing across 18 SKUs.

Capital will be directed to innovation, clinical validation, distribution, and team building.

Unilever Ventures (lead) — Venture capital arm of Unilever, investing in consumer brands.
Arjun Vaidya (angel) — Angel investor.

Product: D2C skincare brand
Customers: Consumers looking for active-ingredient and dermatologist-curated skincare products for acne, pigmentation, and aging.
How it makes money: Generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales on its website and third-party e-commerce and quick commerce marketplaces.
What sets it apart: Develops clinically tested formulations with proprietary active blends in collaboration with more than 200 dermatologists.