Which metrics should a Bengaluru D2C brand share with investors?

Repeat purchase rate by cohort, contribution margin per order after marketing, and how much of your sales come from channels you control. Be clear about returns and discounting.

Do D2C investors care whether I sell on marketplaces and quick commerce?

Yes, positively, if you can show margins hold up there. Many investors like brands that sell across their own site, marketplaces and quick commerce, as long as one channel is not hiding losses in another.

Can Cleya introduce a Bengaluru brand to consumer investors in other cities?

Yes. Cleya looks for investors who back your category and stage anywhere in India. You will hear about someone only when there is a clear reason to meet and both of you say yes.

Cleya.ai in Bengaluru

D2C investors in Bengaluru: how to get a warm intro

D2C startups in Bengaluru

Bengaluru's large population of young professionals makes it a useful test market for new consumer brands, particularly in food, health, personal care and home products. Shoppers here tend to try new labels online and through quick commerce apps, so a brand can learn quickly whether a product gets reordered.

The city's D2C founders often bring a tech-company habit of measuring everything. Many have run growth, product or operations at consumer internet companies, and they build brands that lean on data for pricing, inventory and marketing, while sourcing manufacturing from elsewhere in South India or beyond.

What D2C investors look for at pre-seed and seed

Early consumer investors in India start with repeat purchase. A first order can be bought with ads; a third order means the product works. They also want to see contribution margin after discounts, returns and delivery costs, and how cash on delivery orders behave in your category.

For a Bengaluru brand, investors also ask whether demand travels. A product that sells well to one city’s professionals may not work in smaller towns, so a founder who has tested other cities or channels, such as marketplaces or a few retail shelves, gives a fuller picture.

How to get a warm intro

Consumer angels in Bengaluru include people who built or scaled brands and people who ran growth at internet companies. A founder or operator in an adjacent category is often the best route in. Lead with what customers do after their first order, and share real reviews instead of a long brand story.

How Cleya’s double opt-in works

Tell Cleya what you’re building, what you’re raising and the kind of investor you need.
She looks for investors whose stage, sector and thesis fit, and tells each side why.
The introduction is made only when both sides say yes. If either passes, no intro is made.

We can’t promise a D2C investor in Bengaluru: who has applied changes over time, and when the right fit is elsewhere in India, that’s who you’ll hear about.

You’re in as soon as you sign up — no invite needed.

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D2C investor? Sign up as an investor to see a few founders who fit how you invest.

Frequently asked questions

Which metrics should a Bengaluru D2C brand share with investors?: Repeat purchase rate by cohort, contribution margin per order after marketing, and how much of your sales come from channels you control. Be clear about returns and discounting.
Do D2C investors care whether I sell on marketplaces and quick commerce?: Yes, positively, if you can show margins hold up there. Many investors like brands that sell across their own site, marketplaces and quick commerce, as long as one channel is not hiding losses in another.
Can Cleya introduce a Bengaluru brand to consumer investors in other cities?: Yes. Cleya looks for investors who back your category and stage anywhere in India. You will hear about someone only when there is a clear reason to meet and both of you say yes.