D2C brand Waterscience raises Rs 1.4 crore in funding; founder says, 'Our mission is to make water safer'

WaterScience, a homegrown brand in non-drinking water filtration, today said it has raised Rs 1.4 crore in funding from Velocity, a growth capital platform backed by Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures. 

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The startup will use the funding to accelerate its growth trajectory, strengthen brand marketing initiatives, and introduce new product categories to become a 360-degree water solutions company. 

Founded in 2014, WaterScience pioneered the shower and tap filter category in India, addressing critical water quality issues that affect over 95% of household water use beyond drinking.

The Bengaluru-based startup offers more than 40 products across categories, including shower and tap filters, appliance filters, kitchen filters, water softeners, and whole-house filtration systems for hard water, chlorine and other contaminants. 

WaterScience claims to have served over 2 million Indian homes and aims to reach an additional 1 million households in fiscal year 2025-26.

Pavithra Rao, co-founder, WaterScience, said, “This funding is a strong validation of our mission to make water safer and healthier for every Indian home. With Velocity’s support, we will scale faster and innovate across new categories, ensuring that WaterScience continues to set the benchmark for water solutions in India. Having already reached 2 million homes, we are excited to add another 1 million this year.” 

Atul Khichariya, co-founder and COO of Velocity, added, “We have a long-standing partnership with WaterScience, a true category creator in India’s water solutions space. Their growth trajectory and focus on innovation demonstrate a strong commitment to addressing the vast need gap in non-drinking water filtration. We are proud to have been part of their journey and look forward to supporting their next phase of expansion.” 

WaterScience noted that the non-drinking water filtration segment, which accounts for 95% of household consumption through bathing, washing, and cleaning activities, largely remains unaddressed. With hard water affecting 70% of Indian homes and causing widespread skin, hair, and appliance damage, the market for whole-home water solutions is projected to grow at 15% CAGR through 2028, creating a significant opportunity for specialized players, it said.

WaterScience reported 70% year-on-year growth and a presence across Amazon, Flipkart, Shopify and more than 1,000 offline retailers. It said the new funding will support expansion into new markets and strengthen both digital and offline sales channels.

Founded in 2020 by IIT Bombay alumni Abhiroop Medhekar, Atul Khichariya, and Saurav Swaroop, Velocity has partnered with more than 4,000 D2C and digital-first brands, disbursing over Rs 1,100 crore in funding.