/indianstartupnews/media/media_files/2025/01/30/T5W6yIQgTSZk8xtnjmvE.png)
CHK Co-founders
CHK, a direct-to-consumer footwear startup co-founded by DealShare’s former executive Sankar Bora, has raised a total of $2.5 million in a seed funding round led by global venture capital firm Accel.
The round also saw participation from jewellery retailer BlueStone, which previously invested around Rs 12 crores (about $1.3 million) in November 2024.
Preparing for public launch
The startup plans to use the raised capital for ramping up production and bolstering research and development initiatives in preparation for its public launch in April.
The brand, established in October 2024 by Bora, Deepan Babu (an ex-McKinsey consultant and IIMA alumnus), former Puma and Adidas design executive Bharat Mahajan, and ex-Myntra director Deepak Patil, plans to begin sales through its own online platform before expanding into offline channels.
“Getting this backing of marquee investors like Accel and BlueStone will go a long way in enabling our mission of producing world-class and end-to-end ‘Concept to Creation’ shoes that redefine lifestyle footwear for India’s discerning and fashion-conscious youth,“ said Sankar Bora, Co-founder, CHK.
Following the "Concept to Creation" model
CHK touts a “Concept to Creation” business model that consolidates design, manufacturing and retail under one roof. The startp operates a footwear manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu, where it is also applying for Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification, in line with a government mandate for all shoe factories in the country.
It expects to receive BIS approval by April and will price its offerings at an average of Rs 4,500, targeting fashion-savvy millennials and Gen Z consumers.
Prashanth Prakash, Partner, Accel said, “With CHK, we are excited to get an early ringside seat for what promises to be an exciting journey in building a manufacturing-led innovative D2C footwear brand out of India. Sankar and his team are reimagining lifestyle footwear for India’s fashion-conscious youth and their ‘Concept to Creation’ model aligns with global trends of integrated manufacturing that enables brands to rapidly adapt to evolving consumer preferences.”