FMCG startup Meolaa raises $6 million led by General Catalyst, Ranjan Pai's Claypond Capital, others

Meolaa, an end-to-end technology-powered FMCG company, today announced that it has raised $6 million in pre-Series A funding to advance its digital-first growth strategy.

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The round was led by General Catalyst (GC), alongside participation from Claypond Capital (family investment office of Dr. Ranjan Pai), Colossa Ventures, entrepreneur Kunal Shah, Turbostart Global, and other existing investors.

Founded in 2023 by Ishita Sawant, Meolaa aims to address inefficiencies in traditional FMCG product development cycles, which can take 18 to 24 months.

The startup leverages artificial intelligence and advanced analytics across market intelligence, product development, packaging, branding, and supply chain optimization. Its unified AI-powered framework compresses brand creation timelines from years to months, enabling rapid response to shifting consumer demand.

“At Meolaa, we believe consumer brands must be built with precision — powered by data, insights, and culture. With General Catalyst’s support, we are accelerating our transition into a modern, AI-enabled FMCG house designed to disrupt the value chain end to end. HIRA, our flagship brand, is just the beginning — proof that products rooted in real consumer needs can scale fast, resonate deeply, and travel globally,” said Ishita Sawant, who is also the CEO of Meolaa.

“By reimagining the assembly line of brand creation, we are solving for agility, speed, and scale — while reverse-engineering success to tilt the odds in our favour. This partnership gives us the conviction and resources to build India’s first FMCG powerhouse for the world,” Sawant added.

The startup will deploy the raised capital across AI and data science infrastructure, expanding into adjacent personal care categories, and high-potential distribution networks by identifying the most relevant consumer cohorts and geographies.

"What excites us about Meolaa is Ishita's vision to build an AI-native FMCG powerhouse, replacing traditional R&D with intelligent systems that compress brand development from years to months," said Neeraj Arora, Managing Director at General Catalyst.

“Her consumer-first approach and global brand insights, combined with her bias for action, position her uniquely to identify whitespace opportunities and execute rapidly. Under Ishita's leadership, they're reimagining how consumer brands are built and scaled for the modern economy.”