Senior journalist and entrepreneur Vir Sanghvi has invested an undisclosed amount in startup Mishry.com, which reviews products in the cooking and dining segment.
The startup has also raised an undisclosed amount in seed investment from financial technology executives Rajiv Garodia and Kiran Shetty, it said in a statement on Monday.
Mishry founder Tanu Ganguly said the company will use the capital it has raised to ramp up its content and expand its presence over the next few months. “If we can check the features of a smartphone five times before we buy it, why don't we do the same for the biscuits, juices or dairy products we buy?” Ganguly said.
Sanghvi said Mishry was creating India’s first review platform for the kitchen and dining segment. “While consumers in the tech and auto sectors have enjoyed expert-driven reviews all along, nothing like this existed in the food space,” he added.
The startup, operated by Fried&Tasted Review Solutions Pvt. Ltd, says it aims to fill the gap between consumers and the right products to buy in the kitchen and dining space. Ganguly, a Delhi University alumnus, has previously worked at media network NDTV in various roles, including as the editor of NDTV Food.
Investments by celebrities
The investment by Sanghvi, who is also the co-founder of online restaurant service EazyDiner, is the latest example of celebrities funding startups.
In June, actor Akshay Kumar invested an undisclosed amount in GOQii Inc. as part of the Series C funding round of the wearable fitness devices maker. He will also be GOQii’s brand ambassador, the California-based startup had said.
Similarly, former cricketer Kapil Dev led a Rs 1 crore ($145,000) angel funding round in WizCounsel, an online marketplace for freelance legal, tax and accounting experts.
Also that month, Zorba Renaissance Pvt. Ltd, which operates the Sarva chain of yoga studios, raised over $4 million (Rs 27 crore) from a clutch of individual investors, including Bollywood actors Shahid Kapoor and Malaika Arora, and Hollywood singer-actor Jennifer Lopez.
In May, actor Deepika Padukone invested in greek yogurt brand Epigamia while actor and producer Suniel Shetty invested an undisclosed amount in Pune-based fitness and nutrition startup Squats.
