Mother-son duo-founded Kitchen Secret raises Rs 1.14 crore in seed funding to fuel its next phase of growth

Kitchen Secret, a preservative-free brand of ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook sauces founded by mother-son duo Renuka Kedia and Manav Kedia, has raised Rs 1.14 crore in its first external funding round, led by BeyondSeed, with participation from angel investors.

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The startup will deploy the raised capital towards strengthening marketing efforts, expanding inventory, increasing distribution across quick-commerce platforms and scaling the brand’s business-to-business (B2B) operations.

The investment will support Kitchen Secret’s efforts to expand its consumer reach and build on its presence across direct-to-consumer (D2C), quick-commerce and B2B channels.

Established in 2016, Kitchen Secret was later discontinued due to challenges in marketing and distribution. In 2023, Manav Kedia decided to revive the brand, relaunching it with updated branding, an expanded product portfolio and recipes developed in-house.

Since its relaunch, the company has introduced sauces inspired by Italian, Mexican and Korean cuisines. Kitchen Secret currently operates its own manufacturing facility with a production capacity of approximately 500 kg per day.

The company said it has sold more than one lakh jars and is available across over 500 Blinkit dark stores. The brand sells its products through its website and online platforms, including Blinkit, Zepto and Amazon. It also supplies products to the hotel, restaurant and catering (HoReCa) sector and provides white-label and private-label manufacturing services to other brands.

BeyondSeed operates through a SEBI-approved Category I Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) in India and a US dollar-denominated Category I AIF in GIFT City.

With the new funding, Kitchen Secret plans to expand its distribution network, increase its presence across consumer and institutional channels, and support its marketing and inventory requirements.

Manav Kedia, Co-Founder of Kitchen Secret, said, “We didn’t come into this with industry experience, just a love for good food and a belief that India was ready for it. Over the past three years, every day has taught us something new, and we’ve used each lesson to improve. Our goal is simple: to keep getting better until Kitchen Secret is the name people trust most for sauces.”

Radhika Jain, Co-Founder & CEO, BeyondSeed Middle East, said, “India’s evolving consumer landscape presents an opportunity for brands that combine differentiated products with convenience and accessibility. Kitchen Secret has demonstrated the ability to build a distinct product portfolio and establish distribution across quick-commerce, retail and B2B channels while remaining bootstrapped. We are pleased to support the team as it strengthens its market presence and scales its operations. We believe the brand is well-positioned to build on its early traction and tap into the growing demand for convenient, globally inspired food products.”