Fresh commerce startup Handpickd raises $15 million from Bertelsmann India Investments, others

Fresh commerce startup Handpickd has secured $15 million in a funding round led by Bertelsmann India Investments with Titan Capital Winners Fund and existing investors participating.

The company plans to use the fund to go deeper into its current geography, hire more staff and develop technology to improve its supply chain.

The platform was founded in April 2024 by former Milkbasket chief executive and cofounder Anant Goel, Nitin Gupta, and Sahil Madan. It is currently operational in Gurgaon, Noida, and Bengaluru and is growing at a month-on-month rate of 15-20%.


“We believe that buying fruits and vegetables is still an offline behaviour. People are buying it on quick commerce but that’s for emergency purposes, so it will be limited to potatoes, tomatoes and onions,” said Goel.

“Our idea is to become the destination for a customer’s everyday vegetable and fruit purchase. In order to do that, we are focusing on variety. At Handpickd we have an assortment of 150-180 fruits and vegetables,” Goel added.

Handpickd operates with a zero-inventory model. It gathers customer orders a day before and then purchases the precise quantity and quality of produce from farmers overnight. The produce is sent to its seven transit stores and then delivered to customers, removing the need for storage.

So far, the startup has raised $17 million in two rounds.

“Customer retention and customer love for Handpickd is the highest we have seen amongst consumer companies,” said Rohit Sood, partner, Bertelsmann India Investments, in a statement.

“Every home needs fresh produce, and Handpickd is reimagining the supply chain in the best way to get the highest quality fruits and vegetables at affordable prices,” said Shiv Kapoor, vice president, Titan Capital Winners Fund.

In the past year, several startups have come up with a focus on quality commerce. FirstClub, for instance, was founded by the former chief executive of Flipkart-owned Cleartrip, Ayyappan R, and delivers a curated range of mass-premium products within 30 minutes.

Earlier this month, FirstClub raised $23 million in a funding round led by venture capital firms Accel and RTP Global.

Similarly, Mumbai-based LoveLocal is a hyperlocal delivery app for groceries, fresh vegetables, fruits, and other essentials. It connects users to their local kirana store or small supermarket to place orders.