AI-first FMCG startup Meolaa raises $6 mn in pre-Series A funding

The Bengaluru-based startup plans to deploy funds into AI infrastructure, brand expansion and supply chain agility to compress FMCG product cycles from years to months

Meolaa, a tech-led fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company, has secured $6 million in Pre-Series A funding to advance its digital-first growth strategy. The round was led by General Catalyst (GC), with participation from Claypond Capital (the family investment office of Ranjan Pai), Colossa Ventures, entrepreneur Kunal Shah, Turbostart Global, and other existing investors.

 

The newly raised capital will be deployed across three key priorities — AI and data infrastructure, brand expansion, and operational agility and scale.

 

“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,” said Ishita Sawant, founder and chief executive of Meolaa.

 

AI to accelerate brand creation

 

Meolaa is augmenting AI and advanced analytics across its business verticals, integrating consumer market intelligence, new product development, packaging and branding innovation, and supply chain and distribution optimisation.

 

“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, General Catalyst.

 

Large FMCG companies typically follow long, sequential brand creation and product development cycles that can take 18–24 months. The process involves market research, R&D, packaging design, consumer testing and a nationwide rollout, often delaying response to shifting consumer preferences.

 

Meolaa aims to address this gap through a unified AI-powered brand creation framework that compresses development timelines while reverse engineering the product–market fit.

 

Capturing emerging market opportunities

 

The company’s insights-driven approach has already delivered results by identifying and capturing opportunities in underserved categories such as the Indian fragrance market. Valued at $281 million in FY24 and projected to reach $873.3 million by FY32, India’s fragrance segment is witnessing the rise of a mass-premium sub-segment, largely driven by Gen Z professionals.

 

“Meolaa combines deep consumer understanding with technology to accelerate brand creation and scale — bringing a level of agility and precision rarely seen in this space,” said Ranjan Pai, chairman of the Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG).