Venturi Partners invests $25 million in affordable footwear brand JQR

Equity firm Venturi Partners has said it has invested $25 million in JQR (Just Quick Run), a rapidly emerging brand in the affordable footwear segment. This marks the first venture capital funding for JQR, with Venturi acquiring an undisclosed minority stake.

 

This funding will allow JQR to expand its offline presence to new markets as well as launch its online channel. It would help it further enhance its product offerings to meet India's rising demand for affordable and high-quality sneakers.

 

“The investment will not only allow us to accelerate our growth and deliver value to our consumers, but, with their support and expertise, we are also confident that JQR will emerge as the leading brand in its category and deliver strong value to all stakeholders,” promoter brothers of JQR, Rinku Garg, Sunil and Manish Garg said in a statement.

 

Founded in 2014, JQR is tapping India’s $12 billion mid and economy priced footwear segment. With vertically integrated manufacturing, in-house design capabilities and strong offline distribution, Venturi said it delivers high quality products at affordable price points.

 

“The footwear industry is seeing strong support from government policies, and we believe there is a significant gap in the price segment that JQR operates in. India’s consumer market continues to have a dearth of high-quality, affordable brands, and our mission at Venturi is to identify and scale such businesses across categories,” said Rishika Chandan, Managing Director of Venturi Partners.

 

Venturi’s existing portfolio includes Livspace, Country Delight, Believe, Pickup Coffee, DALI, and K-12 Techno.