Fast&Up Parent Fullife Healthcare Bags ₹300 Cr To Expand Wellness Portfolio

D2C health and wellness startup Fullife Healthcare, which operates active nutrition brand Fast&Up and beauty nutrition brand Chicnutrix, has raised ₹300 Cr (around $32 Mn) in its Series D round led by Elev8 Venture Partners. 

The fresh capital will be utilised to grow its dietary supplements brands Fast&Up, Chicnutrix, and NightOut, which is an expansion of its effervescent tablet offerings focused mainly on hangover relief. Fast&Up, on the other hand, has a slew of effervescent tablets targeted toward weight loss, daily nutrition, hydration and energy. It has now expanded the product portfolio to include protein supplements, pre-workout supplements and other drink mixes. 

Meanwhile, Chicnutrix is a skincare brand offering products like serums, face masks, and glutathione and keratin effervescent tablets. 

The startup claims to offer over 100 SKUs collectively across hydration, metabolic health, sports nutrition, and beauty wellness. It is now planning to expand into other wellness segments like digestive health, sleep support, and protein-based nutrition. 

Founded by Varun Khanna in 2011, Fullife had raised over $30 Mn prior to this round from investors including Six Sense Ventures and Kotak Securities, with its last $22 Mn Series C raise in 2021 being led by Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA). Its cap table also boasts celebrity backers Shilpa Shetty and Varun Dhawan. 

Fullife said that its brands have presence in over 40 countries with active expansion in the US, Europe and Gulf regions. It operates a manufacturing facility in Maharashtra and develops its products in partnership with foreign pharmaceutical companies. 

It plans to scale manufacturing and distribution capabilities to aid expansion plans, which also include deepening retail presence and consumer access to digital channels. It is additionally investing in advancing new delivery formats and product innovation. 

Effervescent tables have become hugely popular with Indian consumers due to their ease of use and purported health benefits. Fullife’s brands compete in this space with the likes of Plix, Wellbeing Nutrition and Oziva, among others. The D2C health and wellness space, especially for dietary supplements, itself is expanding at a rapid pace. 

With the growing popularity of nutraceuticals within younger populations, legacy brands are also eyeing a  piece of the market which is currently dominated by D2C startups. For instance, Dabur last year announced its own entry into the space with a digital-first wellness brand Siens. While Marico now owns a majority stake in Plix, pharmaceutical company USV recently acquired 79% stake in Wellbeing Nutrition for ₹1,583 Cr ($174.7 Mn) in an all-cash deal.

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