Shark Tank India 4: Pitcher shocks Sharks by investing entire family savings into business; why did Kunal Bahl call it ‘unfundable?’

In the latest episode of Shark Tank India 4, Prasanna Vasanadu from Chennai pitched her Tikitoro skincare and haircare brand. She also made a bold ask.

By Garima

Updated on Jan 29, 2025 | 12:07 PM IST | 24K

Image: SONY LIV

The latest episode of Shark Tank India 4 featured Prasanna Vasanadu, founder of Tikitoro, a skincare and haircare brand tailored specifically for children and teenagers. Prasanna, who mentioned herself to be an engineer and MBA graduate, made a bold ask- Rs 25 lakhs for a 0.5% equity stake, which positioned her company at an impressive valuation of Rs 50 crores. During the pitch, she revealed pouring her family's entire savings into the business.

Throwing light on her brand and the sales-related figures, Prasanna revealed that she launched her company in 2021. Interestingly, Tikitoro reached over 1 lakh customers, and now, year-to-date, Tikitoro has already done over Rs 8.5 crores. However, despite these impressive figures, Prasanna highlighted several ongoing financial difficulties faced by the business. She shared that the brand reported a -49% EBITDA in FY 2023-24. She further revealed that in FY24-25 (till October), it will be -20 percent.

Later, when Kunal inquired about the investment she made in her business, Prasanna shared that she had already invested all of her family's savings- Rs 14 crores, including ₹6.5 crores on inventory—and taken a bank overdraft of ₹2 crores. Comparing Tikitoro with Mamaearth, Kunal referred to the former as 'unfundable,' while Vineeta Singh explained that Prasanna's strategy was 'suicidal.'

Peyush Bansal recommended that Prasanna should prioritize accountability in her operations and work on effectively reducing costs. He suggested that she should first focus on solidifying her business's stability with Rs 2 crores before pursuing any additional investments. Lastly, Peyush opted out.

Vineeta Singh made an offer of Rs 25 lakhs for 3% equity but also put a condition according to which Prasanna could not raise other funds in the coming two years. Further, Namita Thapar laid down a counteroffer of Rs 25 lakhs for 1% equity plus a 0.5% royalty until the original amount is recouped.

However, she also explained her two conditions. Namita explained that the company must make sales worth Rs 17 crores in FY 24-25, and royalty will start after Tikitoro becomes profitable. Lastly, Prasanna accepted Thapar's offer.