Actor Anushka Sharma has invested an undisclosed amount in millet-based startup Wholsum Foods, making her the investor and brand ambassador of the company.

Sharma will also advocate for Wholsum Foods' flagship brand, Slurrp Farm, and all the brands it will launch in the future as it aims to become a house of brands.

As a new mother herself, Sharma's values strongly align with that of Wholsum Foods’ core purpose of developing millet-based products with zero junk ingredients, the firm said.

“I’ve always believed you are what you eat — real, wholesome, sustainable food choices go a long way in setting the tone for a healthy and happy life. It’s a realization that hit home even harder after I became a mother— I want my daughter to develop a healthy relationship with food and I have to start her on that journey early on," Sharma said.

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She said Wholsum Foods was started by two mothers so their mission to "unjunk the plates" of kids and families across the world resonates with her strongly. "At the heart of this mission are millets, an ancient hardy grain packed with nutrients, making it good for us and good for the planet. Through the partnership, I hope to help nurture India’s rich heritage of millets and enable today’s generation to leave behind a healthier lifestyle and planet for those to come,” Sharma said.

Sharma's investment in the firm is not her first. She recently joined the alternative meat startup Blue Tribe Foods as an investor and brand ambassador. Anushka and her husband, Virat Kohli, invested an undisclosed amount in the startup.

Currently, Wholsum Foods clocks in Rs 55 crore of revenue run rate and aims to reach Rs 150 crore annual revenue run rate in March 2023. Sharma’s investment comes soon after a $7 million funding round led by Investment Corporation of Dubai, the sovereign wealth fund of the Government of Dubai, and Fireside Ventures.

“Ahead of the International Year of Millets in 2023, we couldn’t have asked for anyone better than Anushka Sharma on board with us as we take millets to the world. The partnership is an important milestone as we build Wholsum Foods into a house of brands that makes food better for us and for the planet,” Meghana Narayan and Shauravi Malik, Co-founders and Co-CEOs of Wholsum Foods, said.

Founded in 2016, Wholsum Foods’ flagship brand Slurrp Farm currently retails in India via its websites as well as through e-commerce and quick commerce platforms such as Amazon, Big Basket, First Cry, and Swiggy Instamart, among others. Its products are also available across leading modern trade stores in India and the UAE as well as online in the US and UK.

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(Edited by : Shloka Badkar)

First Published:Apr 19, 2022 2:23 PM IST