The Whole Truth (TWT), which claims to be a 100 percent clean-label food brand, has raised $15 million in its Series B round, led by Sequoia Capital India. Existing investors Matrix Partners India and Sauce.Vc also participated in the round. The company has been funded by angel investors such as Zerodha co-founderNithin Kamath, food delivery platform Swiggy’s co-founder and CEO Sriharsha Majety, and co-founder and CEO of Rebel Foods Jaydeep Burman.

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According to TWT, the new capital will be invested in expanding the brand's in-house manufacturing capacity, hiring great talent, and expanding retail distribution. “With this new fundraising, nothing changes. We’ll continue to innovate and enter more categories. We’ll continue to grow distribution and bring our existing products to more consumers,” said Shashank Mehta, Founder and CEO of The Whole Truth Foods.

The Whole Truth’s journey

TWT, which was founded by Shashank Mehta, an ex-Unilever marketeer, is the result of his lifelong struggle with obesity and his realisation that the main culprit was unhealthy packaged food loaded with hidden sugars and chemicals masquerading as healthy.

The brand's category-changing products are developed by Rachna Aggarwal, a bakery chef and chocolatier with over 15 years of experience. All other functions are handled by EiRs (Entrepreneurs in Residence), who aren't even from the food industry but are hell-bent on making things right.

Also read: Storyboard18 | Shashank Mehta on why The Whole Truth is on an Instagram break

Apart from this, TWT also posts myth-busting content on Instagram, YouTube, and their in-house publication called Truth Be Told.

“From Day 1, we’ve maintained we’re not a food brand. We’re a truth brand. Fighting to bring truth back to food. To make food real again. And we intend to bring this philosophy to all food categories where consumers are being sold half-truths. From Protein Bars to Chocolates and beyond. We’ll continue to make clutter-breaking, myth-busting content that educates consumers. Because what we read and believe is what we eat and repeat,” said Mehta.

Since its Series A in July 2021, TWT has grown seven times. The company launched 100 percent clean-label, bean-to-bar chocolates. TWT has also expanded over the years and grown its physical distribution to over 10 cities.

“Building large, enduring brands takes decades. And the fact that *all* our existing investors, even in the current environment, have chosen to back us once again - is all the validation we need to know we’re on the right track,” Shashank said.

Also read: Swiggy loss widens to Rs 3,628.9 crore in FY22; More layoffs expected as cost cutting measure