In a landmark ₹5 crore (approximately $585 K) seed funding round led by Sauce VC, lifestyle brand Uni Seoul is gearing up for rapid expansion into major Indian metros. Co-founded by Gaurav Karmani and Mohit Khurana, the brand has carved a distinct niche with its eclectic product mix—spanning home & living, personal care, gifting, and fashion accessories—and now plans to scale its offline footprint across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai.
This fresh capital infusion, which also saw participation from Panthera Peak Ventures and angel investors Arun Venkatachalam, Sangeet Agrawal, Navin Parwal, and Yogesh Kabra, will underpin four key growth pillars: launching new private labels, enhancing the direct-to-consumer platform, supercharging marketing efforts, and streamlining supply-chain operations. By investing in these areas, Uni Seoul aims to reinforce its position as a design-driven, customer-centric brand that seamlessly blends international style with Indian sensibilities.
Since its inception, Uni Seoul has demonstrated robust unit economics: operating four profitable stores across Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Nashik, and curating a catalog of over 700 SKUs—with 40% of products made in India and the remainder sourced from a network of over 200 trusted vendors in South Korea, China, and Vietnam. This strategic vendor mix has allowed the brand to maintain high quality and design standards while delivering competitive price points.
A pivotal moment arrived in October 2023, when Uni Seoul launched its online store. Without any paid promotion, the digital channel swiftly contributed 27% of total revenue, reflecting the brand’s strong organic traction and customer loyalty. Across all touchpoints—both online and offline—Uni Seoul enjoys an average rating of 4.8/5, underscoring its ability to delight consumers with unique products and exceptional service.
Looking ahead, Uni Seoul’s leadership has set an ambitious target: to triple the business within the next twelve months. This growth ambition is driven by a clear vision to democratize high-quality, design-forward lifestyle products for the modern Indian consumer. With the newly raised funds, the brand will accelerate store rollouts in India’s top-tier markets, deepen its private-label offerings, and leverage data-driven marketing to enhance customer acquisition and retention.
As the D2C sector in India continues to mature—fueled by tech adoption, rising disposable incomes, and evolving consumer tastes—Uni Seoul’s blend of curated product curation, thoughtful design, and strategic expansion positions it well to capture significant market share. With Sauce VC and other investors backing its vision, Uni Seoul is set to become a leading lifestyle destination, offering consumers a seamless fusion of global aesthetics and local relevance.
