Aastey

Jeevika Tyagi and Kanupriya Mundhra are Season 3's most academically international athleisure founders. Jeevika brings Drexel University (BA), Imperial College London (winter programme), and BlackRock (Solutions Center Analyst) credentials alongside extensive marketing experience at ZEE5, New York Film Academy, and multiple startups. Kanupriya brings Columbia University (MA Strategic Communication) and H.R. College (Bachelor and Master degrees) alongside marketing roles at Tips Industries, Association of National Advertisers, and several startups.The founding story emerged during the pandemic when both friends felt a widespread lack of mindfulness among women and discovered two interconnected problems: women face body image issues because of biological cycles and magazine culture that makes them feel they should conform to fixed sizes and shapes, and fast fashion brands continued to devastate the environment without genuine accountability. Since no brand seemed to care about solving bo

Aastey is India's first and largest size-inclusive sustainable athleisure brand for women, producing activewear and everyday clothing from innovative recycled and eco-friendly fabrics that deliver comfort, performance, and style across all body types. The brand exists at the intersection of three powerful consumer movements: body positivity (celebrating all sizes rather than demanding conformity), sustainability (reducing fashion's environmental impact through recycled materials), and athleisure (clothing that transitions seamlessly from workout to work to social occasions).The size-inclusivity is not tokenistic: aastey designs every product for every body type from the ground up, not by adding XL and XXL as afterthoughts to existing slim-fit patterns. This design philosophy requires entirely different pattern-making, fabric engineering, and fit-testing processes compared to brands that simply extend size ranges

Amount Asked: ₹80 lakhs Equity Offered: 2% Implied Pre-Money Valuation: ₹40 crore

Jeevika and Kanupriya opened Season 3 Episode 23 by asking each Shark their clothing size, immediately making the point that women are constantly asked this question and judged by the answer. The pitch framed aastey as the solution: clothing designed for every body type, made sustainably, so women could be comfortable, confident, and environmentally responsible simultaneously. The founders shared their pandemic founding story, the one-year R&D journey to develop sustainable fabric blends, and the 200,000-plus community of women who had chosen to "live aastey." The product quality was demonstrated through physical samples.

Aman Gupta questioned the sustainability claims and the competitive landscape. Vineeta Singh probed the business model and customer acquisition costs. Namita Thapar exited on financial sustainability grounds. The ₹1 crore liability without funds to sustain operations made investment too risky at any valuation. Anupam Mittal questioned the founders about their business fundamentals and long-term viability. He exited without making an offer. Peyush Bansal exited on similar grounds. The combination of losses, liabilities, and the highly competitive athleisure category made the investment case commercially unviable.

No Shark made a formal offer. All five exited before entering negotiation. The unanimous concerns about ₹1 crore liability, loss-making operations, insufficient cash reserves to sustain the business, and the ₹40 crore valuation on pre-profitability metrics prevented any Shark from constructing an investment thesis. The founders did not receive any counter-offers or conditional terms.

Jeevika Tyagi and Kanupriya Mundhra left Shark Tank India Season 3 Episode 23 without any investment. All five Sharks declined, each citing financial viability concerns. Post-episode, one of the founders revealed on a podcast that the experience was difficult, describing the show as "TRP-driven" and the Sharks as "unnecessarily rude and dismissive," making aastey Season 3's most publicly critical no-deal founder response.

Despite not securing a deal on Shark Tank India, aastey has continued operating and achieved significant milestones outside the show. The brand raised $1.34 million from Kalaari Capital, one of India's most prestigious venture capital firms (early investors in Myntra, Urban Ladder, and Dream11), validating that institutional investors saw investable potential where the Sharks did not. The community has grown to 200,000 plus women, and the website remains active with the Shark Tank discount code "sharktank10" still featured, converting episode viewers into customers. The product range has expanded across leggings, tops, dresses, activewear, and accessories (caps, scrunchies, bottles), all maintaining the sustainable fabric and size-inclusive commitment. The company has 8 employees as of March 2026, suggesting a lean, focused team operating efficiently. The Kalaari Capital investment provides both capital for survival (addressing the ₹1 crore liability that concerned the Sharks) and the institutional credibility that enables further fundraising from strategic investors.