Beyond Snack, Dr. Jackfruit India Pvt. Ltd.

Manas Madhu is the kind of founder whose success feels simultaneously inevitable — given his relentless focus and clarity — and improbable, given where he started. Manas Madhu is a 36-year-old entrepreneur from Alappuzha, Kerala. He was interested in the outdoors since childhood. He realised the business opportunity after finding out that 40% of bananas get wasted from the farms. Sharktankindiaclub This statistic — that nearly half of India's banana production never reaches a consumer due to supply chain inefficiencies — was the commercial and social insight that anchored the entire Beyond Snack business model. As a first-generation entrepreneur with an MBA in Operations Management, Manas is responsible for the company's marketing and strategy.

Beyond Snack makes premium Kerala-style banana chips from Nendran bananas — a specific variety of plantain native to Kerala, known for its superior texture, starch content, and flavour profile — processed using a hygienic, standardised, no-hand-touch manufacturing process and available in modern, globally relevant flavour profiles. Kerala Banana Chips by Beyond Snack are healthy chips made from Nendran bananas. The manufacturing process is 'No Hand Touch' and completely hygienic. What makes this business unique is that the process is standardised. They are focused only on making Kerala-style banana chips, which makes them unique from Haldiram and Balaji who sell lots of other snacks. The chips are cholesterol-free, trans fat-free, and GMO-free, made with superior raw materials and cooked without artificial additives.

Amount Asked: ₹50 lakhs Equity Offered: 2.5% Implied Pre-Money Valuation: ₹20 crore

Manas's pitch was unusually clean for its stage. He knew his numbers, understood his category, and had a clear answer for every question — from the flavour split in revenue to the gross margin by channel to the production volumes. The pitcher wanted to use the investment money to expand their distribution in Mumbai. This is because most of his customers were from northern and western Indian states.This geographic insight — that Kerala banana chips found their largest market not in Kerala but in non-Malayali states where they were a novelty — was a significant commercial discovery that shaped the entire go-to-market strategy. The agricultural mission was woven into the pitch with authenticity: Manas realised this opportunity after finding out that 40% of bananas get wasted from the farms. In just a year and a half, they had sold 140 metric tons of bananas in the form of chips.

Ashneer Grover identified what he saw as the brand's biggest commercial challenge: price. Ashneer was concerned about the ₹60 price for one packet and asked if they can reduce it to less than ₹30. Anupam Mittal was the first to make an offer. Anupam put out the first offer of ₹50 lakhs for 20% of the company. Peyush asked if he could join Anupam for that offer, which Anupam accepted. Anupam then revised his offer after the company revealed their last round of investment — the new offer stood at ₹50 lakhs for 10% of the company. Ashneer Grover then intervened decisively. Ashneer believed this was a good business that was going to be big, so he offered the company exactly what they asked for — with Aman coming along in this deal. Aman Gupta joined Ashneer's offer immediately — recognising the brand-building opportunity in Beyond Snack, a category that had all the ingredients

Ashneer Grover identified what he saw as the brand's biggest commercial challenge: price. Ashneer was concerned about the ₹60 price for one packet and asked if they can reduce it to less than ₹30. Anupam Mittal was the first to make an offer. Anupam put out the first offer of ₹50 lakhs for 20% of the company. Peyush asked if he could join Anupam for that offer, which Anupam accepted. Anupam then revised his offer after the company revealed their last round of investment — the new offer stood at ₹50 lakhs for 10% of the company. Ashneer Grover then intervened decisively. Ashneer believed this was a good business that was going to be big, so he offered the company exactly what they asked for — with Aman coming along in this deal. Aman Gupta joined Ashneer's offer immediately — recognising the brand-building opportunity in Beyond Snack, a category that had all the ingredients

Deal Status:- Confirmed & Formally Closed Investment Amount:- ₹50 lakhs Equity Given:- 2.5%