Fundoo Labs

Naitik Chotai is Season 4's most L&T-engineer-turned-Santa-Claus founder from Vadodara. After a successful engineering career at Larsen and Toubro, India's largest infrastructure conglomerate, Naitik made the specific career leap that only a father inspired by his daughter's curiosity would make: he left corporate engineering to build toys. "I started FundooLabs with the vision of making science and technology fun, inspiring curiosity in children through safe, hands-on learning experiences. As an engineer-turned-entrepreneur, it's been incredibly fulfilling to develop innovative DIY kits and sensory toys that spark creativity and discovery." The founding story began with his own daughter: watching her natural curiosity about how things work, he realised that India lacked safe, engaging, scientifically accurate DIY science toys.

FundooLabs produces DIY scientific kits and sensory toys that transform fundamental chemistry and physics concepts into hands-on play experiences. The slime range (the hero category) teaches polymer chemistry: children mix specific ingredients in specific proportions to create slime with different textures (jiggly, stretchy, glossy, fluffy), learning cause-and-effect relationships, measurement precision, and material science through play. The sensory toy range (Blobbie sub-brand) addresses children's tactile developmental needs: squishing, stretching, moulding, and shaping different materials develops fine motor skills, hand strength, and sensory processing capabilities that screen-based entertainment cannot provide. Occupational therapists increasingly recommend sensory play for children's neurological development, positioning FundooLabs' products at the intersection of entertainment, education, and therapeutic benefit.

FundooLabs produces DIY scientific kits and sensory toys that transform fundamental chemistry and physics concepts into hands-on play experiences. The slime range (the hero category) teaches polymer chemistry: children mix specific ingredients in specific proportions to create slime with different textures (jiggly, stretchy, glossy, fluffy), learning cause-and-effect relationships, measurement precision, and material science through play. The sensory toy range (Blobbie sub-brand) addresses children's tactile developmental needs: squishing, stretching, moulding, and shaping different materials develops fine motor skills, hand strength, and sensory processing capabilities that screen-based entertainment cannot provide. Occupational therapists increasingly recommend sensory play for children's neurological development, positioning FundooLabs' products at the intersection of entertainment, education, and therapeutic benefit.

Amount Asked: ₹60 lakhs Equity Offered: 4% Implied Pre-Money Valuation: ₹15 crore

Naitik walked into Season 4 Episode 27 with the most delightfully messy pitch of the season, and his 14-year-old daughter as his secret weapon. Rather than presenting slides about scientific education, Naitik's daughter performed a live slime-making demonstration on the Shark Tank stage: mixing ingredients, explaining the chemistry, and producing colourful, stretchy, safe slime in front of five billionaire investors. Namita Thapar was visibly impressed by the daughter's confidence: a 14-year-old presenting on national television with the poise and product knowledge of a seasoned entrepreneur demonstrated both the educational effectiveness of FundooLabs' products (the daughter literally learned science through playing with them) and the family values embedded in the brand.

Namita Thapar was impressed by Naitik's daughter's confident live demonstration, praising both the product's educational value and the family's personal investment in the brand. Anupam Mittal called Naitik "the real Santa Claus without a beard" and invested ₹66 lakhs for 7% equity alongside Aman. Aman Gupta co-invested with Anupam, bringing boAt's consumer product marketing expertise and D2C scaling playbook. Peyush Bansal appreciated the concept but did not invest. The educational toy category sat outside his primary investment framework. Kunal Bahl (or fifth Shark present) showed interest but did not make a competing offer against the Anupam-Aman coalition.

Naitik asked ₹60L for 4% (₹15 crore). After negotiations about valuation and the brand's growth trajectory, Anupam and Aman jointly offered ₹66 lakhs for 7% equity (₹9.43 crore valuation). Naitik accepted. The founder received 10% more capital than requested (₹66L versus ₹60L) at a 37% valuation markdown (₹15 crore to ₹9.43 crore), gaining two Sharks whose combined consumer product marketing expertise (boAt plus Shaadi.com) could accelerate FundooLabs from 3,000 retail stores to nationwide consumer brand recognition.

"Last year, we appeared on Shark Tank India Season 4 and secured funding from Anupam Mittal and Aman Gupta, a milestone that brought validation, responsibility, and a new level of energy to what we're building. But behind that moment were countless small moments: late nights, rapid iterations, quality checks, packaging runs, dispatch deadlines, and the everyday discipline that never shows on camera. The real credit goes to my team who kept showing up, quietly, consistently, and with full ownership, when the journey was still taking shape." — Naitik Chotai, LinkedIn (February 2026) FundooLabs continues its mission of making science fun and accessible post-Shark Tank. The national broadcast significantly boosted brand visibility and consumer trust: parents across India who had never heard of FundooLabs discovered a safe, educational, Made-in-India toy brand through the episode.