What's Up Wellness

Vaibhav Makhija and Sayantani Mandal founded What's Up Wellness. They both worked at the MAN company where they met and then moved to Grofers. Hailing from Kolkata, West Bengal, the duo brought deep experience from the startup ecosystem to their venture. By identifying that nearly 50% of Indians worry about hair fall and over 80% suffer from stress, they developed a product line that directly addresses the lifestyle ailments of modern urban consumers.

The founders asked that 50% of Indians are concerned about their hair fall and skin issues. 1 out of 3 people are suffering from insomnia. Also, around 82% of Indians are under stress. One needs Biotin for long hair, and also Three Eggs every day for it. Vitamin C for bright skin, and also one glass of Orange juice. If you have a deficiency of vitamin E, eat Almonds every day, and the list goes on. If this is not followed properly, then one cannot get proper nutrition which causes many deficiencies. The founders brought a gummy that will erase all the worries. Their one gummy helps to fulfill the nutritional needs, in 20 seconds

Amount Asked: ₹50 lakhs Equity Offered: 2% Implied Pre-Money Valuation: ₹25 crore

Vaibhav and Sayantani opened Season 2 Episode 41 with India's most statistically grounded wellness pitch opener citing four specific, easily verifiable Indian health challenges (50 percent hair fall concern, 82 percent stress sufferers, 1 in 3 insomnia, skin issues) and then demonstrating the impracticality of getting adequate nutrition from food alone (three eggs daily for Biotin, one glass of orange juice for Vitamin C, almonds for Vitamin E) before presenting the single-gummy solution. Their pitch was not just about candy-like vitamins; it was about systemic health solutions delivered in 20 seconds.

Peyush Bansal exited citing domain expertise misalignment the wellness supplement category sits outside Lenskart's optical retail business, and he could not identify specific value he would add beyond capital. Namita Thapar exited despite her pharmaceutical background making her the most medically informed evaluator of wellness supplement claims Amit Jain exited on domain expertise grounds automotive finance and wellness gummies are entirely disconnected categories. Aman Gupta was the most enthusiastic remaining Shark the D2C consumer brand positioning, the 81 percent gross margin, and the category's growth trajectory all aligned with boAt's consumer brand investment thesis. He proposed the three-Shark non-negotiable offer. Vineeta Singh co-invested as SUGAR Cosmetics' founder with deep D2C beauty and wellness consumer brand knowledge, she saw What's Up Wellness as building exactly the kind of fun, accessible, aesthetically pleasing wellness brand that modern Indian consumers were seeking Anupam Mittal completed the coalition Anupam comments that this offer is non-negotiable

While they had asked for 50 lakhs, the 3 prominent Sharks Aman Gupta from BoAt, Vineeta Singh from Sugar Cosmetics, and Anupam Mittal from Shaadi.com offered What's Up Wellness a cheque of 20 lakhs each for their creative idea and hard work in making wellness fun. The offer: ₹60 lakhs total (₹20 lakhs each from three Sharks) for 4.76% equity at ₹12.6 crore valuation — non-negotiable as stated by Anupam. The founders accepted without hesitation. The deal provided 20 percent more capital than asked (₹60L vs ₹50L ask) at the cost of 4.76% equity versus their 2% ask a valuation markdown from ₹25 crore to ₹12.6 crore but with three highly strategic D2C brand investors and a capital amount that exceeded the original request.

Vaibhav Makhija and Sayantani Mandal accepted the non-negotiable three-Shark offer of ₹60 lakhs for 4.76% equity at ₹12.6 crore valuation ₹20 lakhs each from Aman Gupta, Vineeta Singh, and Anupam Mittal. The founders accepted without hesitation or counter-offer, correctly assessing that three of India's most respected D2C brand builders investing simultaneously validated the business's commercial thesis more powerfully than any equity negotiation outcome could. The deal did not formally close after the episode aired, though the brand continues to operate and grow.

Our research into the company revealed that their Shark Tank India deal with Sharks did not close after the show aired. Despite that, the company is still in business as of January 2025 and thriving. Furthermore, they have expanded their offerings and added stress relief gummies, Kids Gummies, and eye Health Gummies to their roster as well. Their following on Instagram went up by almost 2X as they have over 95 thousand followers as of January 2024. The What's Up Wellness Shark Tank India pitch remains one of the most strategically sound presentations from Season 2, showcasing how a sharp focus on unit economics and consumer pain points can win over the Sharks.