The next generation of D2C founders just stepped into the right room.
D2C Insider officially launched Elevate Cohort 6 with a high energy kickoff meet in Gurgaon, bringing together founders, operators, investors, and leaders from across India’s rapidly growing consumer brand ecosystem.
What started as an accelerator for early stage D2C brands has now evolved into one of the fastest growing founder communities in the space.
Over 100 startups across categories and stages have already gone through Elevate, with several brands including Goat Life, SteamPRO, Pandas Box, Invogue, Arata, Assembly, and Adil Qadri going on to feature on Shark Tank India.
The Super Angels Network by D2C Insider has also backed 10+ Elevate startups at an early stage, reinforcing the ecosystem’s long term belief in founder led growth.
Now, Cohort 6 carries that momentum forward with a fresh wave of ambitious founders building across consumer categories and preparing for scale, growth, and fundraising through a focused 12 week accelerator journey.
A Kickoff Packed With Real Founder Conversations
One of the biggest highlights of the evening was an insightful fireside chat featuring Shaily Mehrotra, Founder and CEO of Fix Derma, in conversation with Abhishek Shah.
Fresh from joining Shark Tank India as one of the newest Sharks, Shaily shared raw and honest insights on building consumer trust, scaling a dermatologist backed brand, and navigating the realities of growing a modern D2C business in India.
The room stayed highly engaged throughout as founders openly discussed credibility, brand building, growth challenges, and the decisions that shape long term businesses.
The event also featured a power packed panel discussion with leaders including Anshita Mehrotra from Fix My Curls, Maadhav Saxena from Invogue, Vishal Verma from Filli & Me, and Aparna Bhawal, moderated by Somil Agrawal.
Together, the panel unpacked what it truly takes to build and scale modern consumer brands in India today.
What Makes Elevate Different
Elevate is designed as a deeply practical and execution focused accelerator where founders learn directly from operators, founders, and CXOs who have already scaled businesses and raised capital themselves.
Over 12 weeks, founders work on strengthening key areas including:
• Branding and storytelling
• Growth strategy and retention
• Fundraising readiness
• Marketing & Growth
• Team building
• Metrics and unit economics
• GTM execution and scaling fundamentals
Participants also get the opportunity to pitch in front of a live investor jury during Demo Day, followed by continued fundraising and investment banking support.
Learning From Operators Who’ve Built It Themselves
Cohort 6 brings together an extensive mentor network featuring leaders such as:
• Saloni Anand from Traya
• Aakash Zaveri from Plix
• Avnish Anand from CaratLane
• Aditya Sanghavi from Snackible
• Anshita Mehrotra from Fix My Curls
• Yash Kalra from Goat Life
• Sreejith Moolayil from True Elements
• Pooja Shirali from DSG Consumer Partners
Along with many more founders, operators, investors, and ecosystem leaders from across India.
More Than Just Mentorship
Beyond sessions and strategy, Elevate is built around founder relationships.
Participants gain access to a curated founder community focused on peer learning, honest conversations, long term collaboration, and direct operator access.
Founders also unlock more than ₹25 lakh worth of enabler credits along with access to trusted D2C partners, agencies, tools, and service providers designed to help brands scale faster and more efficiently.
Applications for Elevate Cohort 7 Are Now Open
With Cohort 6 officially underway, D2C Insider has now opened applications for Elevate Cohort 7.
The upcoming cohort will continue the program’s operator led and execution first approach, giving founders access to mentorship, fundraising preparation, investor networks, community support, and a practical roadmap for scaling consumer brands in India.
For founders looking to avoid costly mistakes, sharpen fundamentals, raise capital, and grow alongside some of the country’s most exciting operators and builders, Elevate Cohort 7 aims to become a powerful launchpad for the next phase of growth.
Apply for Elevate Cohort 7 : d2ci.pro.typeform.com/Elevate-Apply
