D2c Insider Pulse | Voice of the D2C Community in India

Puresta Raises ₹34 Crore Pre-Seed to Build AI-Powered Full-Stack Dermatology Platform, Acquires SKINQ Ahead of Launch

In a major D2C news India development within the D2C beauty and skincare India and D2C wellness startups ecosystem, Puresta has raised ₹34 crore (approximately $3.7 million) in a pre-seed funding round led by Spring Marketing Capital to build an AI-powered, full-stack dermatology platform. For those tracking D2C daily news, D2C startup news, and Indian D2C updates, this marks one of the most ambitious early-stage D2C funding rounds in the intersection of beauty, health, and technology.

Founded in 2025 by Ashish Mishra along with The Man Company cofounders Hitesh Dhingra and Bhisham Bhateja, Puresta is positioning itself at the convergence of Direct-to-consumer India, AI diagnostics, and clinically validated skincare. The startup aims to deliver end-to-end skincare solutions that combine AI-led diagnostics, dermatologist-formulated products, clinical validation, and real-time progress tracking—an integrated D2C business model India approach aligned with D2C market trends 2025.

Ahead of its official launch this week, Puresta acquired HealthQ Life Science, the parent company of D2C skincare brand SKINQ, founded by Dr. Chytra Anand in 2021. The D2C acquisitions 2025 move strengthens Puresta’s product pipeline and technology infrastructure. By integrating SKINQ’s dermatologist-formulated products into its AI platform, Puresta plans to deliver personalized skincare regimens with measurable outcomes—reflecting the growing demand for outcome-driven, ingredient-focused D2C personal care brands.

Within the broader D2C ecosystem India, consumer preferences are shifting toward simplified, results-led skincare rather than influencer-driven hype. As the D2C beauty and skincare India segment becomes increasingly crowded, brands focusing on clinical validation and measurable efficacy are emerging as the next wave of fastest-growing D2C brands. Puresta’s full-stack dermatology approach aligns with this structural shift in D2C consumer behavior India.

Spring Marketing Capital’s backing further strengthens Puresta’s positioning among VC-backed D2C brands. Through its Spring Funds, the investor has previously backed SKINQ and recently led a ₹24 crore round in SkinInspired. Its broader consumer portfolio includes FAE Beauty, Juicy Chemistry, Cava Athleisure, and Lucira—highlighting strong D2C investor insights into premium D2C brands India and scalable D2C startup valuation opportunities.

The founding team’s track record adds further credibility within D2C industry news conversations. Hitesh Dhingra and Bhisham Bhateja previously cofounded The Man Company, in which Emami Group acquired a 49.5% stake in 2024 for ₹177.63 crore, after earlier acquiring 50.4% in multiple tranches. Dhingra has also cofounded TrulyMadly and Letsbuy, the latter acquired by Flipkart in 2021 for an estimated $25 million. This entrepreneurial pedigree strengthens Puresta’s long-term D2C expansion plans and potential positioning within the Direct-to-consumer startup IPO tracker narrative.

As D2C funding news continues to highlight strong capital inflows into BPC startups, Puresta’s ₹34 crore pre-seed round underscores sustained investor appetite for AI-driven, clinically validated D2C brands India. In a landscape where Series A/B/C funding India announcements and private equity in D2C are shaping category leadership, Puresta’s entry signals the emergence of tech-enabled dermatology as a high-growth vertical within Direct-to-consumer India.

For observers following the daily digest of D2C news in India, Puresta represents a new blueprint for D2C brand building stories—combining AI, medical validation, strategic acquisition, and capital backing to redefine the future of skincare within the fast-evolving D2C ecosystem India.

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