WaterScience, a Bengaluru-based brand specializing in non-drinking water filtration, has secured INR 1.4 crore in funding from Velocity, a growth capital platform supported by Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures. This investment adds to the buzz around India’s D2C startups, where brands focused on consumers are growing quickly across different product types.
Founded in 2014 by Sudeep Nadukkandy, Pavithra Rao, and Mohammed Iqbal, WaterScience is tackling a largely ignored part of the water market: filtration for uses other than drinking. Since over 95% of household water is used for things like showering and cleaning, the brand has found a place by making water safer for everyday needs. They offer over 40 products, including filters for showers, taps, appliances, kitchens, water softeners, and whole-house systems, all designed to deal with hard water, chlorine, and other stuff you don’t want in your water.
The D2C brand has already made its mark, reaching over 2 million homes in India. The company says it aims to reach another 1 million homes in FY25-26, thanks to this new funding. Co-founder Pavithra Rao said that this funding shows their goal of making water safer for Indian homes is on the right track. With Velocity’s help, they plan to grow faster and create new products, making sure WaterScience stays at the top of the water solutions market in India.
WaterScience says it’s growing by 70% each year, thanks to a solid D2C strategy that uses multiple channels. They sell their products on popular online stores like Amazon, Flipkart, and Shopify, as well as in over 1,000 physical stores across India. This mix of online and offline sales fits with current D2C trends, where Indian consumers want things to be convenient, easy to get, and reliable both online and in stores.
From an investment point of view, this deal shows that there’s a growing interest in sustainable D2C brands that are solving real consumer problems in areas other than just fashion, beauty, or food. Velocity, which has worked with over 4,000 digital-first and VC-backed D2C brands in India, has already given out over INR 1,100 crore in funding. Besides money, they also offer support with things like Shipfast, a logistics solution powered by AI that’s designed to help D2C businesses in India grow. Velocity has supported several fast-growing D2C brands, including Soulflower, NasherMiles, Hammer, Zlade, Off Duty, and Chumbak.
For WaterScience, this funding means not only financial help but also access to experience in growing D2C businesses in India. As consumers place more importance on health, hygiene, and convenience, the brand is in a good spot to strengthen its presence in the premium D2C brands category in India. This milestone is part of a larger trend in the Indian D2C market, where niche startups that solve specific problems are becoming well-known through plans to sell everywhere and put consumers first.
With the D2C industry now paying more attention to brands that offer practical solutions, WaterScience’s story shows how underpenetrated categories can lead to the next wave of growth in D2C startup values in India.
