Tamil Nadu Based Food Tech Startup NativeSpecial Raises Funding From Indian Angel Network

Tamil Nadu-based food tech startup, NativeSpecial has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from Indian Angel Network and Native Angels Network from Madurai. Through this investment, K. Premnath of IAN will join the board to provide strategic mentorship to the company.

NativeSpecial is an online brand that makes native specialties available to a wider audience. Started by a group of individuals who moved back to India to run this company, the Karur-based startup has traditional and local delicacies like Tirunelveli Halwa, Kaji Pakam from Andhra Pradesh, Koradantu from Karnataka and other various South Indian dishes that customers often look for, but don’t know where to find. Also available through them is pickles, idli podi as well as products for health conscious customers.

Speaking about the brand, Baskaran Veluchamy, founder and CEO of NativeSpecial said, “Due to the positive response garnered during the trial execution of the sale last festival season among South Indian NRIs in the US, the company has sensed a huge market potential among them and has already started working on tapping the same.”

“Native Special is a unique attempt in a way that will revive the vanishing traditional cottage sector and, thereby, contributing to the rural economy. Furthermore, it has a huge market potential with its ability to deliver on a pan-India basis,” added Anand Thangaraj, lead investor from Native Angels Network told Inc42.

The brand has a ‘stock-and-sale’ model that targets customers going abroad and for those who want to gift traditional delicacies to friends and family. The portal claims to have over 42 products with 20 vendors, plus 7,500 registered users on the website with 6,900 orders completed.