The Indore-based eco-friendly startup Carragreen has managed to acquire Rs 50 lakh in funding on Shark Tank India with its focus on biodegradable stationery and packaging solutions. Carragreen founder Surabhi Shah sown the seed of her business when she moved to Indore after her marriage.
She felt the need for an eco-friendly business when she viewed an image of a defenseless tortoise with a growth abnormality caused by swallowing a plastic bottle cap. It was very difficult for her to see the tortoise and that’s when she realized that humans were creating irreparable harm to the environment, and no one was willing to shoulder the blame.
Surbhi realized that there is no one to blame and the so-called reform efforts and environmentally friendly items were either prohibitively expensive or limited in their reach. She decided to launch a business named Carragreen in 2018. She was managed to successfully launch her business with the support of her family and her mother-in-law joined her startup as a partner.
Habitat loss and plastic pollution are continuing issues, and community actions are what make a significant difference. Keeping this in mind, and committing to reduce plastic consumption, reuse, and recycle paper, Carragreen was created to give a cost-effective, easily available by the public, easy to use, and environmentally friendly alternative.
Recently, their startup managed to secure Rs 50 lakh in funding on Shark Tank India from sharks Peyush Bansal and Anupam Mittal. The duo had earlier invested around Rs 6.5 lakh secured from the IIM grant. Shark Tank India is a reality show in which ambitious entrepreneurs from India present their business models to a panel of investors and convince them to invest money in their idea.
Her startup provides biodegradable stationery and packaging solutions. The product series includes pens, pencils, seed paper diaries, and monthly calendars. Perforated biodegradable boxes, which can be used to store and carry food items and convert them into plates and spoons when needed, are also among the company’s offerings. Carraspoons, which are made of wood, is one of the popular items of the startup.
Furthermore, people’s need for green alternatives in everyday products became their emphasis. Their startup sells pencils made from newspaper and recycled paper, as well as biodegradable spoons that are a cost-effective alternative to throwaway plastic and wooden spoons. Surbhi and her mother-in-law’s mission is to save trees and protect the planet from plastic pollution.
