ETtechBamboo products maker Amwoodo has raised $1 million in funding from Zerodha-backed venture fund Rainmatter.
The sustainability-focused Kolkata-based startup said the funds will primarily be allocated to capital expenditures, such as upgrading machinery and equipment, upskilling artisans and facilitating expansion initiatives.
“I found that farmers and artisans working in the field don’t have proper machinery and the skills that they need to ramp up production and match the product quality that China is producing. That’s how we started this company,” he added.
Founded in 2019, Amwoodo specialises in manufacturing bamboo items like combs, toothbrushes, razors, slippers, compostable sanitary bags, and towels. They directly source bamboo from around 400 farmers in the northeast and collaborate with about 380 artisans. The final refinement of products to meet export standards occurs in their factories located in Howrah, Kolkata.
The startup predominantly operates in both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) sectors, with major clients including hospitality chains like Taj Hotels and The Leela, and direct-to-consumer brands such as Himalaya, Man Company, Nat Habit, and Kimirica.
According to Mitra, the startup achieved sales worth Rs 21.72 crore in the last financial year, a 3.5 times increase over the previous year. For the ongoing financial year, the company aims to reach sales of approximately Rs 60 crore.
Other players in the sustainability domain offering bamboo-based products include Allter, which sells bamboo diapers, Boocane, and Beco.
The sustainability-focused Kolkata-based startup said the funds will primarily be allocated to capital expenditures, such as upgrading machinery and equipment, upskilling artisans and facilitating expansion initiatives.
“Most of the bamboo products sold in India were imported from China. In India, Kolkata was geographically well located near to the northeast and most of the bamboo forest cover was in the northeast regions,” Agni Mitra, founder of Amwoodo, told ET in an interaction.
“I found that farmers and artisans working in the field don’t have proper machinery and the skills that they need to ramp up production and match the product quality that China is producing. That’s how we started this company,” he added.
Founded in 2019, Amwoodo specialises in manufacturing bamboo items like combs, toothbrushes, razors, slippers, compostable sanitary bags, and towels. They directly source bamboo from around 400 farmers in the northeast and collaborate with about 380 artisans. The final refinement of products to meet export standards occurs in their factories located in Howrah, Kolkata.
The startup predominantly operates in both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) sectors, with major clients including hospitality chains like Taj Hotels and The Leela, and direct-to-consumer brands such as Himalaya, Man Company, Nat Habit, and Kimirica.
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According to Mitra, the startup achieved sales worth Rs 21.72 crore in the last financial year, a 3.5 times increase over the previous year. For the ongoing financial year, the company aims to reach sales of approximately Rs 60 crore.
Other players in the sustainability domain offering bamboo-based products include Allter, which sells bamboo diapers, Boocane, and Beco.
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