A Shark Tank Deodorant Brand Just Sold a Majority Stake for Around 100 Crore. Eighteen Months In

StartupTalky’s funding roundup reports that private equity firm Ananta Capital has acquired a majority stake in Phitku, a Mumbai-based direct-to-consumer personal care brand, in a deal valued at approximately 100 crore rupees, implying a valuation of around 200 crore. Phitku was co-founded in early 2025, sells alum-based, alcohol-free natural deodorants, and gained national visibility after appearing on Shark Tank India Season 5.

Eighteen months is the headline

A majority exit at a nine-figure rupee valuation inside two years is not a story about deodorant. It is a story about how quickly a sharply positioned product with a genuine differentiator can become an acquisition target when its distribution is clean and its category is unglamorous enough to be underestimated.

Buyers are paying for readiness, not just revenue

Acquirers of young D2C brands are buying a working machine: a product with proof of demand, listings that rank, and an operating base that scales with capital. Television visibility helped Phitku get discovered, but visibility only converts when the commerce behind it holds up.

What an operator does with this

If an exit is ever part of the plan, build like a target from day one. Clean channel economics, marketplace listings that defend themselves, and category focus. Small brands with boring products and tight operations are exactly what this wave of buyers wants.