Bengaluru-based meat and seafood brand, Licious, is making waves in the online food delivery market by delivering high-quality fish, chicken, meat, and eggs. The company’s farm-to-fork model gives them control over the entire supply chain and cold chain, ensuring freshness and cleanliness.
Licious also offers a dedicated recipe section on their app, helping customers prepare delicious dishes and learn from exotic chef-style cooking.
Operating in major Indian cities including Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Coimbatore, Pondicherry, Jaipur, Kochi, Vizag, Kolkata, and Vijayawada, Licious is rapidly expanding its reach.
The inception
Abhay Hanjura had a plan to make meat and seafood delivery better in India. Even though most Indians love meat (73% eat it), the industry was a mess. Imagine unclean local markets with bad smells – that was the usual experience.
So, Abhay teamed up with Vivek Gupta, and they created Licious. Their goal was simple: make buying meat in India a pleasant experience.
One day, while eating some bad chicken, Vivek said, “We need to bring life to this chicken.” That’s when they knew what Licious was all about – delivering top-quality meat, setting high standards, and creating a new way of doing things in India.
Abhay quit his job to make this happen, even though his vegetarian family wasn’t thrilled. They didn’t stop him from working with Vivek, and that’s how we got Licious, the online meat supplier where you can order meat and seafood anytime.
Funding received
Licious, a key player in India’s meat and seafood delivery sector, has secured a total of $488.3 million in funding. The latest funding round on March 15, 2022, led by Amansa Capital, Kotak PE, and Axis Growth, injected $150 million into the company. Licious earned its unicorn status in 2021, becoming India’s 29th unicorn and the first in the Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) segment.
A range of investors, including TV Mohandas Pai, Vertex Growth Fund, Nichirei Corp, 3one4 Capital, and Bertelsmann India Investments, have backed the company, with the Series F round also adding Multiples Alternate Asset Management and the Brunei Investment Agency to its roster of investors.
Challenges faced
Licious faced numerous challenges from the outset. Abhay Hanjura’s family, staunch vegetarians, opposed his idea of a meat startup. Initially, the company struggled with late deliveries, leading to a temporary shutdown after its launch due to supply chain issues and limited cold storage facilities in India.
Challenges also included increasing competition in the online meat market, livestock infections, the rise of meat substitutes, servicing small orders, and consumer preferences for local meat sellers. Nonetheless, Licious persevered and capitalized on addressing these hurdles.
Licious contends with several competitors in the online meat market, including FreshToHome, ZappFresh, and TenderCuts.
Achievements so far
Licious, India’s leading fresh meat and seafood delivery platform, has garnered a host of prestigious awards and recognitions. Notable accolades include being named one of CB Insights’ top 12 emerging startups in 2016, recognition as a SuperStartup in 2017, and a spot on BW Disrupt’s “40 under 40” list in 2018.
The founders were also listed among GQ India’s “50 Most Influential Indians.” In 2019, Licious received the CII Outstanding Performance in Food Safety Award and the Frost & Sullivan Innovation Award.
They were named “Food & Beverage Start-up of the Year” by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2020 and recently honored with the Thought Leadership Award for ESG goals in December 2021. These accolades underscore Licious’ remarkable journey and impact in the industry.
Plans ahead
Licious has made significant strides in expanding its reach, going from operating in 14 Indian cities to 16. Looking ahead, the company aims to further extend its footprint by entering over 10 additional Indian cities. In addition to its domestic expansion, Licious has its sights set on global markets in the near future. As the brand continues to grow, customer feedback and experiences remain essential, and Licious welcomes input from its users to enhance its offerings.
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