BUILT has raised $2 Mn in a pre-seed funding round from Singapore-based VC firm Tanglin Venture Partners to expand what it calls India’s ‘natural movement’ footwear category
Investors are increasingly backing niche D2C consumer brands built around differentiated product categories. BUILT is betting that natural movement footwear can evolve from a fitness niche into a mainstream segment in India
The D2C brand currently offers two footwear silhouettes, including its flagship natural movement shoe and a court shoe targeted at sports such as pickleball, tennis, badminton and squash
D2C footwear startup BUILT has raised $2 Mn (about ₹17 Cr) in a pre-seed funding round from Singapore-based VC firm Tanglin Venture Partners to expand what it calls India’s ‘natural movement’ footwear category.
The recently launched startup plans to use the capital to invest in R&D, proprietary tooling, product design, and manufacturing capabilities, including developing custom footwear molds. The startup will also deploy the capital towards inventory expansion as it scales production.
Founded by Vedant Lamba and Vijayant Dhaka earlier this year, BUILT is betting on the natural movement category, which promotes footwear with wider toe boxes, minimal heel drop and greater flexibility to encourage more natural foot movement.
The cofounders believe that most mainstream sneakers today prioritise cushioning and aesthetics over foot health, with conventional footwear limiting the foot’s natural range of motion. BUILT aims to bring barefoot-inspired footwear to mainstream fitness consumers by combining functional performance with premium design.
“We don’t want to become the number one preference of barefoot enthusiasts, we want to become the number one preference of fitness enthusiasts,” Lamba said, adding that the startup wants to make a mainstream performance footwear brand rather than cater to an existing niche.
The startup currently offers two footwear silhouettes — its flagship natural movement shoe and a court shoe targeted at sports such as pickleball, tennis, badminton and squash. It has launched nine footwear SKUs so far and will roll out around 20 apparel and accessories SKUs later this week as part of its activewear portfolio.
Building A New Footwear Category
Unlike many emerging sneaker brands that rely on standard factory moulds, BUILT claims to have invested in creating proprietary moulds for its products. Lamba said the approach requires significantly higher upfront investment but gives the company greater control over product performance, durability and design. The startup sources technical materials from suppliers in China while manufacturing its products in India.
Globally, natural movement and barefoot-inspired footwear has gained traction through brands such as Vivobarefoot, Xero Shoes and Lems, driven by growing consumer interest in mobility, functional fitness and foot health. In India, however, the category remains relatively niche, with awareness largely confined to serious fitness enthusiasts.
BUILT is looking to change that by building a lifestyle and performance brand around natural movement footwear. According to the cofounders, much of its early demand has come from consumers who had never previously considered barefoot-style footwear.
The startup currently operates on a D2C model, selling exclusively through its website. While it is evaluating offline retail opportunities, BUILT does not plan to list on ecommerce marketplaces or partner with multi-brand retailers in the near term, arguing that owning the customer experience is central to its brand philosophy.
It is also evaluating an experience store in Mumbai once it expands its inventory and product portfolio. In the meantime, the startup plans to focus on pop-up stores and brand installations in Mumbai before expanding to other metros such as Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
Going forward, BUILT plans to introduce newer iterations of its existing footwear, launch professional variants, and expand into additional product categories while continuing to refine products based on customer feedback. Over the longer term, it also plans to enter international markets after establishing a stronger presence in India.
BUILT joins a growing cohort of D2C footwear brands seeking to carve out a niche in India’s premium footwear market, including Comet, Gully Labs, and CHK, which are more focused on streetwear. In the natural and barefoot footwear segment, BUILT competes with newer brands such as State of Joy, Rara Barefoot and Zen Barefoot.
In the broader performance footwear market, the brand competes with global players such as Adidas, Nike, Puma and Asics.
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