Manetain, India's leading brand in curly hair care and accessories, has received an investment of Rs 75 Lakhs for a 10% equity from Aman Gupta, the founder of BOAT, on episode 24 of the second season of Shark Tank India. We spoke to Manetain owners Yuba and Hinshara to talk about their startup.
On episode 24 of the second season of Shark Tank India, Manetain, India's biggest company in curly hair care and accessories, won an investment of INR 75 Lakhs for a 10% stake from Aman Gupta, the creator of BOAT. Manetain was founded in 2018 by Yuba and Hinshara, who met in a curly hair WhatsApp group.
Initially, Manetain focused on hair accessories to develop a brand in the curly hair community. Following their success, they expanded their product line to include a hair care line that included two shampoos, a multi-purpose conditioner, and India's first co-wash. With ambitions to increase the variety, the company already has over 1,500 SKUs. We spoke to Manetain's owners, Yuba and Hinshara, who gave us some insides into their journey and experience at Shark Tank India and their investment and future.
How Manetain is promoting diversity in the hair care market and creating space for curly hair
Manetain was created as a result of our own research into the top hair care products for textured hair. While our target market is people with curly and wavy hair, the shampoo and conditioner may be used on any type of hair. Our brand wants to encourage people to value their uniqueness and accept themselves for who they are. Furthermore, I believe that my experience as a curly hair stylist and dentist has given me scale, skill, and knowledge in the design of ingredient formulation, all of which may be helpful in the market for curly and wavy hair care-- Yuba Khan, curly hair expert and Cofounder, Manetain
Where did you find the initial inspiration for Manetain?
We are women who grew up with the challenges and perils of curly hair, and there was no information or product that helped us manage our curls. And The Curly Girl Method helped the two of us understand our hair better, and we decided to create a clean product based on it after years of research and meeting other women with curly hair.-- Hinshara Habeeb, Cofounder, Manetain
With what hair issues are you attempting to assist your clients?
The four hair care paraben-free products that Manetain currently focuses on for people with curly and wavy hair are cowash, conditioner, moisturising shampoo, clarifying shampoo, and hair accessories. All hair types, including straight hair, can benefit from the Neem and Peppermint co-wash and shampoo, which are made with Aloe vera, Argan oil, Lavender, and plant-based keratin, and the multi-purpose conditioner can be used as a rinse-off conditioner, deep conditioner, or leave-in conditioner.--
Since 60% of Indians already have wavy hair, our products make it easier to maintain, and our products are effective for men, women, and children with all hair types, whether they have dry hair or scalp.-- Yuba Khan, curly hair expert and Cofounder, Manetain
What's your background?
I am Yuba Aga, a mompreneur, a professional hair stylist focused on curly hair and a dentist by training. In 2021, I joined classes in Dubai to master hair styling and eventually became Mumbai's first licenced curly hair stylist. Since my ambition for the company includes the Curly Girl community and everyone with textured hair, I have also completed several online courses from the United States. I'm balancing my primary responsibility of taking care of the needs of my home and my three children while maintaining a balance between dentistry and Manetain.-- Yuba Khan, curly hair expert and Cofounder, Manetain
I am Hinshara Habeeb, a native of Aluva and a 25-year-old Christ University graduate with a Bcom (Hon.) in finance. After graduating in 2018, I immediately started working for Deloitte US India as an audit assistant and spent one year on the audit team. At the same time, my friend Yuba and I launched Manetain Store, a firm that specializes in hair care and accessories for women with curly and wavy hair. And right now, I'm also assisting in the family business as Managing Partner of the Hycount group of industries and co-owner of Manetain Store with Yuba.-- Hinshara Habeeb, Cofounder, Manetain
The product you're selling is special. Considering the worthwhile experience you've gained and the many great reviews from clients, do you think this is the best course of action or do you want to increase the number of your distinctive product offerings?
We started as a hair accessory firm and transitioned to selling hair care products by including proprietary ingredients like phyto keratin; in addition, we were the first to market with the Oh So Cool Co-wash cowash, which is designed to be very moisturising and not as drying as shampoos and contains nourishing ingredients like Argan, Jojoba, Grapeseed, Hibiscus, and Vitamin E while gently cleansing you with Neem. Third, we provide a range of hair cleansers, such as Oh So Soft Moisturising Shampoo for daily use and Oh So Clean Clarifying Shampoo, which is only advised to be used once or twice a month to rid your hair of all product buildup and give your scalp a "Clean Slate!" We also recently introduced a first-of-its-kind multi-purpose conditioner that can be used as a rinse-off, deep, or leave-in conditioner. We also offer the first monsoon cap with a satin inside to be produced in India, which keeps your hair moisturised and stops it from being frizzy and wet. Additionally, we have beanies with satin inside, which are ideal for curly and wavy hair.
Next, we'll consider adding more hair accessories and styling products to assist in finishing the entire curly hair regime.--- Hinshara Habeeb, Cofounder, Manetain
Shark Tank Journey, your experience, the investment and future
Following the airing of the episode, the journey has only grown more interesting, and we have been receiving some incredible comments, suggestions, and orders from other places. We knew we wanted Aman as our investor because, with his experience and network, he can help us expand. This was our first time ever pitching and we were extremely scared but very sure about the product. Due to a lack of funding, our revenue has remained constant at 1 crore for the past two years, but we are now aiming to change that. We saw excellent growth in the first two years, going from 17 lakhs to 1 crore in sales.-- Both cofounders.
