Nuyug, a jewellery brand specializing in celebration-wear, has raised ₹2.5 crore in a pre-seed funding round led by AJVC, with participation from strategic angel investors. The latest infusion will power Nuyug’s expansion both online and offline, help broaden its product lineup for India’s rich tapestry of cultural and regional tastes, and fuel R&D and design upgrades to boost material quality and durability.
Nuyug’s Vision for Modern Indian Occasion Jewellery
Co-founded in August 2024 by Ankur Dua and Manali Thareja, Nuyug is carving a niche by positioning itself between imitation and fine jewellery. Their focus: skin-safe, gold-toned pieces designed to shine during weddings, festivals, and special occasions. “The category has long suffered from poor quality, generic designs, and an unorganized supply chain. We started Nuyug to build a brand that speaks to today’s Indian woman—stylish, safe, and celebration-ready,” said Ankur Dua, co-founder of Nuyug.
In its first eight months, Nuyug claims to have crossed ₹1 crore in annualized revenue, launched over 400 products across festive and social segments, and built strong traction through its D2C website and marketplaces like Myntra, Nykaa Fashion, and Amazon.
Product Innovation and Market Expansion
The new capital will be used to:
- Expand into new offline and digital sales avenues
- Launch more designs catering to diverse Indian traditions and occasions
- Invest in product innovation for longer-lasting, skin-friendly jewellery
This strategy aims to solve key sector pain points: quality inconsistency, lack of modern design, and gaps in regional relevance.
A Surge in Occasion-Wear Startups
Nuyug’s funding comes amid heightened interest in India’s celebration and contemporary jewellery segment. Notably, Palmonas—a fast-growing demi-fine (affordable luxury) jewellery brand co-founded by Shraddha Kapoor—recently secured ₹55 crore in Series A funding led by Vertex Ventures SEAI, highlighting investor appetite in this space. Large legacy players are also diversifying, but nimble startups like Nuyug are capturing the new-age, design-conscious consumer.
With India’s rising spend on weddings, festivals, and social events—despite macro headwinds—the space is ripe for brands blending aspiration, affordability, and quality.
Recently, Aviral Bhatnagar’s A Junior VC Invests Rs 1.5 Cr Seed Funding in Bihar-Based Mithila Foods
About A Junior VC (AJVC): Bridging India’s Pre-Seed Funding Gap
Aviral Bhatnagar, a veteran investor and ex-lead at Venture Highway, established A Junior VC (AJVC) to specifically target the plight of India’s early-stage startups. Pointing out that most founders have a difficult time raising their first round due to fragmentation and complexity—receiving meetings with more than 20 investors to raise only ₹1 crore—Bhatnagar embarked on creating a quick, accessible, and founder-centric pre-seed investment organization.
AJVC secured SEBI approval for its first ₹100 crore fund in march and plans to back 12-15 startups a year in early-stage areas like artificial intelligence (AI), software-as-a-service (SaaS), and consumer tech. The fund is predominantly drawing domestic investors like family offices and tech founders, indicating faith in India’s early-stage ecosystem.
Are you a pre-seed or seed stage startup seeking funds? Apply at AJVC.
AJVC’s Investment Strategy and Regional Focus
AJVC provides not only funds but also strategic guidance, industry networking, and mentorship to assist startups in scaling up in a sustainable manner. The fund promotes entrepreneurship outside city limits, having already invested in startups from hinterland areas such as Assam and Jharkhand.
