Alia Bhatt invests in D2C start-up Phool.co

Founded by engineering graduate Ankit Agarwal in July 2017, Phool.co is an innovative startup focused on the circular economy which converts floral waste into Charcoal free Luxury incense products and other wellness products.

The startup is also India’s first wellness brand to have Fair for Life- Fairtrade and Ecocert Organic & Natural certifications. With deep-tech research, the startup has also developed “Fleather'' leveraging their flower cycling technology.

Fleather is a viable alternative to animal leather which was recently awarded PETA’s best innovation in the Vegan World.

Speaking on the latest investment, Alia Bhatt, who is known for her environmental initiatives, said, “Phool incense really stands out for its fine natural fragrances and amazing packaging.

"I admire the founder’s vision of making incense and bio-leather from recycled flowers that contribute to keeping our rivers clean, creating a humane alternative to leather and providing employment to women in India’s heartland."

Commenting on the latest development, Dr Abhay Karandikar, Director IIT Kanpur said, "IIT Kanpur is proud to be a partner of PHOOL. I am glad that we could help the company technologically but at the same time, I must acknowledge that PHOOL.co brought a lot of visibility to our incubator and the subsequent success of SIIC is at least in part due to the success of PHOOL."

Ankit Agarwal, Founder of Phool.co said ,“At Phool.co we aim to drive systemic change through innovation. Alia's investment is a validation of our efforts and firmly sets us on a path to build a global success story from a tier 3 city.

"The investment and support will help us expand our footprint globally and also step up the pace of R&D. I can proudly say, Phool.co is a business built, led and now even invested in by women.”