Licious Success Story | How India’s Premium Meat Brand Became a Foodtech Unicorn

Licious, founded in 2015 by Abhay Hanjura and Vivek Gupta, has revolutionized the way Indians purchase and consume meat. The brand became India’s first D2C unicorn in the fresh meat and seafood category, setting a benchmark in the country’s foodtech industry.

The Vision Behind Licious

Before Licious, the Indian meat industry was mostly unorganized, with little focus on hygiene, cold storage, and quality checks. Abhay and Vivek realized that millions of Indian consumers were compromising on quality every day. Their vision was to build trust, ensure hygiene, and provide world-class quality in a segment that was rarely spoken about in terms of premium branding.

Starting from Bengaluru, the founders created a farm-to-fork supply chain, giving them control over every process—sourcing, processing, storage, and final delivery. This strategy became Licious’ biggest differentiator.

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Rapid Growth and Expansion

• By focusing on premium quality and reliable delivery, Licious quickly gained popularity in metro cities.

• Today, Licious operates in 20+ cities including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

• It serves millions of customers with a diverse product range including chicken, mutton, seafood, eggs, ready-to-cook meals, spreads, marinades, and gourmet products.

• The company has built strong brand loyalty, especially among young professionals and families who value convenience and trust.

Licious is not just about selling meat—it has successfully built a lifestyle brand around non-vegetarian food consumption in India.

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Funding and Unicorn Status

Licious attracted top investors such as Temasek Holdings, Multiples PE, Vertex Ventures, and 3one4 Capital. In October 2021, the company raised $52 million in Series G funding, pushing its valuation past $1 Billion, making it a unicorn.

Licious Valuation Table

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Why Licious Stands Out

1. Farm-to-Fork Supply Chain – Full control over sourcing, processing, packaging, and delivery.

2. Focus on Hygiene & Quality – Elevating standards in an unorganized meat market.

3. Cold-Chain Logistics – Ensuring freshness from farms to consumers’ kitchens.

4. Product Innovation – Ready-to-cook meals, marinades, cold cuts, and spreads.

5. Customer Trust – Strong loyalty among urban, health-conscious, and premium customers.

6. Premium Branding – Positioned as India’s go-to brand for fresh, hygienic meat.

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Future Plans of Licious

• Expanding to more Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities to capture India’s massive meat-eating population.

• Strengthening its ready-to-eat and gourmet food range.

• Leveraging technology and AI to optimize demand prediction and supply chain management.

• Exploring global expansion opportunities in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

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Conclusion:

The Licious success story is not just about a startup scaling big—it’s about transforming an entire industry. By addressing the gaps in India’s meat supply chain, ensuring hygiene, and building consumer trust, Licious has carved its place as a premium foodtech brand. Its journey from a Bengaluru-based startup to a unicorn valued at over $1.6 Billion proves how innovation and vision can redefine consumer habits in India.