FIFTH SENSE, a Gurugram-based fragrance start-up, has raised ₹6.3 crore in a pre-seed funding round. This funding was led by OTP Ventures, with participation from other investors including Sadev Ventures, ISV Capital, and notable angel investors such as Rohit Kapoor of Swiggy and Amit Damani of StayVista. Established by alumni from IIM Kozhikode, the brand was born out of a perceived gap in the Indian market. The funds raised will be used to develop its product line, build its brand through content-led campaigns, and improve its logistics and distribution network.
While most brands market fragrance as a product of science and luxury, Fifth Sense is creating India’s first fragrance ecosystem through emotions. By doing this, the brand seeks to turn scent discovery into something that does not require expertise but is simply an expression of one’s personality. In this respect, founders at Fifth Sense consider that scent discovery will become intuitive when people buy scents based on how they wish to feel. According to the brand’s CEO, Bharat Gupta, this approach relies on nuance and storytelling through scent.
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There are four fragrances available at launch: The Boyfriend Shirt, The Chosen One, Still Here, and The Athlete In You. The concept behind each of these fragrances is to convey an emotion and an associated story, rather than a specific scent profile. These products have been created with independent perfumers using ingredients from all over the world, and with a 25%+ oil concentration for optimal use in Indian climate conditions. The products are positioned to cater to the niche segment between low-cost and expensive luxury scents, allowing users to choose different fragrances according to their mood.
