India’s first clean perfume brand, Secret Alchemist has raised $3 million in a seed funding round led by Unilever Ventures with participation from DSG Consumer Partners. Founded by Ankita Thadani, Akash Walia and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, the brand is redefining Indian perfumery by creating clean, ingredient-based fragrances designed for modern consumers.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu co-founders Secret Alchemist raises $3 million in seed funding
Secret Alchemist has raised $3 million in a seed round combining both primary and secondary capital. With prior backing from IPV, the latest investment reflects continued institutional confidence in the brand’s long-term vision and ability to build a category.
Rooted in aromatherapy and essential oils, Secret Alchemist began its journey with illness-based wellness solutions and has since evolved into an aroma-first brand. Today, it blends the science of aromatherapy with contemporary perfumery to create lifestyle-based, emotion-driven clean fragrances that combine wellness, fragrance and self-expression.
The capital raised will be used to expand the brand’s clean fragrance portfolio, strengthen formulation depth and R&D capabilities, and build leadership and core teams. Secret Alchemist will also invest in growing the brand presence and distribution as it continues to build an India-first brand with global ambitions.
Commenting on the fund raise, Ankita Thadani, Co-Founder, Secret Alchemist said, “Globally, “clean” has become a baseline in beauty and personal care, and fragrances are naturally moving in that direction. With Secret Alchemist, our focus is on creating perfumes that are ingredient-based, well-crafted, and do not compromise on quality. We are among the first in India to openly “We publish full ingredient and allergen disclosures in perfumery, because for us, being clean means being honest. This investment allows us to deepen product innovation and strengthen our R&D capabilities in line with that belief.”
Samantha Ruth Prabhu, co-founder of Secret Alchemist, said, “As Secret Alchemist continues to grow, this feels like the right time for us. It gives us the opportunity to build more deeply on what we love: clean ingredients, thoughtful formulations, and scents that people really enjoy using every day.”
Akash Walia, Co-Founder, Secret Alchemist, said, “Clean fragrances are seeing strong traction globally, and India is ready for brands built with that mindset from day one. This funding allows us to scale Secret Alchemist as a fragrance-first, ingredient-based clean perfume brand, while strengthening distribution and brand presence and ultimately bringing Indian perfumes to the global market.”
Commenting on leading the investment round, Pawan Chaturvedi, Partner and Head of Asia, Unilever Ventures, said, “We are delighted to partner with Secret Alchemist as it builds one of India’s first clean, fragrance indie brands. Clean has already become a norm in beauty globally, and we are starting to see fragrance following the same trajectory, and Secret Alchemist is the first in this emerging space in India. “Hui is well positioned to lead the category.”
Commenting on the investment, Hariharan Premkumar, MD and Head of India, DSG Consumer Partners, said, “We have believed in the opportunity for clean fragrances for many years. With Secret Alchemist, we got a strong founding team in Ankita and Akash with deep product capabilities. They are building high-quality fragrances at attractive price points. The brand is backed by a celebrity founder, who is not only lending his name but is a power user and has been involved in the creation of the product. Given the significant low penetration in the fragrance category in India, we are highly bullish on the long-term potential of the brand and the category.”
