CHK, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) footwear startup, has raised $2.5 million in seed funding from global venture capital firm Accel. Earlier, it had received pre-seed funding from BlueStone Jewellery and Lifestyle Limited.
CHK will use the funds to increase production and strengthen its market strategy before its public launch in April. The brand will make its products at a facility in Tamil Nadu, which also has a design and research unit.
The company was co-founded by Sankar Bora, who also co-founded Dealshare, along with Deepan Babu, a former McKinsey consultant and IIM Ahmedabad graduate; Bharat Mahajan, who previously worked with Wildcraft, Puma, and Adidas; and Deepak Patil, a former director at Myntra and project lead at Cure.fit. Mahajan and Patil are graduates of the Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI).
Accel’s Partner Prashanth Prakash said CHK’s “Concept to Creation” model follows global trends in manufacturing, helping the brand quickly adapt to consumer needs. Gaurav Singh Kushwaha, Founder and CEO of BlueStone, said CHK’s vision aligns with BlueStone’s approach as a manufacturing-led lifestyle brand.
CHK focuses on creating trendy footwear for young, fashion-conscious consumers. Its fully integrated model allows for quicker production, cost efficiency, and a competitive edge in the growing D2C footwear market.
