Curlin - A mass premium hair care brand for curly and wavy hair

Jatin Chaudhary

Salesman @eChaiVentures l Good at managing WhatsApp groups n organizing high quality, large gathe...

Curlin is India's one of the first mass premium hair care brand for curly and wavy hair.

Here's the excerpts from eChai with Sumit Karranji, Founder, Curlin as part of our startup showcase series.

About the team

Sumit Karranji is a 2X entrepreneur and is the founder of Curlin.

Prior to this he had built a SaaS startup for payment reconciliation of marketplace sellers which got acquired by Vinculum (Accel Funded Startup).

He also serves on the mentor panel of IMPunjab, iTIC-IITH, AISEA, GUSEC, GTU, CIIE, IIMA where he gives back to the startup community by mentoring early stage startups.

Eureka Moment

60% of Indians have wavy or curly hair and there is no dedicated hair care range for them. I found this as a big gap being a curly haired person myself and also being into the ecomm space since a decade.

How does it work?

https://youtu.be/TaYQBtm7WOk

Business model

We sell through our own website, marketplaces and salon channels.

Traction

We have 5000+ customers across 240 cities in India in our pre-revenue stage.

We have raised $250k from angels and seed investors.

Community support

Looking for brainstorming on creating communities and innovative marketing ideas from the community.

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You can join the conversation on Twitter via this link here if you want to ask more questions to Sumit Karranji, Founder, Curlin.

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You can check out the upcoming in-person eChai Startup Demo Days coming up in 8 cities in India - Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Rajkot and Vadodara.

Startup Stream

Books for Entrepreneurs Documentary eChai Wall of Love How I Met My Co-Founder Insight Reports Movies for Entrepreneurs Notes from Podcasts Slice of Startup Life The First Welcome in Silicon Valley The Reading Room Unforgettable Lessons

The eChai Effect - In Their Words

“You don’t plan to build a company via eChai. You just keep showing up … and one day, you realize you did.” I’ve known Jatin since 2012, when I was still deciding what kind of second innings I wanted to play as an entrepreneur. Over the years, through events, chai breaks, intros, and seemingly small conversations, eChai helped shape not just Upsquare but also refined the lens through which we see collaboration. At Upsquare, we’ve hired talent, met partners, discovered co-investors, and built lifelong friendships. One of our joint ventures exists today only because a casual eChai memory sparked a deeper trust. Now, as we build House of Starts — our venture builder — eChai continues to fuel our mission: co-creating a shared future. eChai isn’t just a startup network. It’s a trust network. And for business builders like me, that makes all the difference."

Utpal Vaishnav

Founder @ Upsquare & House of Starts • Angel Investor + LP

"eChai has been a game-changer for Hungrito, providing us with invaluable connections, insights, and opportunities that have significantly fueled our growth. eChai has introduced us to a global network of entrepreneurs and experts, fueling our growth and opening doors to new opportunities from Ahmedabad to Dubai. The community has become like a second family to us, providing support, guidance, and valuable insights as startup entrepreneurs."

Sahil Shah

Founder- Hungrito & Netsavvies. Digital Marketing Evangelist

"eChai isn’t just a startup community … it’s a mindset . eChai has been one of the most impactful communities in my entrepreneurial journey. It’s been a turning point . In a world where building something can often feel isolating, eChai gave me a sense of belonging. I’ve found mentors, collaborators, and friends here — people who genuinely want to see you succeed. It’s a space where ideas are challenged, actions are celebrated, and founders grow not just in scale, but in clarity and confidence. From late-night ideas to early-morning pitches, this community has quietly but powerfully shaped the way I build, think, and dream. I’ll always be grateful for the way eChai creates spaces where founders don’t just grow businesses — they grow together."

Koumal Kalantry

Founder, Bignano Ventures

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