Rebel Foods to invest $150 million to acquire more brands

Virtual kitchen company Rebel Foods plans to invest $150 million in strategic brand investments and acquisitions in India and globally, the Mumbai-based company said.

The move is in line with the company's plans to expand local brands internationally while becoming the most loved food company, Raghav Joshi, Co-founder, Rebel Foods, said.

"Through this initiative, we aim to invest in some of the most loved food brands and help them scale through our extensive network to all parts of the country and even internationally like it's already happening with SLAY, Wendy's, Biryani Blues and others," Joshi said.

The unicorn, which operates a network of cloud kitchen brands such as Behrouz Biryani, Mandarin Oak, Ovenstory Pizza, and Faasos, is looking to scale up existing and new partnerships with more than 40 Indian and international brands in a Thrasio-like model for food.

The model refers to the US-based Thrasio which buys the hottest up-and-coming brands that sell on Amazon and gives them the marketing, cost-optimisation and technological chops that the company specialises in.

This model has significantly picked up in the Indian startup ecosystem where startups acquire fast-growing online-first brands and build a portfolio of such brands. The parent company usually brings in its technology, marketing and helps these brands scale. The model has gained significant traction in the e-commerce space. Following this model, Rebel aims to invest, scale and grow food brands, the company said.