‘Aise 5 business khade kar sakta hu’: Aman Gupta slams Shark Tank India 5 pitchers for seeking Rs. 2.5 Cr for packaging startup

Shark Tank India judge and boAt co-founder Aman Gupta sharply criticised the founders of packaging startup EzPac during a recent episode, questioning the strength of their business proposition. 

What actually happened?

EzPac founders appeared before the Shark Tank panel seeking ₹2.5 crore for a 5 % equity stake, valuing their business at ₹50 crore.

They pitched their affordable packaging brand, saying they had built the operation with roughly ₹47 lakh and had started to turn profitable.

The brothers-cum-startup co-founders also mentioned past engagements with established brands, including having supplied packaging to Vineeta Singh’s company, Sugar Cosmetics. 

However, the Sharks were visibly unimpressed.

When questioned on critical metrics like customer acquisition costs and overall financials, the founders struggled to present convincing figures.

Responding to their valuation and investment request, Gupta pointed out that with ₹2.5 crore, “itne mein, main aapke jaisi 5 company khade kar sakta hu”.

The boAt founder suggested he could start five similar ventures with the same capital rather than invest in theirs.

According to him, the pitch lacked a compelling moat or differentiation in an already crowded packaging market.

Other Sharks on the panel, including Namita Thapar and Vineeta Singh, echoed similar reservations, with Namita citing market overcrowding and Vineeta advising the founders to restructure their online strategy before seeking capital.

Shark Tank India Season 5 streams on Sony TV and SonyLIV.

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About EzPac

Founded in 2023 by Paarth Shah and Vatsal Shah, EzPac is a packaging-as-a-service platform that provides customised paper packaging solutions for various brands to make packaging accessible and affordable for small businesses and creators.

The Mumbai-based startup offers services like labels, tags, and marketing materials with low minimum order quantities.

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