Yoho closes fresh funding to scale offline retail and performance running
What's the deal? Delhi-based direct-to-consumer footwear brand Yoho has closed a new funding round from new and existing investors. The company, founded by Ahmad HushshamDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Prateek Singhal, will use the capital to expand its offline retail presence and scale its performance running range.
Yoho previously raised US$3.67M in a pre-Series A round in 2022, backed by Gulf Islamic InvestmentsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → (GII), Rajeev MisraDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Rukam CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Vijay Shekhar Sharma. The exact size of the new round was not disclosed.
Since launching in 2021, Yoho has sold over three million pairs of footwear across its own website and major e-commerce platforms including Amazon, Myntra, Flipkart, AjioDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Nykaa. It also sells via quick commerce platforms Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart.
Why now? India's sneaker market is among the fastest-growing in Asia-Pacific, expected to reach $6B by FY32 — driven by a young, fashion-conscious population and the rise of athleisure culture. For a homegrown D2C brand competing on comfort, design, and performance, the window is wide open.
On the offline front, Yoho is targeting partnerships with 2,500 multi-brand outlets across tier I and tier II cities. It also plans to open exclusive brand outlets that integrate AI-driven solutions to address fitting issues, reduce returns, and optimise inventory management.
The brand is also building on the reception to its Catapult with Carbonburst shoes — designed for marathon runners — by broadening its performance running portfolio.
What could go wrong? India's footwear market is fiercely competitive, with global giants like Nike, AdidasDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Puma alongside homegrown players like Campus and RelaxoDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. Scaling an offline retail network across thousands of outlets demands significant capital and operational discipline — both of which will be tested as Yoho moves beyond its digital-first roots.
The signal: Yoho's "breakout" growth stage, per Dealroom, underscores how quickly Indian D2C footwear brands can scale when they combine digital distribution with quick-commerce reach. The return of existing backers — including Gulf Islamic Investments and angel investor Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the Paytm founder — suggests early traction strong enough to justify doubling down ahead of a $6 billion market opportunity.
Read more: businessnewsthisweek.com
