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 ₹27 crore 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 SharmaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. 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 NikeDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, AdidasDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and PumaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → 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
