By Bertelsmann India

Copyright thehindubusinessline

Gurgaon-based fresh-commerce start-up Handpickd has bagged $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Bertelsmann India Investments (BII). The round also saw participation from Titan Capital Winners Fund (TCWF) and existing investors. The funds will be deployed to strengthen its talent pool, expand serviceability in existing geographies, and create technology for further optimising its supply chain, according to the company.

Zero-inventory model

Founded in 2024 by Anant Goel, Co-founder of Milkbasket, along with Nitin Gupta and Sahil Madan, Handpickd operates a unique zero-inventory, zero-warehouse, zero-dark store platform that eliminates traditional demand forecasting.

The start-up’s approach involves collecting orders from customers first, then purchasing the exact quantity and quality directly from farmers before delivering to customers during the morning . This entire process, from purchase to delivery, is completed within 6-7 hours using advanced Just-In-Time (JIT) processes, eliminating the need for any storage infrastructure.

Anant Goel, Founder and CEO, describes Handpickd as a “mandi at your doorstep.” Discussing the complexity of building in the highly perishable category, Goel emphasised, “It helps not to have any warehouses, cold storages or dark stores.”

Published on September 25, 2025