Startup Movers Spotlight: Gully Labs Raises ₹26.5 Crore in Series A to Accelerate India’s Homegrown Sneaker Story

January 17, 2026 — Gully Labs, a culture-driven sneaker brand co-founded by Arjun Singh and Animesh Mishra, has recently raised fresh funds. In an exciting development for India’s fashion and consumer startups, it successfully kicked off its Series A funding round, raising ₹26.5 crore ($3 million) in fresh capital.

The round was led by Saama Capital (₹22.6 crore), continued backing from earlier investors such as Zeropearl (₹3.5 crore), and meaningful participation from individual investors, including Teppan (₹20 lakh) Roman Saini (Unacademy co-founder)(₹10 lakh), Radhika Gupta (Edelweiss Mutual Fund MD & CEO)(₹10 lakh), and angel investor Aditya Bhalla (₹4 lakh).

Gully Labs Backstory

Gully Labs was born from a strong belief that culture gives life meaning. India has not celebrated its own stories loudly or authentically enough. While global cultures shine through fashion, music, food, and street movements, Indian pop culture often ends up as imitations or shallow representations. Gully Labs aims to change that by creating a brand grounded in genuine Indian identity, hard work, and community. It draws inspiration from the country's underground scenes, creators, and rebels who thrive despite challenges. More than just a sneaker brand, Gully Labs wants to be a platform that shares unapologetically Indian stories. It aims to celebrate the pride, struggle, and originality that define these narratives. 

What This Means for Gully Labs

Founded in 2023, Gully Labs has built a D2C sneaker brand focused on in-house design and manufacturing, with a strong digital-first sales model. Its emphasis on storytelling and distinctive design helps it carve a niche amid both global and domestic players.

With this new capital, the company plans to scale operations, expand its product portfolio, and strengthen market presence across India and potentially beyond.

Why It Matters for India’s Startup Ecosystem

Gully Labs’ Series A is not just a win for the founders, it's a signal of continued investor confidence in Indian direct-to-consumer brands. Especially those that fuse cultural identity with global design sensibilities. As consumer preferences shift toward handcrafted, narrative-led products, brands like Gully Labs are capturing attention from both buyers and capital.

Startup Movers Proudly Celebrates Gully Labs’ Funding Milestone

At Startup Movers, we take pride in supporting startups through their growth journeys. Gully Labs’ Series A milestone is a testament to focused execution, strong branding, and market confidence. This achievement reinforces the immense potential of homegrown D2C brands emerging from India’s startup ecosystem.

We congratulate the founders and the entire Gully Labs team on this success and look forward to witnessing their next phase of scale, innovation, and impact in the Indian and global sneaker market.