Startup funding in India this week saw a sparkle: lab-grown diamond jewellery startup So/Facet has raised ₹10 crore in a seed round led by consumer-focused fund Sauce — marking the fund's first investment in the category.
The round also drew participation from Mokobara co-founders Sangeet Agrawal and Navin Parwal, the Chona family office, Haleon South Asia president Kedar Lele, and Moonshot co-founder Devaiah Bopanna — a mix of brand builders, family capital and category experts that signals the bet is on brand, not commodity pricing.
Founded in 2026 by former Unilever executives Aarushi and Abhishek Naulakha, So/Facet is built on in-house designs and IGI-certified diamonds. The capital will go into brand-building, design and technology, hiring, and an omnichannel rollout: the brand launches online in November 2026 and plans over 30 premium stores within three years. It already claims a pre-launch waitlist of more than 200 customers.
"Lab-grown diamonds have transformed the category's economics, but few brands have reimagined what diamonds can mean," said Manu Chandra, managing partner at Sauce. Co-founder Abhishek Naulakha added: "We don't believe India's next great diamond brand will be built by selling the same jewellery for less. It will be built on distinctive design, uncompromising quality and craftsmanship, and an experience that feels effortless."
Why it matters for founders
Sauce's thesis here is a founder lesson: in a category where everyone competes on price (lab-grown diamonds), capital is flowing to the brand that refuses the discount race. If your moat is design and experience, say so upfront — category investors notice.