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Tag: Harsh Somaiya

  • The Bear House hares into physical retail with Rs 50 crore fund infusion

    The Bear House hares into physical retail with Rs 50 crore fund infusion

    MUMBAI: The Bear House, a Bengaluru-based contemporary menswear brand, has secured Rs 50 crore in Series A funding led by JM Financial India Growth Fund III, as it prepares to claw its way deeper into India’s competitive fashion landscape.

    The sartorial upstart, which has built its reputation on “elevated core” menswear for young professionals who need versatile attire that transitions seamlessly from boardroom battles to evening revelry, plans to use the investment to expand its brick-and-mortar presence, shore up working capital, and beef up marketing efforts.

    Having conquered the digital sphere through its own website and major fashion marketplaces including Myntra, Ajio, Flipkart and Nykaa, The Bear House recently opened its first physical outpost in Bengaluru last month. With fresh capital now in its coffers, the brand aims to unleash approximately 20 additional stores across India over the next two years.

    “We are optimistic about the growth of India’s online branded apparel market, especially in the men’s business-casual segment,” said JM Financial managing director, private equity Siddharth Kothari. “The Bear House has demonstrated impressive growth by leveraging its unique design sensibilities and direct-to-consumer strategy to build a loyal customer following.”

    For a company that has thus far ruled exclusively in the digital realm, the push into physical retail represents a significant evolution in its growth strategy. Founded in 2017, the brand has cultivated a reputation for chic, uncluttered designs catering to urban professionals who want to look sharp without appearing trussed up.

    “This growth capital infusion will help us accelerate our expansion plans and strengthen our brand’s presence,” said The Bear House  co-founder Harsh Somaiya. “As we scale our offline footprint and invest in brand-building, we remain focused on staying true to our design philosophy.”

    Perhaps most impressive is that The Bear House has managed to build a Rs 150 crore+ online brand while remaining bootstrapped and profitable—no small feat in an industry where red ink often flows as freely as champagne at a fashion week after-party.

    Dexter Capital served as the exclusive advisor on the transaction, with its investment arm, Dexter Ventures, also participating in the funding round.

    “Today’s young professional consumer is looking for a stylish persona at work and outside without compromising with comfort,” noted  Dexter Ventures general partner Anuradha Agrawal, adding that the company’s success stemmed from Somaiya’s manufacturing expertise paired with his co-founder Tanvi’s design skills.

  • The Bear House onboards Kapture CX to streamline customer support

    The Bear House onboards Kapture CX to streamline customer support

    Mumbai: The Bear House, a menswear brand turned e-commerce success, has recently adopted Kapture CX, a Gen AI-powered customer support automation platform. The brand intends to utilise Kapture’s omnichannel capabilities, user-friendly interface, and efficient ticket management to enhance customer experience.

    The Bear House has redefined menswear essentials by combining premium quality with urban luxe aesthetics. In 2023-2024, the brand achieved 175 per cent sales growth. To support this growth, The Bear House integrated Kapture CX to address issues with its previous third-party support system, such as limited access, low visibility into past tickets and customer history, and inefficient operations.

    Delighted with the integration, The Bear House co-founder Harsh Somaiya said, “At The Bear House, our commitment has always been to provide exceptional experiences to our customers, both through our products and our service. By partnering with Kapture CX, we’re taking a significant step forward in ensuring that our customer support is as elevated and seamless as our brand. The intuitive design and robust capabilities of Kapture CX will allow us to better manage our customer interactions, ensuring that every query is handled with the attention and efficiency it deserves. We’re excited about the positive impact this will have on our customer relationships and our continued growth.”

    As The Bear House moves on an international and domestic expansion spree, it will continue to witness a surge in customer interactions, queries and concerns across multiple touchpoints. Kapture CX’s intuitive user interface can prove to be a game-changer in enhancing its usability significantly as compared to other conventional support systems.

    Kapture CX CRO Gaurav Juneja commented, “We’re proud to add The Bear House, a fast-growing brand, to our portfolio of successful retail and eCommerce partnerships. Our experience in transforming customer support for leading brands enabled us to streamline and automate their operations with unmatched speed. What typically takes 30 days or more, we accomplished in less than a week—setting a new gold standard and exceeding their expectations. We deeply value their trust and are committed to delivering an exceptional experience that supports their continued growth.”

    The Bear House, receiving customer feedback and queries through various channels, recognized the need for an automated support system with strong omnichannel capabilities, covering social media, inbound communications, and other channels, all managed from a unified dashboard.

    Additionally, Kapture CX simplifies the ticket management process, which prompted The Bear House to switch from its third-party support system. Its user-friendly interface also eases the training of new agents, enabling faster onboarding and adaptation.

    Focused on innovating the menswear category while considering customer lifestyles and needs, The Bear House has benefited from Kapture CX’s efficient implementation process, which included robust support and personalised demonstrations, leading to a highly satisfactory outcome.