Pilk is a plant-based milk manufacturing startup.
What is Pilk?
At Pilk, the team is trying to achieve a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle for everyone by providing plant-based dairy alternatives. The startup’s first launch was the plant-based milk that they prepared from a blend of grains and legumes like Oats, Cowpeas, and Moong. Pilk was founded by Abhishek Rai in 2020.
It aims to provide a healthier lifestyle to people who are lactose intolerant or do not want to have cholesterol and trans fat in their milk substitutes. With that objective, it is also easier to deal with cardiovascular and diabetic health, says the founder.
At its core is also eco-friendly. For instance, 1000 liters of water is saved in producing per liter of milk at Pilk. Along with that, there is 60-70% less consumption of land and emission of greenhouse gases (in terms of CO2 equivalent).
The vision is “to create better alternatives for dairy and become a lifestyle brand in the same space”
The mission is “to replicate each dairy product – from milk to cheese to dips & sauces with plant-based alternatives”
| Startup | Pilk |
| Website | pilk.in |
| Founded | 2020 |
| Headquarters | Mangalore, India |
| Products | Plant-based milk |
| Revenue Model | One-time payment, Subscription |
Here is a Quick Overview
How did Pilk start?
A Netflix documentary called ‘The Gamechangers’ showed how a plant-based diet helps people to live a better life on a day-to-day basis and at the same time avoid lifestyle diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol, cardiovascular, etc. Also by replacing dairy with plant milk, we could reduce our carbon, land & water footprint by approx. 75- 90%.
The founder switched and the first thing that he missed badly was milk. None of the alternatives available in the market could be used like milk and almost everyone trying to live a better lifestyle was facing the same issue.
This gave birth to Pilk & the quest for making the best plant-based alternative began. After 2.5+ years of extensive research, the team was successful in bringing Pilk into its current form.
Growth Rate
When they launched in March 2020, they had sales of INR 20,000, most of them from Amazon and the Pilk website. In October 2022, Pilk will be clocking revenue of INR 5 lakhs. They are aiming to reach an INR 10 lakhs benchmark and then hopefully 25 lakhs in revenue in the next 3-4 months.
Area of Operation
This startup is headquartered in Mangalore but functions from Pune. Soon it will be having an office in Delhi. The sales are in PAN India but 90% of orders are coming from metro cities.
Market Penetration
Funding was a tough task initially for this solo-founded startup. The founder contacted almost 150 investors to finally land up with 100X.VC. But the journey became a little easier post that.
Team
Currently, the team stands at 7 people.
Sales Turnover
The sales from April 2022 to October 2022 are INR 20lakhs, INR 40lakhs, INR 60lakhs, INR 90lakhs, INR 1.2lakhs, INR 2.5lakhs, and INR 6lakhs respectively.
Target Market
The age range of 18 to 60 years is the target but the main demographic that is contributing to sales is 28 to 35 years of adults as they are most prone to switching lifestyles and lactose intolerance.
Revenue Model
This startup has both subscription-based and one-time payment modes of revenue. It provides trial packs of 4, 8, and 12. Subscription is given for packs of 12 and 24. There are 30% repeat sales so far.
Competition
Soy milk brands are not competitors, as they are focused on fitness rather than milk alternatives, says the founder. Oats and almond milk brands like Epigamia and Raw Pressery could be potential but this category is still niche.
Business Type
This startup runs on a B2C business model.
Expansion Plans
The plastic packaging will be transformed into a tetra pack. Currently, Pilk is available on Amazon. They are planning to soon launch on Big Basket, Blinkit, Zepto, etc.
SWOT Analysis
The strength of this startup lies in its product.
The weakness is pricing as plant-based dairy alternatives tend to be more expensive.
The opportunity is large as awareness regarding veganism is increasing.
The threat is governmental regulations.
PILK Funding
The founder started with a personal capital of INR 15 lakhs. He also took a personal loan of INR 6 to 7 lakhs. The first fund of INR 25 lakhs was raised from 100XVC, Sanjay Mehta Ventures. Post that, they have raised INR 70 lakhs more from some other ventures.
Founders
Abhishek Rai is the founder and CEO of Pilk. He has done his Bachelor in Technology under Mechanical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Nagpur.
More
Who is the owner of Pilk?
Pilk is owned by Abhishek Rai. He is the founder and CEO of Pilk.
What are the ingredients included in pilk?
Pilk consists ingredients like, blend of grains and legumes like Oats, Cowpeas, and Moong