~ The funding round also saw participation from BEENEXT
~ Funds will be utilized to advance R&D, establish a design lab for fashion-engineered textiles, and expand supply chain capabilities across Asia
Lightspeed led a $4.2 million seed investment round for Whizzo, a materials science manufacturing startup that is leading the way in engineered fashion and technological textiles. BEENEXT also participated. The investment will help Whizzo enhance materials science research and development, build a cutting-edge design lab for fashion-engineered textiles, and fortify its supply chain infrastructure in Bangladesh, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, and India.
IRMA alumni and gold medalist Shrestha Kukreja, a former Zetwerk executive, founded Whizzo in 2024. With a full-stack strategy that blends innovation, sustainability, and cutting-edge materials science, Whizzo is revolutionizing textile manufacturing. Time-to-market is greatly shortened by the company’s patented textile blends, which include cellulosic and polymer-based fibers and are suited to a variety of industry demands.
“Our vision is to establish Whizzo as an IP-driven leader in fashion-engineered and technical textiles,” stated Shrestha Kukreja, founder of Whizzo, in reference to the company’s distinctive features. Our objective is to bridge significant gaps and revolutionize the textile sector via innovation, sustainability, and worldwide connectedness by utilizing a cross-border Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) model and developing unique blends.
When discussing the revolutionary potential of Whizzo’s strategy, Romit Mehta, VP-Investments at Lightspeed, stated, “Technical textiles and man-made fibers represent the future of the textile market.” Strong government backing and forward-thinking businesspeople are positioning India to become a global hub for innovation in this field. Shrestha is a remarkable leader who exemplifies the drive and know-how required to create a “India to the world” narrative in this field. As they use cutting-edge materials science and a full-stack production method to put India at the forefront of technical textiles, we are excited to join Shrestha and the Whizzo team on this revolutionary journey.
“India’s textile industry is one of its oldest, so it demands innovation to meet modern challenges like sustainability and efficiency,” said Saksham Pant, Principal, BEENEXT, in response to the grant. Whizzo is spearheading this change with cutting-edge technology and environmentally responsible methods. Within the next ten years, the company, supported by Shrestha’s vision and experience, is poised to establish India as a leader in technical textiles.
India’s technical textiles market, which was estimated to be worth $45 billion in 2026, is expected to reach $123 billion by 2035, propelled by industries including defense, infrastructure, and healthcare. With its range of clothtech, mobiltech, packtech, and agrotech products, Whizzo is in a unique position to serve sectors like industrial manufacturing, automotive, and agricultural.
