Manish Taneja, co-founder and CEO, Purplle.com & Indian Entrepreneur – Success Story

Entrepreneurial Journey & Success Story of Manish Taneja, co-founder and CEO, Purplle.com

Manish Taneja is a passionate advocate of using technology to improve the customer experience, and has been instrumental in developing Purplle’s unique platform which offers a personalized shopping experience for each customer.

He is also a strong believer in the power of social media and digital marketing, and has used these channels effectively to build Purplle’s brand and drive growth.

Manish Taneja is passionate about building consumer brands and scaling businesses. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with his family.

Manish Taneja, Indian Entrepreneur

Manish Taneja is the co-founder and CEO of Purplle.com, one of the leading online beauty and wellness retailers in India.

He started the company in 2011 with the goal of making beauty products more accessible to Indian women.

He has over a decade of experience in the e-commerce and retail industries, and is a driving force behind Purplle’s innovative approach to selling beauty products and services online.

Under his leadership, Purplle has become a market leader in the online beauty space, and has been featured in Forbes India’s ’30 Under 30′ list.

Entrepreneurial Journey

He started his entrepreneurial journey as a management consultant, before moving on to become the Executive Director for Business Development & Marketing.

Manish Taneja then took up the role of Chief Operating Officer, where he was responsible for driving growth and profitability.

In 2010, Manish quit his corporate job to pursue his entrepreneurial dream – to build a one-stop online destination for beauty and wellness needs in India. Together with his co-founder, Rahul Das, he launched Purplle.com.

What inspired him to start Purplle.com?

Manish Taneja was inspired to start Purplle.com after seeing how difficult it was to find quality beauty products in India.

He saw an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of women by creating a one-stop shop for all their beauty needs.

What challenges he faced in starting and running the company?

One of the biggest challenges Taneja faced in starting Purplle.com was convincing beauty brands to sell their products on the platform.

Many of them were skeptical of an online-only business model and were reluctant to partner with a startup.

However, Taneja was able to overcome this hurdle by offering brands a highly customized and personal experience on Purplle.com.

How Purplle.com has grown over the years?

Purplle.com has come a long way since its inception in 2012. Purplle.com is one of India’s largest e-beauty destinations with 7 million monthly active users.

The beauty e-tailer has over 1000+ brands with over 60,000 products, available on its website and app. It has also expanded its team to over 200 people and is present in 10 major cities across India.

Purplle has successfully scaled its digital-first beauty brands like FACES CANADA, Good Vibes, Carmesi, Purplle, and NY Bae, amongst others.

The future of Purplle.com

The future looks bright for Purplle.com as the company continues to grow at a rapid pace. Taneja plans to expand the business to new markets and introduce new product categories on the platform. He is also looking to raise more funds to support the growth of the company.

Funding

Purplle.com announces its entry into the celebrated unicorn club. Welcoming South Korean investors Paramark Ventures to the cap table, Purplle raised $33Mn along with existing investors Blume Ventures, Premji Invest,and Kedaara. The fresh round of investment takes the total funding to over $215Mn at a valuation of $1.1Bn

Purplle.com has previously received four rounds of funding from reputed investors closing 2021 with a Series D of $140Mn.

Over the years, the company has grown exponentially; a unicorn today, with 7 million monthly active users, 1000+ brands, 60,000 products, and 5 private DTC brands.

With a robust growth trajectory, Purplle has scaled its annualized GMV to $180Mn in FY 2022. This, while making trending beauty products accessible and affordable for every Indian.

Under Manish’s leadership, Purplle Crosses the $1 Billion Valuation Mark With A Series E Funding Of $33mn. Purplle has raised over $30 million from leading investors. The main investors including Sequoia Capital, Goldman Sachs, Verlinvest, Tiger Global Management, Accel Partners, Blume Ventures, JSW Ventures and Paramark Ventures.

Recognition:

In 2017, Manish Taneja was conferred with the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award by Ernst & Young (EY). He was also included in the Forbes India ‘30 Under 30’ list for his outstanding work in building Purplle.com into a leading player in the Indian e-commerce space.

Manish Taneja is a successful Indian entrepreneur and business leader. He has over a decade of experience in the e-commerce and retail industries, and is a driving force behind Purplle’s innovative approach to selling beauty products and services online.

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