For Saumya Yadav, the problem was personal. After experiencing post-partum hair loss, she found the shelves of India’s premium salons stocked with global brands whose formulas were not designed for the specific stresses of Indian hair and climate [Femina.in, Feb 2026]. The clinical response, she reasoned, should be equally specific. In 2023, she and co-founder Atit Jain launched &Done, a professional haircare brand built on a simple, patient-adjacent premise: what if repair was visible from the first wash, and the science was tailored to the user? [Entrepreneur India, April 2025].
A salon-first wedge into premium haircare
&Done’s go-to-market strategy bypasses the crowded direct-to-consumer digital shelf for a more deliberate, professional channel. Since launch, the company has focused on placing its products in premium salons, a move that provides immediate credibility with stylists and access to a high-intent clientele [Outlook Business, 2025]. The traction signal is clear: the brand is now available in over 500 salons across Delhi-NCR, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Hyderabad [Outlook Business, 2025]. This physical footprint, built in under two years, serves as both a distribution network and a live laboratory for product feedback.
The product claims hinge on what the company calls "biotech-powered formulas." The positioning leans into the "skinification of hair" trend, promising high-efficacy repair using globally sourced active ingredients engineered for Indian hair types [Entrepreneur India, April 2025]. While the company has not yet published peer-reviewed clinical data, the formulation focus on visible results from first use is a direct appeal to the salon client’s desire for immediate, tangible improvement.
The funding and the founding team
The rapid salon network expansion caught investor attention. In December 2024, All In Capital led a pre-seed round of approximately $720,000 [Entrepreneur India, April 2025]. Just four months later, RTP Global led a $3 million Series A at a post-money valuation of 125 crore INR (approximately $15 million), with continued participation from All In Capital and angels including Titan Capital’s Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal [Entrepreneur India, April 2025]. The capital is earmarked for scaling R&D, expanding the product portfolio, and widening the salon network.
The founders bring complementary backgrounds. Saumya Yadav is a Stanford Graduate School of Business alum and a second-time entrepreneur, having previously co-founded the edtech startup Udayy [Forbes India, March 2022]. Atit Jain is a serial entrepreneur with multiple ventures, including Gigstart founded in 2013 [Tracxn, 2026]. Their engineering backgrounds inform the brand’s scientific positioning, though they are first-time operators in the fast-moving consumer goods space.
Pre-seed (Dec 2024) | 0.72 | M USD
Series A (Apr 2025) | 3 | M USD
Navigating a landscape of giants
The ambition is significant, and so are the competitive pressures. &Done is entering a segment dominated by global behemoths like L’Oréal and local powerhouse Hindustan Unilever. These competitors have decades of brand equity, massive R&D budgets, and entrenched relationships with the very salons &Done is courting. The startup’s bet rests on three pillars of differentiation:
- Channel intimacy. A dedicated salon-first strategy builds loyalty with stylists, who act as influential gatekeepers and product advocates.
- Specificity of claim. Focusing solely on the biomechanical needs of Indian hair types and climate conditions creates a targeted value proposition global brands may overlook.
- Capital efficiency. A $3.78 million war chest is modest for a physical goods play, requiring disciplined spend on R&D and salon acquisition to prove unit economics before a planned D2C expansion.
The risk is that without substantial marketing spend or proprietary patent protection, the "biotech" formulation could be perceived as marketing language rather than a defensible moat. Success will depend on converting salon placements into repeat consumer purchases and building a brand that can eventually stand on its own in the digital marketplace.
For the end user,often someone dealing with damage from harsh water, pollution, or heat styling,the standard of care today is a fragmented mix. It ranges from mass-market shampoos to premium imported serums, with little guidance tailored to the structural differences of Indian hair. &Done is attempting to own that clinical conversation at the point of professional service, betting that efficacy, not just branding, will drive loyalty. The next twelve months will test whether salon stylists become consistent sales drivers, and if the formulation can deliver the repeat-use results that turn clients into believers.
Sources
- [Entrepreneur India, April 2025] Haircare Brand &Done Raises USD 3 Mn in Series A Round Led by RTP Global | https://india.entrepreneur.com/news-and-trends/haircare-brand-done-raises-usd-3-mn-in-series-a-round-led/501688
- [Outlook Business, 2025] Haircare Brand &Done Raises $3Mn in Series A Led by RTP Global to Scale Salon Network | https://www.outlookbusiness.com/start-up/investors/haircare-brand-done-raises-3mn-in-series-a-led-by-rtp-global-to-scale-salon-network
- [Femina.in, Feb 2026] Saumya Yadav On How Post-Partum Hairloss Led To Building Her Own Brand | https://www.femina.in/beauty/hair/saumya-yadav-on-how-post-partum-hairloss-led-to-building-her-own-brand-289355.amp
- [Forbes India, March 2022] Udayy's Saumya Yadav: In Search Of A New Dawn | https://www.forbesindia.com/article/take-one-big-story-of-the-day/udayys-saumya-yadav-in-search-of-a-new-dawn/77267/1
- [Tracxn, 2026] Atit Jain - 2026 Portfolio & Founded Companies | https://tracxn.com/d/people/atit-jain/__CFyqmvXxVffhSRRXOtRa7MYlF_EN7qm2kjeATdn7LKY