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].
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].
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Pre-seed (Dec 2024) | 0.72 $M |
| Series A (Apr 2025) | 3 $M |
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].
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. The startup’s bet rests on three pillars of differentiation:
- Channel intimacy. A dedicated salon-first strategy builds loyalty with stylists.
- Specificity of claim. Focusing solely on the biomechanical needs of Indian hair types and climate conditions.
- Capital efficiency. A $3.78 million war chest is modest for a physical goods play.
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.
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