Jaipur | Rajshree Upadhyaya | Akriti Gupta always believed that Indian parents deserved world-class baby products without having to depend on expensive imported brands. After graduating from KIIT University and earning an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, she built her career across the children’s category through ventures such as Tiny Toddler, marketplace platform Jollee, and leadership roles in ecommerce. Years of understanding consumer preferences helped her identify a major gap in the market, leading her to establish Loopie in 2025. Headquartered in Gurugram, the company was launched with a vision to create premium baby gear that combined international-quality design with features suited to Indian families.
Rather than competing in the crowded baby essentials segment, Loopie focused on premium baby strollers, baby car seats, diaper bags, and baby travel accessories. Every product was designed with an emphasis on safety, comfort, functionality, and aesthetics, allowing parents to choose reliable products without paying the premium often associated with global luxury brands. The startup positioned itself as a design-led baby gear company, targeting modern urban families who wanted both quality and convenience.
The response from customers was encouraging from the very beginning. Officially launching operations in March 2025, Loopie witnessed rapid growth within months as more parents embraced premium baby mobility products. The company attracted investor confidence early in its journey and successfully raised institutional funding to strengthen product development, inventory, and brand expansion. By the time Akriti entered Shark Tank India, she revealed that the startup had already secured nearly Rs. 14.7 crore in funding, reflecting the strong belief investors had in both the business model and the growing demand for premium baby gear in India.
Loopie appeared on Shark Tank India Season 5 with Akriti seeking an investment of Rs. 75 lakh in exchange for 1% equity. Throughout the pitch, she confidently explained how her years of experience had enabled her to understand the category better than most competitors. The Sharks appreciated her deep market knowledge, product quality, and clarity of vision, although several questioned whether premium pricing could achieve large-scale adoption in India. Namita Thapar and Kunal Bahl eventually presented investment offers at revised valuations, but Akriti believed the proposals undervalued the company’s long-term potential. Staying true to her conviction, she declined the offers and walked away without a deal, making it one of the season’s most talked-about negotiations.
Missing out on a Shark Tank investment did not slow Loopie’s progress. The company continued expanding its presence through its own website, leading e-commerce marketplaces, and an increasing network of retail partners across India. In 2025, it also raised an additional Rs. 7.2 crore in funding to accelerate growth, strengthen its product portfolio, and scale its distribution. Continuing its omnichannel strategy, Loopie opened its first experiential retail store in Pune, giving parents an opportunity to explore and test products before making a purchase.
As of 2026, Loopie remains an operational and growing company. Its portfolio of premium baby strollers, baby car seats, diaper bags, and baby travel accessories continues to reach customers through both online and offline channels. Although Akriti Gupta left Shark Tank India without securing a deal, her confidence in the brand’s value and her unwavering focus on building a design-first baby gear company have helped Loopie establish itself as one of India’s promising premium parenting brands in a remarkably short span of time.
