Fingerlix

Maverix Platforms Private Limited, initially gaining market recognition through its flagship brand Fingerlix, represents a strategic player in India's food-tech and convenience food sector. The company was founded in 2015 by a team of seasoned professionals: Shripad Nadkarni, a former marketing head at Coca-Cola India and co-creator of brands like Paper Boat; Shree Bharambe, with a background at Johnson & Johnson; Varun Khanna from Colgate; and chef Abhijit Berde from Gate Gourmet. Their collective experience in marketing, consumer goods, and culinary arts identified a gap in the market for fresh, ready-to-cook meals for urban Indian households seeking convenience without compromising on traditional tastes.

The company began its journey as Fingerlix, offering preservative-free, semi-cooked products like batters, mixes, curries, and parathas that significantly reduce preparation time. This addressed the evolving lifestyle of urban consumers who desired home-cooked meals but lacked the time for extensive preparation. The business model focused on making these products available through a multi-channel network, including modern trade outlets and online delivery platforms. The initial branding, inspired by the founders' love for Asterix comics, aimed for a distinct presence on crowded supermarket shelves.

Over the years, Maverix Platforms expanded its portfolio beyond the initial ready-to-cook concept, evolving into a multi-brand cloud kitchen operator. It launched several brands to cater to diverse consumer needs, including Canteen Central for multi-cuisine snacks, Great Indian Khichdi, and Home Plate for affordable home-style meals. This strategy transformed the company into a comprehensive food network, managing everything from recipe development and large-scale cooking to cold chain logistics and last-mile distribution. The business generates revenue through the sale of its food products across this network of virtual restaurants and retail channels.

Maverix Platforms successfully attracted significant investment, raising over $52 million across multiple funding rounds from prominent investors such as Accel, Swiggy, and Zephyr Peacock. Its final Series C round valued the company at approximately $60.7 million. In a landmark move in January 2022, Maverix Platforms was acquired by Curefoods, a cloud kitchen aggregator. This amalgamation created one of India's largest fresh food kitchen operators, combining Maverix's manufacturing capabilities and brand portfolio with Curefoods' expansive network, which at the time grew to 125 kitchens across 12 cities.

Keywords: ready-to-cook, cloud kitchen, food-tech, Indian cuisine, Maverix Platforms, Fingerlix, Canteen Central, Great Indian Khichdi, fresh food network, convenience food, food delivery, Ankit Nagori, Shripad Nadkarni, Shree Bharambe, Curefoods, multi-brand kitchen, food manufacturing, venture capital, food startup, Mumbai, Bengaluru, food supply chain