If there’s one thing Aman Gupta does on Shark Tank India, it’s keep it brutally real. And in one of Season 5’s most talked-about moments, the boAt co-founder had some very sharp words for a Mumbai-based collectible toy brand that dared compare itself to the global Labubu craze — saying he’d shut it down without teeth!
Meet Shichisōru — India’s Quirky Collectible Brand
Mumbai-based Shichisōru, founded by artist Maitreyee Koli, is a design-led D2C brand that creates cute, original, art-inspired merchandise including plushies, blind packs, stickers, magnets, and keychains featuring adorable collectible characters. Think India’s very own Labubu — minus the sharp teeth, minus the Chinese price tag, and with a whole lot of homegrown charm.
The brand stepped into the Shark Tank India Season 5 tank pitching their vision of making India-made collectibles go viral globally. Aman Gupta, never one to hold back, compared the toothless characters to their viral inspiration and quipped he’d have the Labubu shut down — “bandh karwa dunga” — if the teeth were removed.
The Shark Tank India Season 5 Deal Breakdown
Despite Aman’s scepticism about the Labubu comparison, the pitch didn’t go home empty-handed:
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Brand | Shichisōru |
| Founder | Maitreyee Koli |
| Products | Plushies, blind packs, stickers, keychains |
| Investor | Shaily Mehrotra (FixDerma) |
| Equity Deal | ₹35 Lakh for 10% equity |
| Debt Deal | ₹40 Lakh at 10% interest (3 years) |
| Valuation | ₹3.5 Crore |
The deal values the company at ₹3.5 crore and marks a milestone in India’s fast-evolving direct-to-consumer ecosystem.
Why Aman’s Reaction Was the Real Story
Aman Gupta’s “bandh karwa dunga” one-liner perfectly captured the tension of the pitch. The Labubu craze — driven by celebrities like Rihanna, Dua Lipa and BLACKPINK’s Lisa — has set an incredibly high bar for collectible toy brands globally. Shichisōru’s pitch was essentially saying, “We can do that, but Indian.” Aman, ever the market realist, challenged that head-on.
According to Wikipedia, Aman Gupta is the co-founder of boAt Lifestyle and has investments in more than 100 companies and startups across five seasons of Shark Tank India. His pushback wasn’t malicious — it was the kind of hard-nosed feedback that separates a pitch from a business plan.
Shaily Mehrotra, however, saw the creative potential and backed the brand with a hybrid equity-plus-debt deal — a smart structure for a capital-efficient creative startup.
For more Shark Tank India Season 5 updates and startup news, check out TechnoSports for the latest coverage.
