Not every founder walks into the Tank wanting to please everyone. The founders of Rimigo, a Bengaluru-based AI-powered travel-tech startup, made headlines on Shark Tank India Season 5 by doing something few entrepreneurs dare — they turned down Anupam Mittal and closed a deal with newcomer Shark Shaily Mehrotra instead. Bold, deliberate, and unapologetically strategic. This is the kind of pitch moment that makes Shark Tank India unmissable.
Shark Tank India Season 5, which premiered on January 5, 2026, on Sony LIV and Sony Entertainment Television, features 13 Sharks this season including five new faces — Shaily Mehrotra (FixDerma), Varun Alagh (Mamaearth), Mohit Yadav (Minimalist), Kanika Tekriwal (JetSetGo), and Hardik Kothiya (Rayzon Solar) — with Aditya Kulshrestha as host.
Rimigo on Shark Tank India 5 — Deal Breakdown
| 📋 Detail | ℹ️ Info |
|---|---|
| 🏢 Startup | Rimigo |
| 📍 Based In | Bengaluru, India |
| 🧠 Category | AI Travel-Tech / Collaborative Trip Planning |
| 👥 Founders | Sahil Sharma, Shubham Chintalwar & Aditya Shirole |
| 💼 Ask | ₹1 Crore for 1% equity (₹100 Cr valuation) |
| ✅ Deal Closed | ₹1 Crore for 1.5% equity |
| 🦈 Shark Who Invested | Shaily Mehrotra (FixDerma) |
| 📊 Post-Deal Valuation | ₹66.67 Crore |
| ❌ Shark Rejected | Anupam Mittal |
| 📺 Platform | Sony LIV / Sony Entertainment Television |
What Is Rimigo and Why Did the Sharks Care?
Rimigo isn’t your typical travel app. The platform combines AI-driven personalisation, collaborative itinerary building, and curated travel insights to simplify international trip planning — particularly for groups. Think of it as a smart travel companion that eliminates the chaos of WhatsApp planning threads and scattered booking tabs.
The founders came in with serious credibility too. They had previously built and sold a company to PhonePe, giving them founder pedigree that immediately caught the Sharks’ attention. However, the panel also grilled them hard — pointing out their limited knowledge of competitors and flagging that parts of the pitch felt rehearsed rather than authentic. It was a tense room.
Why They Rejected Anupam Mittal
Anupam Mittal, the Shaadi.com founder and one of the most experienced Sharks in the Tank, made an offer — but Rimigo’s founders didn’t bite. The founders reportedly found Shaily Mehrotra’s offer and mentorship profile a better strategic fit for their growth trajectory. As a founder who built FixDerma over 15 years from scratch into a leading dermatology skincare brand, Mehrotra brings deep D2C brand-building expertise and a founder-first investment philosophy.
Mehrotra has previously said she looks for founders with conviction, honesty about challenges, and a readiness to do the real work. Rimigo’s founders clearly impressed her enough to bridge the gap between their ₹100 crore ask valuation and the deal’s final ₹66.67 crore post-money valuation.
A New Shark Making Big Moves
Shaily Mehrotra’s investment in Rimigo is exactly the kind of moment Season 5 was designed to deliver — a new Shark with a distinct lens proving her value in the Tank. With a net worth of approximately ₹120 crore and 15 years of brand-building experience, Mehrotra is fast establishing herself as one of the most thoughtful investors on the panel this season.
For more Shark Tank India Season 5 episode recaps, startup pitch breakdowns, and deal analysis, visit TechnoSports Entertainment & Business — updated after every episode. Also check out TechnoSports for the latest Indian startup and business news all season long.
