Cricketer Shikhar Dhawan invested an undisclosed amount in Yoga-based wellness brand Sarva. The firm has raised about $8 million since its inception in 2016 from various global investors such as David Giampaolo, Mark Mastrov – an entrepreneur hailed as the ‘Steve jobs of Fitness’, Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, Zumba, Fireside Ventures and Mantra Capital. Bollywood stars including Malaika Arora, Aishwarya R Dhanush, Shahid and Mira Kapoor have also funded the startup.
Sarva released a press statement saying that this investment from Dhawan aligns with his belief that yoga can help achieve emotional, spiritual and physical fitness. The company only recently launched its digital product in the end of March. The firm has decided to utilize the funds for content creation for its platform.
Sarvesh Shashi, founder and co-founder of Diva Yoga and Sarva said, “Sports and fitness go hand in hand and Shikhar aligned completely with Sarva’s philosophy of holistic health and well-being, which is a must for a fast-paced game like cricket.” He further added that Dhawan’s involvement with the brand will help the company rebrand yoga as authentic yet modern, and inclusive yet transformative- a definition that Yoga has never been associated with in India.
Dhawan who plays for Team India said in a statement, “I have first-hand benefited from yoga, be it while recovering from an injury, getting back into shape, building stamina or staying focused before a game…This is why when I met Sarvesh, I connected to his vision for Sarva instantly.”
The Chennai-based startup has two branches called Sarva and Diva Yoga, a women-centric brand with a global digital reach of over 200 million users.