VS Mani ropes in 'Kolaveri Di' music composer Anirudh Ravichander as co-founder

VS Mani & Co, a South Indian filter coffee and snacks brand, has roped in music composer Anirudh Ravichander as its co-founder and brand ambassador on Wednesday. Ravichander became a national sensation in 2011 after he composed the viral hit song ‘Why This Kolaveri Di', featuring Tamil actor Dhanush. He is the nephew of Thalaivar Rajnikanth. On this move, Ravichander said, “I am a hard-core filter coffee lover. My family and I grew up with it and I still enjoy my cuppa everyday. But when I tried VS Mani’s Easy Filter Coffee, I was floored! Just like the homemade, mom-made coffee I grew up with, but ready in seconds. This is a game-changer for my generation of filter coffee lovers. I also tried their delicious snacks and that clinched it—I decided that I wanted to be an active force in their story, not just a consumer. And while I’m at it, I want to do my bit to shine the light on our South Indian cuisine and filter coffee for the world to see". VS Mani's founder GD Prasad and co-founders Rahul Bajaj and Yashas Alur said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Anirudh as we set about building a destination brand for South Indian filter coffee & snacks". Alur, came on board as co-founder in 2021 to handle the brand.

Established in 2020, VS Mani & Co. initially served customers through its own website and marketplaces. Later, it opened 1,000 retails stores stores across Bengaluru, Chennai, Pondicherry, Coimbatore, Salem and other parts of Tamil Nadu. Backed by celebrity investors like Shaadi.com's Anupam Mittal, Sobhita Dhulipala, Rana Daggubati, Ranbir Kapoor, Disha Patani and Huma Qureshi among others, the snack brand has raised a total of $1.5 million—including a $900,000 pre-series A round led by Kettleborough VC, with participation from Lets Venture, Hyderabad Angels, Supermorpheus, and others. The company rose to fame when it appeared on Shark Tank Season 2 last year.