Homegrown sneaker brand Zaydn has raised $681K in a seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV). The round saw participation from other investors as well, such as BeyondSeed and Private Angels. The funds will be used to scale inventory and production capacity, strengthen working capital, expand performance marketing, and accelerate growth across D2C and key marketplaces including Myntra, Amazon, and Nykaa, alongside investment in new product development, brand building, technology, and team expansion. What Zaydn is really doing is closing the gap between aspirational sneaker design and accessible pricing for India's Gen-Z consumer, creating trend-led, expressive sneakers with premium-looking construction at mass-premium price points.

The brand's positioning is backed by in-house manufacturing capabilities, giving it tighter control over product development, quality, and speed of launching new designs. Its product line reflects the same design-first thinking, with a wide toe box, lightweight TPR soles, dual cushioning, memory-foam insoles, and breathable uppers built for everyday wear. The brand's recognisable flame logo and "Find Your Fire" positioning have helped it build a distinct identity in a category crowded with generic players, reinforced by a 170K+ strong digital community built largely through a bootstrapped, digital-first approach.

Minal Shah, Principal - Southeast Asia, IPV, says, “We see a strong opportunity for homegrown brands that can build meaningful consumer relevance while maintaining the discipline required to scale. ZAYDN has demonstrated that ability, growing from a self funded business into a ₹10Cr+ annual brand with a strong digital community and an expanding presence across leading marketplaces. Its focus on product, in-house manufacturing and disciplined expansion gives the business a strong foundation for its next phase of growth. We believe ZAYDN is well placed to capture a larger share of India’s evolving sneaker market.”

Zaydn was founded in 2022 by Ankit Dass, who entered his family's footwear business in 2019 before starting Zaydn, bringing hands-on industry experience along with a background in footwear design & technology from FDDI Noida and footwear technology from the University of Northampton, UK. He is joined by co-founder Vidushi Chaudhary as Chief Marketing Officer. She brings in her  expertise  in branding, marketing, and creative strategy, helping scale the brand from 30K to 170K+ Instagram followers and to approximately ₹1 Cr in monthly sales.

Commenting on the investment, Ankit Dass, Co-Founder & CEO, Zaydn, said, “Building ZAYDN has always been about creating something young India can proudly call its own, bold, comfortable, premium-looking sneakers that let people express their individuality without stretching their budget. Our goal has never just been to make sneakers that look good; it's to make sneakers our customers feel confident and proud to wear at a price that keeps them accessible. IPV's speed, professionalism, and structured approach stood out to me from the start, and we're excited to have them alongside us as we take that vision to a much larger scale.”

India's sneaker market is having a moment, valued at roughly $3.2 billion in 2024 and expected to touch $4.49 billion by 2030, growing at nearly 6% a year as more consumers treat sneakers as everyday fashion rather than just sportswear. That shift is playing out against a much larger $18 billion footwear market in India, leaving real room for homegrown, design-led brands like Zaydn to carve out space of their own.