RARA Barefoot bags $500K pre-seed to launch its innovative barefoot sneaker line

RARA Barefoot raised $500K in pre-seed funding from Zomato, Urban Company, and ChrysCapital to launch barefoot sneakers. Founded by Varun Mimani and Manas Tripathi, the D2C brand promotes natural movement with flat, flexible soles and wide toe boxes. Funds will support national expansion, retail partnerships, local manufacturing, and 2026 offline pop-ups. India’s sneaker market is projected to reach $4.67B by 2030 at a 5.7% CAGR.