Firi raises $3M to expand nine-minute beauty delivery into makeup and fragrances

Gurugram-based Firi will use its seed round, backed by 360 ONE Asset and Better Capital, to widen beyond skincare, haircare and bodycare. The startup pairs AI-led discovery with quick delivery as it competes with Nykaa, Tira and quick-commerce platforms.

— Source publishedWed, 16 Sept, 2026, 10:46 IST·First seen Wed, 16 Sept, 2026, 11:57 IST·Source Inc42 · Buzz

What happened

Gurugram beauty quick-commerce startup Firi raised $3 million in seed funding to expand beyond skincare, haircare and bodycare into makeup and fragrances. It

Key facts

  • $3 million (approximately ₹28.8 crore) seed round
  • nine-minute deliveries
  • more than 50 million reviews analysed
  • around 3,000 shortlisted products
  • more than 300,000 global beauty products assessed
  • AOV nearly 2x Nykaa and Tira's reported AOV
  • India BPC market projected to grow from over $5 billion in 2023 to over $28 billion by 2030

Why this matters

Strategic buyers and beauty retailers should track Firi as a potential technology-and-fulfillment partner or acquisition target if its AI discovery layer drives customer retention beyond delivery convenience.

What to watch

  • Launch timing and SKU breadth for makeup and fragrance categories.
  • Expansion beyond Gurugram and evidence of sustained sub-15-minute delivery coverage.
  • Repeat-purchase rates, average order values and discount dependence after category expansion.
  • Exclusive partnerships with prestige, mass-market or influencer-led beauty brands.
  • Competitive responses from Nykaa, Tira, Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart, including dedicated beauty storefronts or delivery guarantees.
  • Follow-on funding, dark-store additions and signs of rising inventory or fulfillment costs.
  • Build brand-exclusive and early-launch partnerships in makeup and fragrances to avoid competing only on speed and discounting.
  • Use AI discovery for shade, skin-type and routine recommendations, creating data advantages and reducing choice friction.
  • Concentrate dark-store inventory around high-repeat, high-margin beauty SKUs before entering additional cities.
  • Add sampling, bundles and subscription-style replenishment to increase average order value and retention.
  • Prepare for higher promotional intensity as larger beauty and quick-commerce players expand their instant-delivery assortments.