Vikas Khanna joins Hasan Minhaj as backer of Kolkata Chai Co
What's the deal? Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khanna has invested in Kolkata Chai Co, the New York-based tea brand already backed by comedian Hasan Minhaj.
Khanna joined the early VC round alongside co-investor Jimmy Rizvi through the newly formed Bungalow Hospitality Investments fund.
Founded in 2018 by brothers Ani and Ayan Sanyal, Kolkata Chai Co set out to reclaim South Asian tea beyond the "chai tea latte" label.
It began as a pop-up at New York farmers' markets and now runs a 60-square-foot cafe in the East Village.
Why now? Khanna's entry follows the success of Bungalow, his acclaimed New York restaurant and one of the city's best-known Indian eateries.
His backing builds on momentum that has grown since 2022, when the company raised a $1 million pre-seed round from Gold House VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Top Knot VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
Minhaj invested in September 2024, becoming the brand's second-largest stakeholder. He spent nine months working with the founders before the deal closed.
What could go wrong? The company now plans to expand into grocery stores and open more cafes across the city.
Scaling a tightly held niche brand risks diluting the cultural storytelling that drew investors in the first place.
The signal: Kolkata Chai Co remains an early-stage company, yet it has assembled an unusually marquee cap table of angel backers — from Minhaj to Khanna — alongside earlier funds Gold House Ventures and Top Knot Ventures. That mix of celebrity capital and diaspora-focused investors points to a broader appetite for heritage-led consumer brands betting on cultural authenticity as a moat.
Read more: financialexpress.com
Image credit: Mr Moss
