How Tikitoro Won Over Parents and Investors on Startup Singam

It started with a protest.

Kids marching in with signs. Chanting. Smiling. Demanding justice. Not for politics, not for policy, but for skin care. Their siblings had it. Their grandmothers had it. Their parents had it. But them? Nothing.

That protest wasn't just a fun opener. It was the perfect way to say what Tikitoro has been saying since day one: children between 4 and 16 years old are completely forgotten when it comes to personal care. And that's a real problem.

The Gap Nobody Was Talking About

Startup Singam is South India's first startup reality show, airing on Vijay TV and streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. Think Tamil Nadu's answer to Shark Tank. Entrepreneurs pitch live to a panel of seasoned investors, with HNIs sitting in a dedicated Startup Pavilion ready to jump in. The show, mentored by Kumar Vembu of Zoho, has facilitated over ₹55 crore in investment commitments across its first season alone. It's a big stage, and Tikitoro showed up ready.

When Prasanna Vasanadu walked onto the Startup Singam stage, she didn't open with funding numbers or growth charts. She opened with a question most parents have never stopped to ask themselves.

"Can we use adult products for kids whose skin is not fully matured?"

The answer is no, and the reason goes deeper than mild vs. harsh formulas. Adult skin care and hair care products often contain ingredients called endocrine disruptors or hormone disruptors, things like phthalates and parabens. Used consistently over time, research links them to early puberty, polycystic ovaries, and other long-term health concerns.

Baby products are too gentle. Adult products are too strong. For kids aged 4 to 16, there was no middle ground, until Tikitoro.

And the market waiting on the other side of that gap? The baby personal care market in India alone is an ₹8,000 crore space. If even 30% of kids and teens start using age-appropriate products, that's a ₹17,400 crore opportunity. Prasanna said it on stage, and the room went quiet for a second.

A Brand Born Out of a Mother's Search

Prasanna didn't start Tikitoro because she spotted a market gap on a spreadsheet. She started it because she was a mother who couldn't find safe products for her own son.

She looked for clean, safe, age-appropriate personal care for her son and came up empty. So she built it herself.

Tikitoro launched during COVID-19 with just two people and seven products. Four years later, it's a 40-member team, three warehouses, and 25 products, with four more ready to launch and 15 to 20 in various stages of formulation. Every product is internationally certified by Safe Cosmetics Australia. Every formula is cruelty-free and vegan. No white labelling. No shortcuts.

Her husband was her first investor and her biggest supporter. She said it plainly on stage: "Without him, Tikitoro wouldn't exist."

What Tikitoro Actually Does Differently

Tikitoro has two categories: Personal care products for 4-10 years old, and Personal care products for teens. The split isn't just marketing. The formulations are built around the real differences in how kids' and teens' skin and hair behave, including the changes that happen around puberty.

Every product claim goes through clinical testing by a third-party lab. Participants include minors in the 12 to 17 age group: the actual target users, not adults standing in as proxies.

The repeat customer rate on their website sits between 46% and 50%. That's not a one-time curiosity purchase. That's parents who tried it and came back.

Inside the Startup Singam Pitch Room

Prasanna asked for ₹1.2 crores at an ₹81 crore valuation, based on an ARR of ₹18 crores from the last three months.

The investors pushed back hard on valuation. Current year revenue was projected at ₹12.25 crores. EBITDA was minus ₹3 crores for the year. The year before, it was minus ₹25 crores. And on a previous platform, she had accepted a deal at a ₹25 crores valuation.

But Prasanna held her ground on the progress. In ten months, she had taken the EBITDA from minus ₹4.5 crores to less than minus ₹1 crore. Gross margins improved. ROAS moved from 2.4 to close to 4. Zero stock-out days. The business had turned a corner, and she wanted the valuation to reflect that.

The investors on the panel offered ₹1 crore at a ₹40 crore valuation. She came down to ₹72 crores. The gap didn't close.

Then the HNI investors stepped in. One was from the personal care industry itself: Lakshmi Standards. He agreed to ₹72 crores. Others followed. Tikitoro closed ₹40 lakhs from the HNI side, at a valuation the founder was actually comfortable with.

Tikitoro Cares - Beyond the Products

One moment in the episode that didn't get lost in the numbers: Prasanna mentioned Tikitoro Cares, an initiative launched this year to support differently-abled children.

One of the investors quietly shared that she is the mother of a differently-abled son. The two connected right there on stage.

It's a reminder that Tikitoro was never just about what goes on a bathroom shelf.

Watch the full episode of Tikitoro featured on Startup Singam here: https://youtu.be/SkAPz9w6OCs?si=HReJ2QzaiW17vv0n

What's Next

Tikitoro's stated mission is to become a ₹100 crore brand with global expansion and profitable growth within three years. They've already filed trademarks in 11 countries.

The goal for next year is full EBITDA positivity. The product pipeline has 50 SKUs in total, built largely from customer requests. If parents asked for it, Tikitoro built it.

 FAQs

1. What is Tikitoro? 

Tikitoro is an Indian personal care brand that makes safe, clean, and specially formulated safe skincare for kids and teens. All products are certified by Safe Cosmetics Australia and are free from endocrine disruptors.

2. Who is the founder of Tikitoro? 

Tikitoro was founded by Prasanna Vasanadu, a mother who started the brand during COVID-19 after being unable to find safe, age-appropriate personal care products for her son.

3. What happened when Tikitoro appeared on Startup Singam? 

Prasanna Vasanadu pitched Tikitoro on Startup Singam, asking for ₹1.2 crores at an ₹81 crore valuation. While the investor panel offered a deal at a ₹40 crore valuation, the founder did not agree. She ultimately closed a deal with HNI investors for ₹40 lakhs at a ₹72 crore valuation.

4. Why can't children use adult skin care or baby products? 

Baby products are formulated for very delicate newborn skin and are too mild for older kids. Adult products often contain hormone-disrupting chemicals that can affect a child's developing body. Skincare for 4 to 16 year olds need formulations specifically built for their skin, which is exactly what Tikitoro provides.

5. Where can I buy Tikitoro products? 

You can browse and shop the full Tikitoro range at tikitoro.com