Bengaluru-based startup NORI has raised $350,000 in a pre-seed funding round led by Rebalance, with participation from Vijay Shekhar Sharma, VSS Investco, and several angel investors from the consumer and e-commerce sectors. The company is positioning itself as India’s first travel gear brand designed specifically for women.
Founded in 2025 by Meenakshi Vyas and Rashika Nayak, NORI focuses on creating travel products that combine thoughtful functionality, intuitive organisation, and expressive design tailored to women’s real travel needs.
As India’s travel industry continues to grow, women, especially solo travellers and working professionals, are among the fastest-growing consumer groups. However, most luggage and travel accessories are still built around generic designs that often fail to address how women actually pack and travel.
Speaking about the idea behind the brand, co-founder Meenakshi Vyas said women prepare and pack differently, often carrying significantly more essentials and prioritising organisation in unique ways. She explained that NORI is not simply resizing existing products or changing colours, but rethinking travel gear entirely from a woman’s perspective.
Co-founder Rashika Nayak added that design should go beyond appearance and focus on how products function in everyday life. She said the goal was to create bags that move with modern women effortlessly while balancing practicality and style.
One of NORI’s latest products, the Carry On Wheelie, has been designed around better organisation, ergonomics, and a design language that embraces femininity instead of avoiding it. The company’s organisers range, which helped drive its early growth, follows the same approach.
Within just months of launching, NORI says it has already served more than 4,000 customers and is currently tracking toward an annual revenue run rate of ₹2 crore. The company also reports a Net Promoter Score (NPS) above 9 and a 20 percent repeat purchase rate within 60 days, figures that stand out for an early-stage direct-to-consumer brand.
Commenting on the investment, Rebalance co-founders Aishwarya Malhi and Vikas Kumar said the luggage category has remained largely unchanged for years despite its scale. They believe brands like NORI have the opportunity to redefine travel products for women as more women embrace independent travel and mobility.
The newly raised capital will be used to expand NORI’s product portfolio and strengthen its presence across both online and offline retail channels.
NORI’s founding team brings strong retail and product experience to the business. Meenakshi Vyas previously worked with companies including Myntra, PharmEasy, and Reliance Retail, while Rashika Nayak has designed more than 800 bags during her career. Together, they aim to build a new generation of travel gear that lets women choose between functionality and design.
