Indian footwear brand JQR receives $25 M from Singapore’s Venturi Partners

Just Quick Run (JQR), an up-and-coming brand in the low-cost footwear market, has received a $25 million investment from Singapore-based consumer fund Venturi Partners.

Venturi Partners said in a statement on Monday that it has acquired an undisclosed minority stake in JQR, marking the company’s first venture capital funding.

With this funding, JQR will be able to launch its online channel, increase its offline presence in new markets, and improve its product line to better satisfy India’s growing need for reasonably priced, premium sneakers.

“The partnership with Venturi Partners marks an exciting milestone in JQR’s journey,

“The investment will not only allow us to accelerate our growth and deliver value to our consumers, but, with their support and expertise, we are also confident that JQR will emerge as the leading brand in its category and deliver strong value to all stakeholders,” said Rinku, Sunil and Manish Garg, the promoter brothers of JQR.

JQR is a brand in India’s $12 billion mid- and economy-priced footwear market that was founded in 2014.

With vertically integrated manufacturing, in-house design capabilities, and robust offline distribution, the company offers products at competitive price points.

The company introduced the first fluorescent shoes in India in 2015.

“The footwear industry is seeing strong support from government policies, and we believe there is a significant gap in the price segment that JQR operates in,

“India’s consumer market continues to have a dearth of high-quality, affordable brands, and our mission at Venturi is to identify and scale such businesses across categories,” said Rishika Chandan, Managing Director of Venturi Partners.

“JQR has impressed us with its product quality, design aesthetic, in-house manufacturing, and well-established distribution network,

“We look forward to working closely with the founders to accelerate their growth trajectory,” she added.

This investment is a component of Venturi Partners’ larger plan to support bold brands in a variety of industries, including retail, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), healthcare, and education.

In addition to providing financial support, Venturi Partners hopes to provide strategic knowledge to JQR, enabling the business to grow effectively while maintaining its essential brand identity.

Livspace, Country Delight, Believe, Pickup Coffee, DALI, and K-12 Techno are all currently part of the fund’s portfolio.

The Asia-focused investment platform Venturi Partners was established in 2020 and helps consumer-facing companies create innovative brands in Southeast Asia and India.