Journey of building a ‘Dahibara’ brand

In December 2022, Sourabh went on a business trip to Dubai, and after sharing his plans about starting a food brand with Dahibara, he got an Orissa-origin investor who offered him a cheque of 30 Lakh.

In January 2023, Sourabh started his brand, Dahibara Express. He registered the food company as THQ Food & Beverages.  

“THQ stands for Traditional, Hygiene and Quality foods,” he shared with Startup Pedia.

The food entrepreneur started the business with great enthusiasm and a seed funding of Rs. 30 Lakh. However, just after six months, the business ran out of cash.

“We were drained out, there was nothing in our account,” Sourabh admitted.

He further shared with Startup Pedia that at the time, he was a new entrepreneur with zero knowledge about financial planning.

“Suddenly, we were all out with cash!” Sourabh said. “As a new startup founder, I had no clue about where to invest, how much. And at that point, the investor backed out. He said he won’t be able to fund anymore, plus he wants his funding back!”

Sourabh felt an all-time low. He did not know how to continue without cash and loans to pay, but all the same, he did not want to give up.