Ex-The Man Company leaders join hands to launch skincare startup Puresta

New Delhi: Former leaders of The Man Company have joined hands to launch Puresta, a skincare startup positioned as a full-stack dermatology platform at the intersection of beauty, healthcare and AI.

Puresta was founded in 2025 by Hitesh Dhingra and Bhisham Bhateja, co-founders of The Man Company (Now part of Emami), along with Ashish Mishra, co-founder at Clensta. 

The company said it has now formally announced its market launch.

Puresta has raised Rs 34 crore in a pre-seed funding round led by Spring Marketing Capital, with participation from Stride Ventures, the company said. 

Ahead of the launch, Puresta acquired HealthQ Life Science, the parent company of D2C skincare brand SKINQ. HealthQ Life Science was founded by Dr Chytra Anand in 2021, according to a report.

Rumi Ambastha, who has also worked at The Man Company previously, has joined Puresta as marketing head. She previously worked at Swiss Beauty and has held roles across marketing and advertising.

Puresta said the acquisition strengthens its product pipeline and technology infrastructure, and adds clinical depth to a platform built for Indian skin.

The company said SKINQ, known for dermatologist-formulated and in-vivo tested formulations, will be integrated into Puresta’s AI engine. It said this will help deliver personalised regimens with measurable tracking.

Puresta said its offering will span AI diagnostics, dermatologist-formulated products, clinical validation and real-time progress tracking. It said the platform aims to scale access to “credible skin intelligence” beyond physical consultations.

Dhingra has previously co-founded matchmaking app TrulyMadly and online electronics retailer Letsbuy. Flipkart acquired Letsbuy in 2012, in a deal estimated at about $25 million. 

“We are excited to partner with Hitesh, Bhisham, and Ashish. With their track record in building category-leading brands like The Man Company and Dr Chytra’s clinical expertise, Puresta is positioned to build a new-age dermatology platform rooted in science and technology,” said Kaushik Dasgupta, Head – Investments, Spring Marketing Capital.

“Beauty is scaled on storytelling. Outcomes didn’t,” said Dhingra. “Consumers don’t lack products; they lack clarity. Puresta is built to move skincare from promise-led marketing to proof-led performance.”

Puresta said its launch follows research conducted across 1,400 women in the 21–30 age group. The company said the study found high ingredient awareness but low confidence.

It said decisions were driven more by efficacy, dermatologist validation and reviews than branding alone. It also pointed to fatigue from complicated routines and “viral ingredient cycles”.

Puresta said consumers showed a stronger preference for simpler, science-backed regimens tailored to Indian concerns. These include pigmentation, acne, uneven tone, dark circles and barrier damage.