Actor Deepika Padukone invests in specialty coffee chain Blue Tokai

Bollywood actor and entertainer Deepika Padukone has picked up an undisclosed stake in Gurgaon-based specialty coffee chain Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters. The value of the investment is not known yet either.

Done through Padukone’s investment entity Ka Enterprises, this fund infusion will form part of 10 year old Blue Tokai’s Series-B fund raising round. Ka Enterprises will join a long list of Blue Tokai’s investors, which includes A91 Partners, Anicut Capital, 8i Ventures, DSP Blackrock, Negen Capital, Mauryan Capital and White Whale Ventures.

“We have followed the brand’s growth very closely over the past decade… and are therefore thrilled to partner with them on their journey of making Indian specialty coffee accessible, delivering unparalleled coffee experiences and putting it on the global map,” said Ka Enterprises founder Deepika Padukone.

Blue Tokai is expected to use the funds raised through this round to expand beyond the four roasteries and 80-plus physical outlets that are spread across India and Japan. Speaking on its growth plans, Matt Chitharanjan, Co-Founder & CEO of Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters said, “this year, we are taking experimentation, quality, accessibility and convenience a notch higher.” So growth plans could also include expanding the partnerships Blue Tokai has with marquee retail outlets and luxury hotels & restaurants.

Deepika Padukone is no stranger to coffee brands, in the financial sense. Her association with a coffee brand goes back to 2010, when she signed on as brand ambassador for Nescafe. So what attracted her to Blue Tokai?

“As someone who is immensely passionate about homegrown brands and deeply values authenticity and transparency, investing in Blue Tokai was an evident choice,” Padukone said.

This is not Deepika Padukone’s, or Ka Enterprises’, first investment in the Indian startup space. Since Ka was set up in 2014, Padukpone has invested in consumer-focused companies like Epigamia, Furlenco, Blu Smart, Bellatrix, Atomberg Technologies, Mokobara, Supertails, and Nua, with average cheque sizes learnt to range from Rs 3-5 crores. Padukone has also doubled up as a brand ambassador for many of these brands in the past.