Escape Plan Series A Funding: Jungle Ventures Leads $25 Million Round

Escape Plan, a travel gear firm, has received $25 million in a Series a funding round headed by current investor Jungle Ventures, in which Fireside Ventures and IndiGo Ventures—the corporate venture capital division of IndiGo Airlines—participate as strategic investors.

Series A Funding and Expansion Strategy

According to founder and CEO Abhinav Pathak, the new funding would be used mainly to expand Escape Plan’s reach beyond the top 25–30 percent of India, increase supply-chain and pricing skills to decrease category price points, and speed up offline retail expansion, Moneycontrol reported. Along with growing into related travel categories, the business will make technological investments to increase availability and consistency across channels.

“The aim was to start establishing new territories, new categories, and new geographies once we started attaining meaningful scale,” Pathak stated. That was the goal of the fundraising. We also wanted to focus more on developing the organization in the proper manner because we are still a very small staff.

Early Momentum and Investor Confidence

Less than a year has passed since Escape Plan, only two months after starting operations, received $5 million in a seed round headed by Jungle Ventures with participation from Fireside Ventures in July of last year.

While IndiGo Ventures has entered as a new, strategic investor, Jungle Ventures and Fireside Ventures are both current investors who have doubled down in the Series A.

Fast-Tracked Fundraising Journey

According to Pathak, the fundraising process went quickly. “It took just two to two and a half months from the first chat to money in the bank,” he stated.

Escape Plan is pitching itself as a platform-led travel products company that spans online marketplaces, direct-to-consumer channels, and an expanding offline retail network, rather than as a single-brand luggage player. Pathak founded the retail-tech startup Perpule, which Amazon later purchased.

Current Scale and Revenue Performance

Currently, the company’s annualized revenue run rate exceeds Rs 300 crore, mostly due to luggage sales across all channels. According to the creator, Escape Plan serves 6–7 lakh consumers, runs more than 25 physical locations, and distributes about two lakh pieces of luggage each month.

Although luggage continues to be Escape Plan’s biggest source of income, the company is also branching out into softer travel categories like passport covers and neck pillows.

Category Expansion Roadmap

“We will bring all potential trip categories under Escape Plan over the next six months,” Pathak stated. “We prioritize luggage today, but that will change.”

Escape Plan plans to use a large amount of the Series A funding to increase its physical retail presence, eventually aiming for more than 200 locations.

Geographic Reach and Market Strategy

According to Pathak, the emphasis is on opening up markets where the business has hitherto been limited by price points or a small physical presence.

“We are limited to the top 25–30 percent of India by geography today,” he stated. The objective is to begin playing in 90% of India. This entails using a variety of levers, including marketing, e-commerce penetration, pricing, and stores.

Strategic Role of IndiGo Ventures

Although the details of the partnership are still being worked out, IndiGo Ventures’ involvement adds a strategic depth to the deal. Escape Plan’s emphasis on dependability, size, and customer experience, according to IndiGo, is in line with the quick growth of air travel in India.

Industry Challenges and Long-Term Vision

Pathak recognized the structural difficulties of the travel gear business, which has long been dominated by incumbents and expands mostly at inflationary rates, despite its quick expansion.

“You become a meaningful component of the category once you exceed Rs 300–500 crore in revenue,” he stated. “From there, mistakes become extremely costly and growth becomes more difficult.”

Escape Plan’s long-term wager is that travel gear will become more defensible through category-led, platform-style ownership as opposed to single-brand D2C plays.

“Everyone else is creating a brand. “We are constructing a platform,” Pathak stated. “We want to fulfill every travel requirement, spanning price points and regions, like Decathlon for sports or Lenskart for eyewear.”

Frequently asked questions

1. In its Series A round, how much money has Escape Plan raised?

In its Series A investment round, Escape Plan has raised $25 million.

2. Who oversaw and took part in the Series A funding?

With participation from Fireside Ventures and IndiGo Ventures, the corporate venture division of IndiGo Airlines, Jungle Ventures led the round.

3. What will Escape Plan do with the additional funds?

The money will be used to increase physical retail, improve pricing and supply chain, make technological investments, enter related travel sectors, and reach a wider audience than just the top 25–30% of Indians.

4. How big of an operation does Escape Plan currently have?

The company serves 6–7 lakh consumers, runs more than 25 offline stores, sends over 2 lakh pieces of luggage each month, and has an annualized revenue run rate of more than Rs 300 crore.

5. What sets Escape Plan apart from other D2C or baggage brands?

Like Decathlon or Lenskart, Escape Plan presents itself as a platform-led travel products firm rather than only a single-brand luggage provider, with the goal of meeting all travel needs across price ranges, channels, and locations.

Conclusion

The $25 million Series of Escape Plan A is a big step toward its goal of becoming an Indian full-stack, platform-led travel products company. With the strategic addition of IndiGo Ventures and solid support from current investors, the firm is stepping up its efforts to diversify its categories, expand offline, and increase price accessibility.

Escape Plan is wagering that scale, platform ownership, and omnichannel execution would enable it to challenge established players in the travel gear market as it seeks to grow from servicing the top 30% of India to over 90%.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or business advice. Readers are advised to verify details independently and consult relevant professionals before making any decisions based on this information.