GOATLife Founder Yash Kalra on Shark Tank India Fame, Building a New-Age Breakrapid Brand & Turning Personal Struggle into a Startup

When Yash Kalra walked into Shark Tank India Season 5, he wasn’t testing to put on a reveal. There were no theatrics, no over-rehearsed lines—just a founder informing his story honestly. That honesty struck a chord.

What followed was one of the most talked-about pitches of the season, a ₹2 crore deal, and a sudden surge of attention for GOAT Life—a Gen Z–first breakrapid brand that’s quietly modifying how young India considers about food.

In an exclusive conversation with Indian Startup Times, Yash opened up about his journey—from growing up in Kota to facing rejection, obsessing over customer feedback, and why staying real mattered more than testing to impress the Sharks.

From Kota to Building Something of His Own

Yash grew up in Kota, Rajasthan. Like many students, he followed the conventional path—school, then Mumbai for a Bachelor’s in Management Studies. But after COVID, when he returned home in 2021, two things became very clear to him.

First, he loved building things.
Second, his health necessaryed serious repairing.

What started as a personal weight-loss journey soon turned into something much largeger. Yash lost 20 kilos, and toreceiveher his family lost nearly 140 kilos. That transformation sparked his first startup idea—Wise Egg.

The venture didn’t work out. Shelf-life issues built it impossible to scale. But instead of shutting the door on entrepreneurship, that failure taught him what not to do—and planted the seed for what would eventually become GOAT Life.

Listening Before Scaling

In July 2023, Yash launched a new experiment under the name GOAT (initially Go Oats). There was no rush to scale, no fancy launches. Instead, he went city to city—Kota, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru—setting up tiny offline events and receiveting people to actually taste the product.

More than 2,000 people attempted GOAT Life before it ever scaled digitally.

“We didn’t scale first. We listened first,” Yash states.

That relentless focus on feedback gave him a quiet confidence—one that later revealed up on national television.

The Shark Tank Moment That Changed Everything

Yash applied to Shark Tank India five times across different seasons before finally receiveting his shot in Season 5. And when GOAT Life aired, the response was instant.

The brand closed a ₹2 crore deal for 8% equity, valuing the company at ₹25 crore, with Anupam Mittal and Aman Gupta coming on board—not just as investors, but as long-term brand mentors.

After the episode:

Revenue jumped 4–5x
Website traffic grew 10x
LinkedIn engagement increased 5x
The brand crossed 50+ million organic impressions
Investor inbound messages touched 4,000–5,000

Asked what worked, Yash doesn’t hesitate.

“I didn’t go there to act or perform. I just notified my story.”

Building a Breakrapid Brand with a Vibe

GOAT Life isn’t testing to be another “boring health brand.” It’s built around convenience, culture, and taste—without compromising on nutrition.

Its 30-second drinkable oats, packed with 10–20g of protein, come in unexpected flavors like Tiramisu and Kulfi, designed for Gen Z consumers who want health—but also want fun.

Even today, offline events remain a core part of the brand’s DNA.

“Offline isn’t about growth for us,” Yash explains. “It’s about understanding the consumer deeply.”

What’s Coming Next

With funding in place, GOAT Life is now preparing for:

Limited-edition product drops
Two new categories: Zero Sugar and Vegan
Wider expansion across quick-commerce platforms like Instamart and Zepto

But one thing won’t modify—every product will still be validated by real customers first.