WomanLikeU, the lingerie and swim wear brand secured an impressive funding of  ₹1 crore for 3% equity and a 2% royalty from the shark Aman Gupta. WomanLikeU is dedicated to helping women find clothes that fit their unique body types and shapes, making shopping a more personally fulfilling experience. 

Why WomanLikeU Stood Out on Shark Tank and managed to get funded

From the very beginning, WomanLikeU has maintained a very innovative approach to how they go about business, experimenting with their products and offerings and never shying away from what many might consider a risky venture.

This includes initially positioning themselves as a Vacation wear brand, a niche segment with limited proponents in a country where the majority of the population doesn’t really go beyond casuals while vacationing, before expanding their offerings to include Dresses, co-ords and of course, swimwear.

Being based out of Bangalore- the IT and software Hub of the country, they have also been open to exploring new and radical technologies on the market; best shown through their wholehearted embrace of AI technologies to streamline processes and cut down on costs. They have been in a partnership with the quickly growing AI Photoshoot startup Ayna AI since 2023, in an attempt to gain an edge over their competitors.

Why does this funding from shark tank matter?

There are various lenses to look at this from; This funding signifies a giant leap for body inclusive fashion brands, letting them know that in 2025, the landscape is vastly different from what it was even a decade ago. The body positivity movement has not left India untouched, with the traditionally conservative audience giving way to a more informed, more thoughtful average customer.

It’s also a landmark moment for plus sized women in India, who until recently had to struggle with finding appropriate swim or beach wear. As their website promises, every body is a beach body, and this just ensures that women of all body types are well represented in the market.

Womanlikeu's Founder’s Journey

WomanLikeU, conceived by the talented Zoheib and Shrijal, both alumni of NIFT, leverages their extensive experience in the realms of fashion and business.

Zoheib, who has over 15 years of exposure collaborating with the crème de la crème of the fashion world and an advanced business education from ISB Hyderabad, contributes a profound depth of industry expertise.

On the other hand, Shrijal, with a degree in fashion design and a master's from NIFT, infuses the venture with a creative spark that harmonizes seamlessly with Zoheib’s business insights. The dynamic duo have managed to take their brand to new heights.

WomanLikeU’s Technical edge - How they used AI for Photoshoots

WomanLikeU has managed to successfully leverage the rising tides of AI, eliminating the need for finding models with specific body types or ethnicities. They have also used Ayna’s AI powered, hyper-realistic photoshoots to maintain a consistent brand image across their website and socials, ensuring a seamless customer experience.

In the last 2 years, the once heralded, promised land of technology has seen many new occupants. AI has transformed from a slightly useful, niche tool that had no practical use to now being a part and parcel of every new technology. But how has it specifically changed the way that Fashion and Apparel brands go about their Photoshoots?

For now, it looks like traditional photoshoots are soon going to go the way of the dinosaurs; relevant for an eternity, and yet snuffed out in a short few years. There are, of course, a multitude of differences between traditional photoshoots and AI photoshoots , chief among them being that you don’t actually need a photographer or a model. Now how convenient is that?

Conclusion:

Womallikeu’s niche market and interesting problem statement along with their drive of using tech to solve for operational problems paved the way of making it to shark tank and landing an offer from Aman gupta. We at Ayna know WLU will make it big in the market and we wish them well.

As for the future, WomanLikeU is setting its sights even higher, with plans to double its scale in the coming six months, as they continue to redefine women’s wear in India, one immaculately-engineered piece at a time.