Behind India’s First Vitamin Patch Startup | Radhika Rajpal & Raghav Gandotra | TEDxNITKSurathkal
Radhika Rajpal and Raghav Gandotra didn’t start off in search of a trend, they sought to solve a problem created out of personal angst and unsatisfied need. In this unfiltered talk, the co-founders of Patch Up strip away the shiny things in startup life and show what it takes to build something sustainable.Raghav, with experience working at Zomato and Google, learned that passion without provision only leads to burnout. He discussed how grit, discipline in tough moments, and a level of financial realism were more powerful than the dreams on the vision board. Radhika spoke of the courage it takes to wait, not wait to rush into something, but wait to make the jump only when you are ready to crash and still rise up. Together, they delivered a masterclass to build with heart and backbone, showing that big ventures come not from instinct but intention, strength, and unrelenting clarity.
Radhika is a visionary entrepreneur redefining the way we approach wellness. A second-time founder and an alumna of Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) and INSEAD, she has an impressive background, having worked at Barclays and Microsoft before taking the leap into the startup world. After building her first venture, a London-based fintech backed by Techstars, she turned her attention to a challenge much closer to home—revolutionizing the health supplement industry.As the founder of Patch Up, India’s pioneering transdermal supplement brand, Radhika is leading the charge toward additive-free, high-absorption vitamin delivery. Her passion for clean nutrition stems from personal experience—struggling with bloating and inefficacy from traditional oral supplements, she discovered the power of transdermal patches. What started as a personal pursuit soon turned into a brand that made its way onto Shark Tank India, where her conviction and clarity impressed investors and audiences alike.Raghav’s journey is a testament to embracing change, taking risks, and following passion. An endurance athlete and mountaineer at heart, he understands the role of nutrition in optimizing performance and well-being. While working at Meta and Google, he relied on traditional supplements, but bloating, poor absorption, and inefficacy made him question if there was a better way.That’s when he discovered Patch Up, a brand that introduced him to transdermal patches—an innovative solution that fit seamlessly into his routine. The more he used them, the more he believed in their potential to transform wellness. But believing wasn’t enough. Despite the security of a high-profile career at Google, he made the difficult decision to leave and take a leap of faith—co-founding Patch Up alongside Radhika to make wellness simple, effective, and accessible to everyone.Today, Raghav is on a mission to revolutionize the way we think about supplementation, proving that health doesn’t have to be complicated—just well-delivered. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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