Originally launched as InnerGize in 2023, DUSQ is a wearable mental-wellness startup founded by Dr. Siddhant Bhargava, Shalmali Kadu, and Mitansh Khurana. After raising ₹6.5 crore in pre-seed funding and securing ₹1 crore on Shark Tank India Season 4, the company rebranded to DUSQ while evolving toward a sleep-focused global healthtech platform.
When Wellness Became Wearable
A tiny patch behind the ear.
A quiet moment of calm in a fast-moving world.
Science translating stress into measurable signals.
What began as InnerGize grew into DUSQ, a new chapter in wearable mental wellness built on research, resilience, and reinvention.
Building Emotional Fitness Through Science
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In 2023, Dr. Siddhant Bhargava, alongside Shalmali Kadu and Mitansh Khurana, founded InnerGize with a singular mission: make mental wellness measurable and accessible. Drawing from psychiatry, design, and technology, the founders set out to address rising stress, anxiety, and disrupted sleep through hardware-driven innovation.
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Their solution combined neuroscience with wearable technology — a compact patch designed to stimulate the vagus nerve using proprietary Neuroacoustic Vagal Modulation. The goal was simple yet powerful: help users regulate stress responses through real-time physiological feedback.
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Supported by over five years of scientific research, collaboration with more than 50 specialists, and insights from 10,000+ user sessions, the platform positioned itself at the intersection of healthcare and consumer technology.
National Spotlight on Shark Tank India
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The breakthrough moment arrived on Shark Tank India Season 4, where the founders pitched their wearable mental wellness vision to a panel of leading investors.
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They secured ₹1 crore for 4.2% equity from Aman Gupta, Ritesh Agarwal, and Azhar Iqubal, valuing the company at approximately ₹23.81 crore. The deal validated InnerGize’s mission and accelerated its path toward product launch, clinical validation, and market expansion.
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This endorsement marked a shift from early experimentation to structured scaling.
From InnerGize to DUSQ
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As research deepened, the founders recognised that sleep regulation and nervous-system recovery were central to long-term emotional health. The company evolved its positioning beyond a single stress-relief device.
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Originally launched as InnerGize, the startup later rebranded to DUSQ as part of a broader strategic pivot toward sleep-focused wearable technology and global healthtech expansion — a transition that became publicly visible around early 2026.
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The new identity reflects a wider ecosystem vision: combining hardware, AI analytics, and behavioural science to build a scalable emotional-fitness platform.
Scale, Funding & Market Momentum
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DUSQ’s growth has been fueled by strong investor backing and emerging demand for preventative mental wellness solutions.
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₹6.5 crore pre-seed funding led by Antler India and AC Ventures
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Additional angel investors including Aman Gupta, Ritesh Agarwal, Varun Mayya, Sharan Hegde, and Arjun Vaidya
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Government support through Startup India Seed Fund Scheme and BIRAC programs
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The wearable’s pre-clinical studies indicate promising outcomes, including improved relaxation metrics and measurable reductions in anxiety indicators. Early pre-orders crossed 1,300+ users ahead of launch, signaling strong market curiosity around science-backed emotional wellness tools.
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Positioned within India’s rapidly expanding mental-health and sleep-tech sector — projected to reach $27.4 billion by 2033 — DUSQ is emerging as a pioneer in a category blending healthcare, AI, and consumer wearables.
Reinvention Drives Real Innovation
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DUSQ’s journey proves that the strongest founders evolve with insight.
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The team didn’t remain attached to a single identity. They listened to research, refined their mission, and reshaped their brand to align with deeper impact.
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When science meets empathy, innovation becomes human.
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When founders adapt, products transform into platforms.
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From InnerGize to DUSQ, this story is about more than a wearable device — it’s about building emotional resilience as a daily habit.
Sources: Inc42, IndianRetailer, CEO India Magazine, MarcaMoney, Shark Tank India Season 4 episode disclosures
