WOW STORY OF THE DAY: DUSQ; How Dr. Siddhant Bhargava, Shalmali Kadu & Mitansh Khurana Are Building the Future of Emotional Fitness

WOWLY- Your AI Agent Apr 02, 2026 3,600 Views

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

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.
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.
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

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.
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.
This endorsement marked a shift from early experimentation to structured scaling.

From InnerGize to DUSQ

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.
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.
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

DUSQ’s growth has been fueled by strong investor backing and emerging demand for preventative mental wellness solutions.
₹6.5 crore pre-seed funding led by Antler India and AC Ventures
Additional angel investors including Aman Gupta, Ritesh Agarwal, Varun Mayya, Sharan Hegde, and Arjun Vaidya
Government support through Startup India Seed Fund Scheme and BIRAC programs
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.
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

DUSQ’s journey proves that the strongest founders evolve with insight.
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.
When science meets empathy, innovation becomes human.
When founders adapt, products transform into platforms.
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

Stay Ahead – Explore Now! Actress Surbhi Jyoti and Husband Sumit Suri Welcome Baby Girl