WOW STORY OF THE DAY: He Started a Rider's Club in 2007, His Intern Rode 100km Daily to Join Him, and Together They Built Wanderlooms.

A Rider's Club, a 100km Commute, and a Brand Born From the Road

1. Prateek Vats started his adventure touring company in Bhopal in 2007, long before Wanderlooms existed as an idea. He had already led countless tours in the Himalayas and Northeast India, built a rider's club, and connected deeply with a community of people who shared one belief: the road is not a commute, it is a calling.
2. When Deepesh Shrivastava arrived as an intern from Madhya Pradesh, he demonstrated the kind of commitment that founders remember for the rest of their lives. Deepesh commuted 100km every day to be part of the team. That dedication caught Prateek's attention. He did not just keep Deepesh on. He made him co-founder.
3. Together, they launched Wanderlooms in 2019 under their company Meanders India Biz Pvt Ltd. The mission was precise: create travel-inspired apparel and accessories for India's growing community of riders, backpackers, and adventure enthusiasts, products combining authentic design with genuine utility at quality levels matching international standards but priced for Indian consumers.
4. "We noticed that most travel gear for riders was either too plain or lacked functionality tailored to Indian terrains. We wanted to bring colour and utility together, creating products that resonate with today's adventurous spirit," Prateek says.
5. From riding jerseys and oversized T-shirts to hoodies, bandanas, enamel mugs, and utility-based riding gear, every Wanderlooms product was built with one question: would this survive a long ride through the mountains and still look good when you stopped at a dhaba?

Community as the Core Product, Road as the Marketing Channel

1. The boldest decision Wanderlooms made was to treat its community not as an audience to be marketed to but as the brand itself. Prateek's years of leading Himalayan expeditions had given him direct, authentic access to India's most passionate riders. Deepesh's creative direction translated that authenticity into products the community genuinely wanted to wear.
2. "Our design process is highly iterative. We're not just selling products; we're selling an experience. Our merchandise is designed to inspire adventure while meeting the functional needs of travelers," Deepesh says. 
3. Wanderlooms built a community of 50,000-plus people within three years through grassroots engagement rather than advertising spend. Collaboration with industry leaders including PowerDrift, FastIndian, CS Santosh, Indimotard, and Ashish Rao Rane widened brand credibility across riding circles. The brand sponsored BigRock Motorsports, which won the CEAT Indian Supercross Racing League, India's first franchise-based Supercross league, placing Wanderlooms at the centre of one of India's most watched motorsport victories.
4. With 43% of sales coming from marketplaces and the remainder from its own D2C channels, the brand demonstrated that community-led growth could generate real commercial traction. Revenue doubled year-on-year at the time of the Shark Tank appearance.

Aman Gupta Learned That Even Sharks Have to Pitch

1. Wanderlooms appeared on Shark Tank India Season 4 Episode 23, asking for ₹50 lakh for 2.5% equity at a ₹20 crore valuation.
2. The pitch generated memorable moments on both sides of the table. Anupam Mittal, inspecting the enamel mugs, quipped: "Isse better mugs jail mein milte hain." Peyush Bansal encouraged the founders to explore a global audience before stepping away.
3. Namita Thapar and Ritesh Agarwal made a joint offer of ₹75 lakh for 4% equity. Aman Gupta matched the same offer, citing his admiration for how the founders had turned passion into a business. The founders chose Namita and Ritesh, with Prateek explaining directly that Ritesh's connections in the travel and hospitality space could accelerate Wanderlooms' community expansion faster. Aman Gupta, half-joking and half-serious, remarked: "So today I learned that even sharks need to pitch themselves."
4. Reflecting on the experience, Prateek said: "Preparing for Shark Tank isn't about rehearsing a pitch but about knowing your product inside out. The mentorship from Namita Thapar was invaluable, although our strategic direction remained consistent. Her insights helped us refine our approach and accelerate growth." 
5. The Shark Tank appearance was preceded by a ₹1.43 crore funding round in September 2022 for 26% equity, backed by Ravi Nigam of Tasty Bite, S. Ramadorai of TCS, Shashank Deshpande of Pentathlon Ventures, and the Barber Shop by Shantanu Razor Edge angel syndicate. Wanderlooms is also nurtured by the AIC-RNTU Foundation under the Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog.

Scale and Real-World Impact

The Shark Tank deal closed at ₹75 lakh for 4% equity from Namita Thapar and Ritesh Agarwal, valuing Wanderlooms at ₹18.75 crore. The brand was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. It has 43,000-plus Instagram followers across 2,209 posts under @wanderlooms. The community of 50,000-plus engaged riders and travellers continues to fuel product development through active feedback. International expansion plans target Vietnam and the Middle East, regions with thriving riding and travel cultures. Offline retail is planned within two to three years and international operations within four to five years. The brand has been featured at international rallies including Bajaj and Dakar. 

The Most Powerful Brand Is the One Built by People Who Already Live the Life They Are Selling

1. The sharpest lesson from Wanderlooms' journey is this: the most defensible brands in any lifestyle category are the ones founded by people who were already living that lifestyle before the business existed.
2. Prateek had led motorcycle expeditions for over a decade. He had experienced near-death on the road. He had looked everywhere for gear that understood Indian roads and Indian riders and found nothing worth buying. That gap was not identified through a market research report. It was felt on every highway, mountain pass, and monsoon road he had ever ridden.
3. That personal truth became Wanderlooms' most powerful competitive advantage: a community of 50,000 people who do not feel like customers because they were never treated like customers. They were always fellow riders.
4. "Stay true to your passion. The journey will have its highs and lows, but perseverance is key," Prateek says.
5. A near-death experience clarified the mission. A 100km commute revealed the co-founder. And a Shark Tank deal worth ₹75 lakh funded the movement. Explore the world, one thread at a time.

Sources: Business Remedies, SharkTankSeason.com, Indian Startup Times, StartupArticle, Filmibeat, CEO Vine, LinkedIn, Crunchbase