Funding story

Nowadays, a number of different startups are allowing the rising urban middle class to fulfill their material desires at low cost. One such startup is Stage3, a Delhi-based styling rental startup founded by Sabena Puri, Rina Dhaka and Sanchit Baweja. Backed by Technolour Dream Pants Pvt. Ltd., the startup recently succeeded in raising angel funding from a group of investors-among them were former AOL executive Nisha Sharma, Dalmia Bharat Group’s Puneet Dalmia and Stanford University’s Balaji Prabhaka. The startup seeks to use the funding for overall expansion, and for technological upgradation.

What is Stage3?

Stage3’s primary focus is  young women who seek to rent dresses for use on special occasions. Now, everybody wants to look good on big occasions such as weddings and birthdays. However, finding the right dresses for these events at short notice was always difficult-before Stage3 came along. The startup focuses on personalisation to a large extent, giving voice to the demands of users, no matter what these are. If the user has difficulty in selecting the design of their choice, Stage3’s in-house stylist can chip in to help. The renting process is extremely transparent and flexible, and designs can be rented for 4 or 7 days, depending on the user’s convenience. The logistical process of delivery and return is taken care of by Stage3 itself. The startup features some of the best designers of the industry, such as Rina Dhaka, Payal Singhal, Anamika Khanna and Manish Malhotra. Some of their best products are featured on the home page itself, with rental prices clearly mentioned. Every attempt is made to make the process as affordable as possible-the vast majority of designs are available on rent for approximately 10% of the retail price.

Future prospects

Currently, Stage3 caters to the NCR region, but plans are afoot to expand to 8 other metros by the first quarter of 2016. The recent bagging of funding is likely to help a lot in this regard. Stage3’s emphasis on user convenience, and its offer of excellent designs is likely to keep it ahead of the rest of the competition.

Visit the startup’s website for more info, or to avail of their services.