First Women-Led Ladakhi Startup Secures Landmark Equity Funding

By: WE staff | Tuesday, 23 September 2025

• Nima Goos Goos, which literally translates to "Sunflower" in Ladakhi, is the initial women-founding business from Ladakh to have equity funding
• Investors comprise Ritesh Agarwal (OYO), Sonali Mehta-Rao (Ahaana Ventures), and Anushi Mehta (Mumbai-based angel investor)

Nima Goos Goos, translated to "Sunflower" in Ladakhi, is the first women-founded and women-managed startup from Ladakh to have risen equity funding.

The funding round had the participation of impact investors such as Ritesh Agarwal, Group CEO and Founder of OYO; Sonali Mehta-Rao, Ahaana Ventures Founder; and Mumbai-based angel investor Anushi Mehta.

Started by Padma Angmo and Rigzin Angmo, Nima specializes in handmade Himalayan products that are inspired by local heritage and biodiversity of the region.

The company works with female farmers and foragers from small Ladakhi villages to source organically cultivated and wild-foraged ingredients to make hand-plucked herbal teas, condiments, and preserves.

The startup merges traditional cooking knowledge with modern palates; producing small-scale products that emphasize native Himalayan produce.

Its business supports a regenerative local economy, focusing on women cultivators and harvesters in Ladakh's delicate mountain environments.

With the funding, Nima intends to establish Ladakh's first women-owned and operated food processing and packaging facility in Leh. It also seeks to grow its tisane brand globally, with a focus on markets in Japan, Europe, and India's retail and hospitality industries.

By 2026, the business will have partnered with hundreds of women farmers and foragers and will have built a decentralized supply chain based on traditional methods and biodiversity preservation.

Early investor Alsisar Impact was instrumental in steering the company towards market preparedness, facilitating its growth and holding true to a commitment towards community and environmental sustainability.

Growing up, Nima is establishing itself as a women-owned, place-based food business out of Ladakh, with the mission of bringing the cuisine of the region to a broader global market while supporting sustainable economic growth.