Former Ola executive Ashish Bajaj launches fresh staples startup

Former Ola executive Ashish Bajaj has launched 10on10 Foods, a Bengaluru-based startup focused on fresh staples. The company has raised Rs 2 crore in pre-seed funding.

Bajaj founded the venture with former Ola colleagues Avinash Jain and Mohsin Ali. The startup aims to focus on fresh grain processing and quicker delivery cycles.

The idea for the venture emerged after Bajaj’s son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, which prompted him to look for fresh, minimally processed atta in Bengaluru. The search, according to the founders, highlighted gaps in the availability of freshly milled staples.

Speaking about the launch, Ashish Bajaj, co-founder, 10on10 Foods, said: " India doesn't have a staples problem. It has a freshness problem. For decades, the industry optimized for scale and shelf life. Somewhere along the way, we normalized eating food that's months old. In a country where staples are part of every single meal, compromising on freshness comes at a nutritional cost. At 10on10, freshness isn’t incidental - it’s engineered into every step of the supply chain.’’

“We're not entering the staples category. We’re rebuilding it," said Avinash Jain, co-founder, 10on10 Foods. "Traditional stone grinding preserves the complete nutritional profile of the grain — including the bran, germ, and natural enzymes that are often lost in industrial milling. Fresh whole wheat atta with intact bran and germ can retain up to 45% more nutrients compared to the pre-packed flours widely available in the market.‘’

The company has raised Rs 2 crore in pre-seed funding from angel investors, including Dr. Vikas Katoch, CEO of Adomantra and Adotrip; Sumit Maheshwari, CFO at Odessa Technologies; and Shashikant Shenoy, partner at Uniqus Consultech, among others.