The once high-flying Good Glamm Group, known for its aggressive acquisitions and content-to-commerce playbook, is facing a serious cash crunch. What started as isolated payment delays has now spiraled into a pattern—salaries have been delayed for the second consecutive month, affecting both current employees and freelancers. The morale is low, communication is scarce, and the future looks uncertain.
Credits: Startuptalky
April and May Salaries Still Unpaid
According to insiders, salaries for April and May remain pending despite assurances from management that both months’ dues would be settled by June. Employees claim that the situation is “clearly funding-related,” with the company missing its anticipated investment round that was expected in January 2025.
This isn’t the first time in 2025 that the company has delayed payments. Earlier this year, salaries for January were held back and eventually paid in instalments. For a company that once boasted aggressive growth, the ongoing delays hint at deeper systemic issues.
Freelancers and Ex-Employees Left in the Cold
The crisis isn’t limited to internal staff. Freelancers and former employees, too, have been caught in the crossfire. Babita Bharati, a freelance copywriter associated with Good Glamm’s subsidiary The Moms Co., recently took to LinkedIn to voice her grievances.
She claims she is owed ₹18,100 for work completed in March and April. “Freelancing is hard enough,” she wrote, “but companies like #GoodGlammGroup make it even harder.” Bharati added that she had reached out to over five employees at the company, many of whom had either resigned or were serving their notice period, highlighting instability across departments.
Struggling to Stay Afloat: Organic Harvest May Be Returned
In an attempt to manage its liquidity and keep the business afloat, Good Glamm is reportedly in talks to return ownership of Organic Harvest—a brand it acquired in 2022—back to its original founders. This move suggests that the company is not only freezing growth initiatives but actively shedding its assets.
This comes on the heels of multiple efforts to increase the runway, including layoffs and attempts to sell other non-core brands.
Mass Resignations and Boardroom Shakeups
The instability is further highlighted by the exit of several senior leaders. Most notably, Kartik Rao, the company’s Chief People Officer and a board member of WYN Beauty—a joint venture with Serena Williams—recently resigned to join AI-powered hiring platform Vahan.ai.
Rumors also suggest that major investors like Accel, Prosus, and Bessemer have resigned from the board, a worrying sign for stakeholders and employees alike.
Broken Promises and Fractured Trust
Over the past year, multiple founders of acquired companies, such as Sirona and The Moms Co., along with investors like IAN, have issued default notices to the Good Glamm Group. The recurring issues with payments have led to an erosion of trust—not just within the company but also in its ecosystem of partners, freelancers, and stakeholders.
Employees allege that product development has slowed, marketing spending remains unchecked, and sales are stagnant. Skincare quality, once a stronghold of the brand, is reportedly in decline. The once-promising D2C beauty empire now appears burdened by overreach, weak integration of acquisitions, and leadership fatigue.
Credits: Mint
A Cautionary Tale for the Startup World
The fall of Good Glamm from a celebrated unicorn to a company struggling to pay its staff should serve as a wake-up call. In a market where valuations often outpace fundamentals, Good Glamm’s story underscores the risks of rapid expansion without sustainable cash flow.
Whether the company can salvage its brand, retain its remaining talent, and regain investor trust remains to be seen. For now, it stands as a cautionary tale about the dark side of the glamour in startup land.
