Goa, Sept. 24 -- Two college friends turned their shared obsession with pickle videos into a food startup that has now reached a valuation of $8.5 million, or about Rs 81.6 crore.

The founders, Marcus and Bakhtiar, met while studying at the University of Southern California (USC) and graduated in 2022. Their business journey began in 2023, when the two started exchanging pickle-related videos on social media.

What initially looked like a simple online habit soon turned into a potential business opportunity. During the summer of 2023, the two friends decided to leave their jobs and explore whether their interest in pickles could be converted into a consumer food brand.

Their Los Angeles-based company, Good Girl Snacks, was subsequently ...