TALENT

A Hug From Home

Being Neighbourly x Prachi Chawla, Founder, Spriggo

Author/ Being Neighbourly
18 December 2024

I spent years immersed in the fast-paced world of management consulting—long hours, unrelenting deadlines, and little time to pause. But nothing challenged me more than returning to work just four months after having my baby,” shares Prachi Chawla, Founder of lunchbox solutions company, Spriggo.

“It was heartbreaking to leave him, but I found a way to stay connected: through food. From nursing to eventually packing his school lunches, food became my way of showing love—a tangible reminder that I was always there for him, even when I wasn’t physically present. A school lunch isn’t just a meal; it’s a hug from home,” she continues.

Chawla founded Spriggo just this year, because she wanted her son’s school meals to offer balanced nutrition, a sense of comfort, and the joy of something made just for him. In addition, she wanted it to arrive exactly as she’d packed it—fresh, vibrant, and at the perfect temperature to maximise the experience.

In founding Spriggo, she swapped PowerPoints and boardrooms for prototypes, product testing and obsessing over leakproof seals and colour palettes. “After 13 years in management consulting, where we used to solve big business problems, I found myself face-to-face with a much more personal one: packing lunches for my son. Nothing on the market hit the sweet spot—safe materials, practical designs, and something kids would actually be excited to use. So, I decided to create it myself,” she says.

Chawla shares that while it’s tempting to create a little bit of everything, “We quickly realized the importance of optimizing our SKUs to ensure we’re offering products that truly meet our customers’ needs”. According to her, it’s been a process of refining, learning what works, and letting go of distractions that don’t align with their mission. “The key is staying grounded in our purpose: creating products that families can trust and love. It’s not always smooth sailing.”

The products that one sees, are those that have made it through a stringent process. “At Spriggo, design products aren’t just functional—they’re thoughtfully crafted to support families. Every design decision comes back to real-life moments, like making sure yoghurt doesn’t end up all over a backpack or that latches don’t turn into toddler-proof locks. Every milestone, big or small —from nailing that perfect leakproof seal to selling out our first collection—has been a step toward building something we are deeply passionate about,” she says.

Functionality, Design, Detail and Safety are the keywords that summarize their products. “Functionality is everything to us —we’re continuously perfecting leak-resistance and insulation. And while we nail the practical stuff, we also know kids and teens aren’t about to carry around something that screams boring,” Chawla shares, adding that they like to think of it as “just the right amount of swagger”.

“We’re all about the details, and it shows in every product we create. Our designs are truly user-centric, each product is built around the real needs of parents and kids. Take our ergonomic latches, for example—easy enough even for toddlers to open; or our all day-insulated water bottles that feature a magnetic lid well for effortless use. Our stainless steel and Tritan lunchboxes come with specially engineered, removable silicone seals that are leak-resistant and super easy to clean,” she says.

Most importantly, she adds that safety is at the heart of everything they do. “Our products are 100% BPA-free and phthalate-free, so parents can feel good about what they’re putting in their child’s hands.”

Chawla shares that among their classics – the ultra-lightweight Tritan lunchbox – Spriggo Muncher is her all-time favourite; and that their newly launched all-day insulation water bottles “are the hype at Spriggo HQ,” in just the right proportions, with insulation performance that’s outstanding, and colours to love.”

The water bottles will be live on the website from January 2025, but Chawla is accepting pre-orders through Instagram with early bird discounts for those who Direct Message them.

Spriggo products are available through their website and HKTV Mall.

What is the best career advice you’ve been given?

“The best career advice I’ve ever received was, ‘Don’t wait for all the answers to take the first step.’ It came from a mentor during my consulting career. As a founder, I’ve learned that progress often comes from taking thoughtful action and refining as you go. In entrepreneurship, timing is everything. You need to move forward with clarity, make decisions and keep the momentum alive. That advice has shaped how we approach challenges and opportunities at Spriggo, helping us to build a business that is grounded in action and intentional growth.”