What Cuddles Foundation does

Cuddles Foundation is a Mumbai-headquartered nonprofit organization founded in 2013 and registered under the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act, focused on nutritional support for underprivileged children undergoing cancer treatment in India. Its core model embeds trained paediatric oncology nutritionists within government and charity cancer hospitals across multiple Indian states; these nutritionists counsel families, monitor nutritional status, and coordinate delivery of food aid including hot meals, in-meals, nutritional supplements, eggs, bananas, and monthly ration bundles for a family of four. The organization reports that 58% of children with cancer in India are malnourished at diagnosis, that 81% of its patients improved or maintained nutritional status despite therapy, and that 96% of children are more likely to adhere to treatment when nutrition support is integrated.

Beyond direct service delivery, Cuddles Foundation operates three additional programs: a Nutritionist Training Program that handpicks and trains specialized paediatric oncology nutritionists; an educational platform called Cuddles Institute providing nutrition-related training resources; and the annual FoodHeals™ Report (most recently the 2024 edition), which documents nutritional aspects of childhood cancer in India. The organization is led by Founder & CEO Purnota Bahl and employs 51–100 staff. It has received the National Award for Child Welfare from the President of India (2015-16) and counts Axis Bank, Franklin Templeton, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Federal Bank, JLL, Tally Solutions, and Udeshi Trust among its corporate supporters.

The organization's revenue model rests on two pillars: individual donations through tiered monthly recurring (₹1,500–₹4,500/month) and one-time (₹2,500–₹6,500) giving options routed via its website, and corporate partnerships providing financial and in-kind support. Distribution is two-sided — service delivery flows through hospital partnerships (the B2B/B2G channel), while donor acquisition flows through digital marketing, email newsletters, community fundraising programs (Pledge a Birthday, Young Heroes, The Giving Table), and corporate engagement. The organization has no proprietary technology platform or app; its competitive positioning is built on clinical specialization, hospital integration, and outcome reporting rather than technology differentiation.

Name

Cuddles Foundation

Legal name

Cuddles Foundation

Website

https://cuddlesfoundation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cuddles Foundation is a Mumbai-based nonprofit, founded in 2013, that embeds trained paediatric oncology nutritionists in government and charity cancer hospitals across India to deliver nutritional counseling and food aid to underprivileged children fighting cancer, funded by individual donations and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Cancer Nutrition Support Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Oncology (HLAKAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pediatric & Family Nutrition (HSADAFAL)

Keywords

• Pediatric cancer nutrition
• Childhood cancer support
• Nonprofit healthcare services
• Hospital nutrition programs
• Food aid distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monthly recurring donations and one-time contributions from individual donors. The organization offers structured donation tiers (₹1500-₹4500/month or ₹2500-₹6500 one-time) that fund specific nutrition packages for children with cancer.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Funding and support from corporate entities including Axis Bank, Franklin Templeton, Kotak, Federal Bank, JLL, Tally, and Udeshi Trust. Corporate partners likely provide both financial contributions and in-kind support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cuddles Foundation places trained Paediatric Oncology Nutritionists inside government and charity cancer hospitals across India to counsel children with cancer on nutritional choices, monitor their nutritional status, and distribute food aid including hot meals, in-meals, nutritional supplements, eggs, bananas, and monthly ration bundles for families of four. The organization handpicks and trains nutritionists in paediatric cancer nutrition and partners with hospitals that lack dedicated nutrition staff to integrate nutrition support into oncology care.

Product overview

Cuddles Foundation is a non-profit organization (NGO) that provides nutritional support to children fighting cancer in India. The organization operates as a single unified service offering centered on paediatric oncology nutrition. Its core offerings include: (1) a Hospital Nutrition Partnership Program that places trained Paediatric Oncology Nutritionists in partner hospitals; (2) a Nutritionist Training Program that recruits and trains nutritionists; (3) a Food Aid Program that delivers hot meals, supplements, and ration bundles to families; (4) the FoodHeals Report, an annual research publication; and (5) the Cuddles Institute, an educational platform. These offerings work together as an integrated approach where trained nutritionists at hospitals identify malnourished children, provide counseling, and facilitate access to food aid and supplements to improve treatment outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FoodHeals™ Report: A report on nutritional aspects of childhood cancer in India published by Cuddles Foundation.

Products and services

• Hospital Nutrition Partnership Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of children are more likely to stick with their treatment plan when nutrition is part of it
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MNJ Hospital, HyderabadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment cancer hospital in Hyderabad that partners with Cuddles Foundation to provide Paediatric Oncology Nutritionist services. Dr. Krishna from the hospital has provided testimonial about the partnership's impact on patient care.
• Government and Charity Cancer HospitalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCuddles Foundation partners with government and charity cancer hospitals across multiple states in India to provide Paediatric Oncology Nutritionists who integrate into hospital care teams.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Ronald McDonald House Charities India: Global nonprofit supporting families of children with serious illness, including cancer, by providing accommodation and support near treatment hospitals. Comparable on the family-support-during-pediatric-cancer-treatment mission.
• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: Global leader in pediatric cancer treatment and research. While a treatment and research institution rather than a nutrition-focused NGO, it shares the mission of improving childhood cancer survival and is a benchmark for outcomes-driven pediatric cancer funding.
• Tata Memorial Centre: India's premier government cancer treatment and research institution. While a treatment facility rather than an NGO, it is a primary referral destination for pediatric cancer patients Cuddles serves and shapes the partner-hospital landscape Cuddles operates within.
• Indian Cancer Society: One of India's oldest cancer-focused NGOs providing patient support, awareness, and rehabilitation. Operates at broader cancer-population scope but shares the hospital-partnered, donation-funded support model.

Direct peers

• V Care Foundation: Indian cancer support nonprofit providing financial aid, accommodation, and nutrition assistance to underprivileged cancer patients. Comparable on direct-to-patient support services for cancer patients in India.
• CanKids KidsCan: Indian NGO focused on pediatric cancer — directly comparable mission of supporting children with cancer across treatment, nutrition, and family support. Operates in the same hospital-partnered model across India.
• Akshaya Patra Foundation: Large India-based nonprofit providing nutrition (mid-day meals) to children, with an operational model that combines food aid with partner institutions. Comparable on the nutrition-for-vulnerable-children mission and large-scale food distribution capability.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation India: Indian affiliate of a global children's critical illness nonprofit. Operates in pediatric cancer patient support in India with a comparable donation-driven, hospital-partnered model.

Emerging players

• St. Baldrick's Foundation: US-based volunteer-driven childhood cancer research foundation. Comparable on the community-funnel donor acquisition model and pediatric-cancer-specific mission.
• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: US-based childhood cancer foundation funding research and family support. Comparable on the pediatric-cancer-specific fundraising brand and the food/nutrition-adjacent family support mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cuddles4cancer
• Facebookfacebook.com/CuddlesFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cuddles-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cuddles Foundation