From Sleepless Nights to Sleep Innovation: The Story of The Sleep Company

The Personal Spark

For Priyanka Goyal Salot, the path to becoming the founder of The Sleep Company didn’t start in a breathless boardroom, but rather in the tranquil, anxious hours of the night. When she had her first child, she suffered from postpartum insomnia — those nights when your brain is on overdrive and comfort is impossible to find. 

She experimented with mattresses, toppers, and sleep aids, but none solved the underlying issue: suitable support to fit your body, effective technology to track your sleep, and comfort for how we live our lives.

Although frustrated but determined, Priyanka didn’t simply want something better — she wanted a breakthrough that could completely change how India sleeps. Her husband, Harshil Salot, a manufacturing and operational expert, instantly saw the potential. Harshil had spent years exporting products into E.U. and U.S. markets and brought a practical, problem-solving perspective to Priyanka’s visionary ideas. They both agreed that if a perfect mattress did not exist, they would just build it.

Vision with Expertise

Priyanka’s brand strategy background gave her deep insight into consumers — their pain points, what they wanted, and those little details that make products memorable. Harshil’s background in manufacturing and supply chain meant that these ideas could become products that work.
From day one, the pair's philosophy has been simple: innovation has to be empathetic. They weren't looking to sell mattresses; they were trying to engineer experiences that turn sleeping into something rejuvenating, reliable, and customized to each person. The synergy between the founders — Priyanka’s vision and Harshil’s technical expertise – became the face of The Sleep Company.

Crafting the SmartGRID Mattress

The first thing was research. Priyanka and Harshil dove headfirst into the world of sleep science, delving into pressure points, spinal alignment, and material technologies. The result? SmartGRID, a patented mattress technology that molds to body shape, provides the hour support needed and soft comfort where it matters.

Memory foam has been around for decades, but as a material, SmartGRID is constructed to flow with the body – quite unlike traditional memory foam. Priyanka remembers nights testing prototypes herself, rolling, sitting, and lying in every orientation on earth, load testing, making sure the product lived up to its promise. Initial trials in actual homes, real, not just academic, gave the founders unvarnished input. Every enhancement, every tweak was a little more progress toward transformative sleep.

The Early Challenges

No entrepreneurial journey is without obstacles. The first was skepticism. Investors questioned whether India's mattress market was ready for high-tech products. Retailers doubted whether consumers would pay for innovations they hadn't experienced before.

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Priyanka faced another challenge: communicating why SmartGRID was different. "It wasn't enough to say it was innovative," she explains. "We had to show it, let people feel it." Harshil handled the operational hurdles — sourcing materials, ensuring quality control, and navigating regulatory standards — all while keeping costs manageable.
During these early days, the founders balanced research, product development, and a relentless consumer education campaign. They conducted in-home trials, developed workshops, and even slept on their prototypes to be certain their messaging was authentic.

From Founders to Brand Leaders

As The Sleep Company grew bigger, the way Priyanka and Harshil led the company became the book for the brand. Priyanka was an empathetic leader; she made sure that every product, every campaign, and every customer interaction embodied the spirit of care and attention. Harshil focused on scalability, ensuring the manufacturing processes could keep up with growing demand without compromising quality.

Together, their complementary skills enabled the business to grow quickly. From a handful of employees rattling off prototypes, they grew a company with more than 100 stores and 22 experience centers in 30 cities. Their guidance ensured that each hire, each partner, and each product lives up to their founding vision of sleep empowerment.

Read Also: The Unyielding Journey of Aman Singh and Sasidhar Sista: Founders of GradRight

Achievements and Recognition

With the guidance of Priyanka and Harshil at the helm, The Sleep Company has been able to scale new heights. As of 2023, the revenues touched ₹200 crore, which is a testament not only to the product but also to the doggedness of the founders. From the innovation, to the comfort, to the founder's commitment that made all interactions personal, customers loved it.

The two have been the subject of press narratives on their entrepreneurs' stories. They made it to Fortune India's 40 Under 40 list for creating a brand that is a mix of technology, wellness, and empathy. Priyanka’s personal experience of postpartum difficulty brought headlines, framing the founders not just as business leaders but as real-world problem-solvers whose personal challenges drive societal change.

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Expanding Their Vision

It’s Safe to say Priyanka and Harshil were never focused on just mattresses. They imagine holistic sleep solutions spanning the entire spectrum of rest – pillows, bedsheets, recliners and even sensor-based sleep trackers. Each product collection is conceived with the same founder-led mindset: it must address genuine issues, aid sleep quality, and make a palpable impact in peoples’ lives.

Sustainability is on their list of priorities too. All choices of materials, levels of manufacture, and packaging decisions go through the filter of how they affect the environment. This dedication is in line with Priyanka's belief that wellness shouldn't come at the expense of the planet.

Founder Philosophy: People First

Building The Sleep Company is not just about growth in numbers for Priyanka — it’s about building trust. She has said repeatedly that customers are co-creators, and their feedback helps guide subsequent product iterations. Harshil is also vocal on operations where quality or integrity can never be compromised for scale.
Their ethics are simple sleep better, live better. Every innovation, every store, every marketing message is built on this standard. And this is the people centric approach that sets The Sleep Company apart from others.

Looking Forward

Priyanka and Harshil continue to lead the company with energy, innovation, and a deep understanding of the evolving wellness landscape. Plans are underway for innovative, tech-integrated sleep solutions — from anti-snoring devices to heated blankets — making personalized comfort accessible to all.

Their story is proof of how personal experience can be the best motivator to drive entrepreneurs. From fatigue to founders of one of India’s fastest growing sleep-tech companies, Priyanka and Harshil Salot prove that empathy, vision, and dogged execution can transform a personal quandary into a national crusade for better sleep.