Vansh Sobti was only 19 when he founded Cloud Nine Clothing, an e-commerce brand selling hoodies designed to manage stress and anxiety. During the pandemic, Sobti started using different fidgets and stress balls at home. “The idea of using them in public would give me more anxiety than what I was already having,” he says. “So I started looking around for different solutions online.” That’s when he noticed a gap in the market.
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Sobti spent six months prototyping in 2022 and officially launched as Cloud Nine Clothing in 2023. The patent-pending hoodie is made from soft, weighted material and includes built-in stress ball padding in the cuffs as a discreet coping tool.
The first year for Cloud Nine Clothing was difficult, only generating $75,000 in revenue. “If it were anyone else, they would have just quit,” he says. “But if I see a vision, I want to see it executed.” By 2024, Cloud Nine had reached $700,000 in revenue, growing through word of mouth and an increasing online presence. “We’re getting so many emails from parents, teachers and therapists that recommend the product,” he says. In 2025, Sobti says Cloud Nine Clothing surpassed $10 million in sales.
Cloud Nine has expanded its product line to include sweatpants, zip-up sweaters and sweat shorts, and is eyeing retail expansion beyond direct-to-consumer sales. It’s also evolving as a sensory brand. “Every individual has different stimulation needs, whether that’s chewing, sound or light,” says Sobti. He hopes to integrate other elements, like soundproofing in the hood or food-grade silicone on the end of drawstrings.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
“Everything is figureoutable. A lot of times, people hesitate to start because they want to become perfect. But someone told me that you don’t learn how to swim by watching videos, you have to jump in the water and figure it out.”
See the full list of our 2026 30 Under 30 winners here.
