Startups

Zepto Success Story – How 19 Year Old Founders built this 3 Billion Dollar Company?

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Zepto is fastest growing grocery delivery company. This article aims at zepto, zepto delivery, zepto grocery, zeptonow, zepto company, zepto grocery partner, zepto delivery partner, zepto grocery app, zepto delivery app. 

You can have a glimpse at the table of contents to have a better understanding of the article.

SUCCESS STORY OF ZEPTO

The grocery delivery industry is booming in terms of attention, engagement, and financial commitment. Consumer behavior in these markets is changing, and customers are increasingly comfortable buying products online. Hence, it is considered quite reliable for the grocery delivery market.

Similarly, India’s grocery delivery market, valued at $2.9 billion in 2020, is expected to grow by 37.1 percent from 2021 to 2028. However, Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit, BigBasket, and Amazon Fresh already offer these services. Will the new company be able to get off the ground?

Yes! Aggregators will also revolutionize the supermarket delivery industry. There is no doubt that the topic of discussion is Zepto.

Zepto is the fastest-growing grocery delivery company and service. Zepto promises to deliver groceries to your home in less than 10 minutes. What’s the secret to fast delivery? In contrast, other grocery delivery services often take 30 minutes or more. The heart of Zepto can be found in this blog.

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What Is ZEPTO?

Zepto, a Mumbai-based startup, offers a 10-minute grocery delivery service. Aadit Policha and Kaivalya Vohra launched Zepto, a company known to deliver groceries in 10 minutes.

Specializing in year-end product delivery is something Zepto has been praised for. In 2021, it worked with more than 86 dark store owners in thirteen different areas, making more than a million deliveries. To fulfill orders quickly, Zepto uses its network of “cloud stores” or micro warehouses.

Zepto’s trade secret is its ability to routinely produce over 2,500 items for delivery in less than ten minutes. It’s at the heart of everything the firm does, and it’s why they’ve been able to grow so quickly while maintaining incredible customer loyalty.

With the idea of ​​a dark store, the Parel-based fast food delivery company has reduced the delivery time of products to 10 minutes. According to reports, fast-paced commerce is the next big thing that the supermarket delivery sector hopes to capitalize on. Startups like Zepto in India and Fridge No More in New York are among the fastest-growing companies in the express delivery space.

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E-grocery Industry

E-delivery of groceries is gaining momentum in India, a $1 trillion retail market where grocery shopping accounts for the vast majority of consumer spending. The Indian market for electronic products was valued at USD 2.9 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 37.1% from 2021 to 2028.

The penetration of this sector has increased in recent months as a result of changing customer habits, increasing urbanization, and a tech-savvy generation that prefers to shop online.

A report by RedSeer mentions that the fast commerce segment was estimated to be worth $30 million in 2021. The same segment was projected to be a $5 billion market by 2025, growing 15 times.

As living standards improve and daily schedules become tighter, consumers are flocking to customized and convenient online platforms for grocery shopping instead of going to local stores.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the popularity of online grocery delivery has become increasingly apparent. As a result of social distancing restrictions, consumers are switching to online grocery shopping, which is not only convenient but also safer.

ZEPTO HIGHLIGHTS | Zepto Delivery Company

Startup NameZepto
Legal NameKiranaKart Technologies Private Limited
HeadquartersParel, Maharashtra, India
IndustryDelivery, Delivery Service, and Grocery
FoundersAadit Palicha, and Kaivalya Vohra
Founded2021
Total Funding$360 mn (May 2022)
Valuation$900 mn (May 2022)
Areas ServedIndia
Current CEOAadit Palicha
Websitewww.zeptonow.com

Founders of ZEPTO

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Kaivalya Vohra and Aadhit Palicha, co-founders of express delivery startup Zepto, have become the youngest entrepreneurs to feature in the IIFL Wealth-Hurun India Rich List 2022. Kaivalya is the youngest among the richest Indians at the age of 19. Kaivalya is ranked 1036 in the Hurun rankings with a net worth of INR 1000 crore. Aadit Policha is ranked 950th and has a net worth of 1200 crores.

They have previously been featured in the influential Forbes 30 under 30 (Asia List) in the e-commerce category.

Both young entrepreneurs are also the youngest startup founders in the Hurun India Future Unicorn Index 2022. The inclusion of Vohra and Palicha in the list of India’s richest indicates the growing influence of startups in the country.

“The youngest on the list is 19-year-old Kaivalya Vohra, founder of Zepto. The youngest was 37 ten years ago and 19 today, a testament to the impact of the startup revolution,” mentions the Hurun India Rich List.

Vohra and Palicha were students at Stanford University who later dropped out of a computer science course to pursue entrepreneurship. Both friends founded Zepto in 2021 to meet the growing demand for fast and contactless delivery of essential items during the pandemic.

Palicha began his entrepreneurial journey at the age of 17 when in 2018 he founded a car-sharing service for students called GoPool. Before launching his startup, he was the project manager of PryvaSee, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based privacy policy project.

The two childhood friends who grew up in Dubai initially launched the startup Kiranakart, an online platform that delivered products from local stores in Mumbai. It ran from June 2020 to March 2021. Zepto was then launched in April 2021 and raised $60 million in an initial funding round in November. The grocery delivery platform also raised $100 million at a $570 million valuation in December. Zepto raised $200 million in its latest funding round at a $900 million valuation in May of this year.

Startup Story of ZEPTO

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Many of us have “startup ideas,” but even the most creative of us struggle to make them happen. Palicha and Vohra both went to Stanford to pursue degrees in computer science but dropped out to pursue their business ventures.

During the Covid-19 outbreak, the Zepto concept emerged from the constraints of their homes. A surge in demand for delivery services meant that groceries and other essentials arrived within a couple of days, creating a void for fast delivery. As a result, Zepto was created with all these insights in mind.

These teenagers were suddenly detained in their homes in Mumbai after significant cooperation in many projects, including a work travel program for children. ​​​​​​While food deliveries, which local authorities deemed essential, were still allowed in much of the country as the virus spread, the duo struggled to get their supplies in as the disease spread.

While Zepto is in the limelight, Polichi and Vogra’s first venture, KiranaKart, hasn’t received the same recognition. Zepto is inspired by KiranaKart. KiranaKart, as the name suggests, was a supermarket delivery service. It has arranged with Kirana merchants to provide products in 45 minutes or less. The $730,000 pre-seed round was led by Global Founders Capital, 2 AM Ventures, Contrary Capital, and angel investors. At that time, Vohra and Palicha planned to make the first deliveries of 1.5 lakhs at a cost of Rs.1.

ZEPTO Business Model (Dark Store Model)

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Dark stores may sound ominous, but they undermine one of the many bright ideas that have helped retail businesses stay afloat during the pandemic. Dark shops are outlets that are not open to the public. These micro-warehouses fulfill orders quickly and accurately and thus provide customers with resources and options such as online shopping, same-day delivery, or in-store pickup.

The founders said the magic of the dark store model is how they pick, pack, and ship items in less than 60 seconds.

Such a model has been implemented in developed countries, but the model has never been studied in the Indian context. The “dark store model” curbs the trivial problems that any delivery service faces, road congestion, navigation, and communication. Zepto claims that using intelligence on location, geography, population, traffic, traffic dynamics, weather, last-mile inventory availability, real estate value, and so on has improved network performance. And it currently has more than 40 dark shops in various locations. 

However, dark stores are designed for instant deliveries and cannot handle the volume of sales. But Zepto did not compromise with the shortcomings of this model. They have more than a thousand products on display: fresh produce, milk, meat, kitchen stuffing, and much more at the best prices. What’s more, their AI-powered tools ensure a seamless transition from picking, packing, and shipping.

ZEPTO’s USP

Zepto’s business model is truly customer-centric and has instant service. However, Zepto also has certain advantages that set it apart from its competitors. However, they are also included in the model.

Zepto has instant shipping and is considered fast commerce. It delivers products within 10 minutes and claims an average delivery time of 8 minutes and 47 seconds.

By the time a user checks their order, the order has already been sent for delivery, the founders said. Also, almost all orders are processed in less than 10 minutes, but one percent of orders may take 15-16 minutes or a little more.

Zepto provides free shipping. This USP has become dim compared to the first one, but it doesn’t charge a shipping fee. While Instacart, Amazon Fresh, and others have specific delivery fees.

Free service does not mean more expensive products. Another USP is providing exciting discounts on listed products and products.

Fundings And Investors of ZEPTO

To date, Zepto has raised a total of $360+ million in 4 rounds. The latest round of funding (Series D) was raised by Zepto on May 2, 2022, helping the company raise $200 million. In this way, Zepto came close to valuing a unicorn. Zepto’s current valuation is $900 million as of May 3, 2022. Zepto’s seed funding was led by Contrary in September 2020.

GROWTH of Zepto Company

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Zepto is growing in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi-NCR, followed by Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, and Kolkata in the coming months. Its technical office is in Bengaluru and its operations are in Mumbai. Dream11, Flipkart, Pharmeasy, Uber, and Pepperfry have hired key executives for Zepto.

Engineering, operations, marketing, and finance positions are also available at Zepto. Palicha claims a monthly growth of 200%, with a monthly retention rate of 78%.

Zepto, then a five-month-old startup, was valued at $570 million after raising $100 million in a Series C round led by continuity fund Y Combinator, which was 2x its previous $60 million valuation just 45 days before this. Zepto raised another round led by Y Combinator to push its valuation to $900 million, so the company has certainly received an impressive boost in funding as well.

Another positive development for Zepto was the experience it was able to acquire in the previous months. A host of prominent executives from Uber, Flipkart, Dream11, Amazon, and Pharmeasy have joined the team.

According to Palicha, one of the reasons why several entrepreneurs have chosen Zepto is that it has enabled people who have moved from Mumbai to Bangalore to return to their homes. Still, he says the startup’s rapid growth, rigorous execution, and ambition have won over others who share his interests. “We were able to walk,” he said.

Zepto recorded an 800% increase in revenue quarter-on-quarter and a 5x reduction in expenses per order. Zepto’s 10-minute delivery strategy now allows you to stock and ship more than 3,000 products. The startup’s annual revenue growth was seen in the $200-$400 million range when it was last reported on May 2, 2022. That number is expected to rise to at least $1 billion by the March quarter of next year. In recent months, Zepto has claimed to be growing by 50% every month, and this growth is attributed to the growth that Zepto boasts. What’s more, in the last quarter, Zepto claimed to have grown by 800% and also cut its expenses more than 5 times.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why is Zepto successful?

Micro and refrigerated warehouses offer multiple distribution options that also bring products physically closer to a specific market segment. This allows Zepto to more effectively control distribution and distribution in the market.

What is unique about Zepto?

Zepto claims to deliver products to your doorstep in less than 10 minutes.

Who is funding Zepto?

Zepto has more than 10 investors. Kaiser Permanente and Y Combinator Continuity Fund are among them.

What does Zepto do?

Zepto delivers over 3,000 products, including fresh fruits and vegetables, daily cooking items, dairy products, health and hygiene products, etc., to Indian homes within 10 minutes.

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