Zepto will double its outlets following its valuation of $3.6 billion.
Zepto, a rapid commerce startup based in Mumbai, intends to raise $700 million in capital through its most recent fundraising round, which will enable it to increase its number of dark stores in India to 700 by March 2025. This noteworthy valuation represents a 2.6-fold increase over the prior round. Zepto was started in 2021 by Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, who dropped out of Stanford University to launch the business. Since then, it has grown to offer a variety of goods, including as toys and clothes, in addition to grocery delivery. Taking on industry heavyweights such as Blinkit from Zomato, Instamart from Swiggy, and BigBasket from Tata Group, Zepto has emerged as one of India’s leading players in rapid commerce in terms of gross merchandise value (GMV).
Co-founder and CEO Aadit Palicha highlighted the business’s quick expansion and nearly positive EBITDA in a statement. Zepto wants to grow from 350 to 700 locations by putting money back into the company from established, successful locations. With over 75% of its outlets already turning a profit, the company expected over $1 billion in GMV for the fiscal year ending in March 2025 as of May. For new stores, the profitability timetable was 23 months, but now it is only six months.
In addition to longtime backers Glade Brook Capital Partners, Nexus, and StepStone Group, new investors Avenir, Lightspeed, and Avra participated in Zepto’s most recent $665 million fundraising round. This funding round comes after the company raised $235 million in December, at a valuation of $1.4 billion. The additional funding will be utilized to grow Zepto Cafe, a fast-food and meal delivery business that competes with Zomato and Swiggy, and double the number of dark storefronts.
Zepto’s ability to raise a sizable sum of money is indicative of growing investor trust in India’s fast-growing e-commerce industry, which grew by 77% in 2023 to reach $2.8 billion in GMV. Analysts have observed that quick-commerce platforms have been able to lower their operating losses in face of growing competition from new entrants such as Flipkart. However, according to Karan Taurani of Elara Capital, expansion expenditures and possible price battles continue to pose a risk to profitability in the foreseeable future.
Zepto’s expansion plan calls for increasing the variety of products it offers and enhancing the consumer experience with programs like Zepto Pass, a loyalty club that debuted in February. Zepto Pass now has over 4.5 million customers, which makes it a sizable source of income. In order to improve margins, the company also intends to increase advertising revenue, which has increased to ₹400 crore and is predicted to reach ₹1,000 crore in the coming year.
Zepto is concentrating on increasing profitability and broadening its sources of income in order to get ready for a public market listing the following year. In order to support its ambitious expansion ambitions, co-founder Vohra emphasized the company’s dedication to acquiring top personnel across all functions. Zepto wants to provide outstanding value to its clients and maintain its position as a leader in India’s fast commerce industry as it grows and innovates.
In summary, Zepto has the potential to become a dominant force in India’s fast commerce market because to its exceptional valuation and well-thought-out expansion plans. Zepto is positioned for success in its initial public offering and future expansion in the very competitive e-commerce market thanks to its strong emphasis on profitability, innovation, and customer experience.