Zepto, a Mumbai-based startup, delivers groceries in just 10 minutes. Founded by Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, it quickly became known for its fast service. Zepto made more than a million deliveries in 2021 while working with more than 86 dark retailers.
Using micro-warehouses, Zepto delivers a wide range of products, including fresh produce and essentials, in under 10 minutes. With a team of 1,000+ people, Zepto operates in multiple cities, transforming India’s grocery delivery market with fast, tech-driven solutions.
Zepto Highlights
| Startup Name | Zepto |
| Legal Name | KiranaKart Technologies Private Limited |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Industry | Delivery Service, Grocery Delivery, Quick Commerce |
| Founders | Aadit Palicha, Kaivalya Vohra |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Valuation | $5 billion (December 2024) |
| Website | zeptonow.com |
Visionaries of Zepto
Zepto was founded by childhood friends Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, both 19 years old, who left Stanford University’s prestigious computer science program to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams in India. The company officially launched in April 2021.
Kaivalya Vohra
Kaivalya Vohra is the CTO and Co-Founder of Zepto. Before Zepto, he was the founder and CTO of KiranaKart. Kaivalya, like Aadit, attended Stanford University for Computer Science but chose to leave and focus on his startup ambitions. He and Aadit also participated in Y Combinator, furthering their entrepreneurial journey.
Aadit Palicha
Aadit Palicha is the CEO and Co-Founder of Zepto. He previously founded and served as the CEO of KiranaKart. After completing an IB diploma in mathematics and computer science at GEMS Education, Aadit enrolled in a bachelor’s program in computer science at Stanford University. He left the program midway to start his business. Aadit went on to complete Y Combinator’s W21 batch and worked as a Project Lead at PryvaSee. At just 17, he founded his first startup, GoPool, before launching KiranaKart and eventually Zepto in April 2020.
The Rise of Zepto
Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, both Stanford dropouts, founded Zepto after realizing the need for fast grocery delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. While stuck at home during lockdowns, they saw the challenge of waiting days for essentials.
Building on their previous venture, KiranaKart, which offered 45-minute delivery, they decided to create Zepto for even faster service. With $730,000 in pre-seed funding from investors like Global Founders Capital and 2 AM Ventures, they launched Zepto in April 2021, aiming to transform the grocery delivery space.
Zepto Business and Revenue Model
Zepto delivers groceries in 10 minutes using a network of dark stores and mini warehouses, fulfilling up to 90% of orders. Zepto focuses on customer-centric, instant delivery in India’s quick commerce sector.
The average delivery time is 8 minutes and 47 seconds, thanks to a system of strategically placed dark stores. These are small, online-only warehouses that don’t allow customer visits. Although dark stores aren’t new in India, Zepto has optimized them using local intelligence, such as traffic, weather, and real estate data, to improve delivery speed and efficiency.
The Competitors
Zepto faces competition from several companies offering fast grocery deliveries, including:
- Swiggy Instamart
- Blinkit
- BigBasket
Additionally, Dunzo, with its Xpress Mart dark store network, delivers groceries in Bengaluru within 19 minutes, positioning itself as a direct competitor to Zepto.
The Next Chapter for Zepto
Zepto is rapidly expanding across key Indian cities and aims for profitability by 2024. The company plans to grow its dark stores and delivery network, with an IPO expected in 2025.
A key growth driver is Zepto Café, now in 15% of dark stores, with a projected ARR of INR 160 crore. With 100 new locations per month and a revenue aim of INR 1,000 crore by FY26, the café is growing rapidly.
As India’s first unicorn of 2023, Zepto is on track to hit INR 5,000 crore in sales for FY24, positioning itself as a leader in quick commerce.
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Conclusion
Zepto has revolutionized India’s grocery delivery landscape with its lightning-fast 10-minute delivery model and robust network of dark stores. Founded by Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, two Stanford dropouts with a vision, Zepto has redefined convenience for urban customers. With an impressive valuation of $5 billion and ambitious plans to achieve profitability and launch an IPO by 2025, Zepto is paving the way for innovation and growth in the quick commerce sector. The company’s success story demonstrates the power of technology, customer focus, and bold entrepreneurship.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Zepto, and how does it work?
Zepto is a quick commerce startup delivering groceries in under 10 minutes. It uses strategically placed dark stores and micro-warehouses, coupled with advanced technology, to ensure rapid and efficient delivery of essentials.
2. Who are the founders of Zepto?
Zepto was founded by Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, childhood friends and Stanford University dropouts who launched the company in 2021 to revolutionize grocery delivery in India.
3. How does Zepto ensure such fast delivery times?
Zepto optimizes its delivery network through local intelligence, such as traffic and weather data, and relies on its network of dark stores to fulfill orders efficiently, with an average delivery time of 8 minutes and 47 seconds.
4. What are Zepto’s future plans?
Zepto aims to achieve profitability by 2024, expand its dark store network, and launch an IPO by 2025. Additionally, its Zepto Café initiative is set to contribute significantly to revenue growth.
5. Who are Zepto’s main competitors?
Zepto faces competition from other quick commerce companies such as Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit, BigBasket, and Dunzo Xpress Mart, which also offer fast grocery delivery services.
