[Funding alert] Ripplr secures $3M funding from Zephyr Peacock

Ripplr, a tech-enabled distribution and logistics ecosystem platform, has raised $ 3 million in Series-A funding from Zephyr Peacock India Growth Fund. Other investors include the Chand Family Office – Yukti and 3one4 Capital. The latter had invested in Ripplr in January 2020 along with Sprout Venture Partners. 

Abhishek Nehru, Co-founder, Ripplr said,

“The distribution network is mostly regional in nature, and the strength and consistency of operations is heavily dependant on each individual distributor. Consistency, penetration depth, and reliability became top priorities for brands in re-establishing their supply chain networks. At Ripplr, we plan to build a first of its kind tech platform which will enable authorised distributors with business, finance, analytics and operation support, and become India’s first asset lite and tech-led distribution company in next three years.”

Ripplr’s AI/ML-based distribution platform bridges the gap between brands and unorganised retail, solving for both distribution and information asymmetry. 

Ripplr provides tech-enabled logistics and distribution services for consumer brands. The entire value chain consists of multiple stakeholders starting from the manufacturer and ending at the retailer, and there is no consistent piece of tech between all of them.

Pankaj Raina, Managing Director, Zephyr Peacock said, “Retail distribution in India is on the cusp of a technology-led transformation. The distribution network continues to be broken and unorganised. The need for speed, technology, and reach will become critical for the success of brands. FMCG companies and emerging consumer brands will increasingly partner with tech-driven distribution businesses, and use their internal resources for branding, marketing, and advertising. Ripplr, which is integrating technology and distribution, is well-positioned to offer distribution as a service and solve for complexities.”

The company deploys predictive analytics to manage demand and inventory for both brands and retailers, providing real-time information on sales orders, inventory and delivery status through customised dashboards. At scale, the brands can use analytics with suggestive planning algorithms to reduce wastage and loss of sale at retail end points. This platform-based approach helps optimise operations across the value chain.

Anurag Ramdasan, Principal, 3one4 Capital said, “We’ve been working with Ripplr since day one on their vision to transform the Indian distribution ecosystem, and bring state of the art technology into this space.”

Ripplr achieved operational profitability within a year of inception. The company has rapidly scaled to reach an annualised run rate (ARR) of Rs 85 crore, and expects to reach an ARR of INR Rs 800 crore in the next two years.