Inside UpScalio’s bet to ride ecommerce roll-up wave

Founded in April 2021, UpScalio wants to acquire and scale brands in the utility category, which ensure better returns than D2C beauty, fashion, and lifestyle brands.

Thursday December 16, 2021 , 3 min Read

Good Morning,

2021 has been the year of roll-ups, with the Thrasio-style model disrupting the ecommerce sector. Case in point, Mensa Brands, which is one of the fastest startups to attain unicorn status in Asia, after achieving the coveted $1-billion valuation within six months of its inception.

And, while one would associate this model with popular direct-to-consumer (D2C) categories such as fashion or beauty, Gurugram-headquartered UpScalio is taking a different approach by focusing on utility brands.

The company recently announced the acquisition of four auto accessories brands — Autofurnish, Destorm, Urban Lifestylers, and MotoTrance — with a combined turnover of Rs 25 crore as it charges ahead with its plans.

But why utility?

“Our rationale of acquiring these brands was the disorganised nature of the sector. These brands have accumulated customer love and customers take pride in these brands,” says Gautam Kshatriya, CEO and Co-founder, UpScalio.

At present, the company has a portfolio of eight brands, including ergonomic chair maker GreenSoul, footwear brand Trase, backpack maker Polestar, and kitchen appliances maker Hestia. It expects to take this number to 50 over the next four to five years, Gautam tells YourStory. Read more.

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