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Zepto to raise $500 Mn at $7 Bn valuation: Report

EntrackrEntrackr · 1d ago
Zepto to raise $500 Mn at $7 Bn valuation: Report
Medial

Zepto to raise $500 Mn at $7 Bn valuation: Report Quick commerce firm Zepto is in advanced talks to raise $500 million in a new funding round led by existing backers General Catalyst, Avenir, and others, according to a Moneycontrol report. The round is expected to value the Mumbai-based startup at around $7 billion, a significant jump from its previous valuation of $5 billion when it raised $350 million in November 2024. In total, the Aadit Palicha-led company raised $1.35 billion in 2024. This development comes shortly after Zepto postponed its planned initial public offering (IPO) to 2026. The company had already completed its reverse flip to India in January this year. Zepto is currently prioritizing lower cash burn and stronger profitability ahead of its public listing. In response to rising operational costs, the company has temporarily shut down its food service arm, Zepto Cafe, in several smaller North Indian cities such as Agra, Chandigarh, Meerut, Mohali, and Amritsar. Zepto is also facing strong competition from rivals including Blinkit and Swiggy. According to an ICICI Securities report, Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart surged ahead in Q1 FY26, expanding gross order value by over 25% and 22%, respectively. The duo outperformed the overall quick-commerce sector’s sub-20% growth. In April, Palicha said the company is approaching an annualized Gross Order Value (GOV) of $4 billion. According to him, Zepto scaled from $1 billion to $3 billion in GOV within eight months, reflecting around 300% year-on-year growth and a 30% increase since January 2025. Recently, Palicha added that a majority of Zepto's dark stores are expected to become fully EBITDA-positive in the next quarter. Earlier this year, it closed a $665 million Series F round followed by a $340 million top-up, raising over $1 billion in 2024 alone. Zepto claims a majority of its dark stores have turned EBITDA positive, with deeper expansion planned across metros and Tier II/III cities. The upcoming funding is likely to support operational scale, enhance its tech stack, and sharpen its supply chain efficiencies. While earlier reports suggested a delayed IPO timeline, Zepto has clarified it is targeting a late-2025 to early-2026 window, contingent on market conditions. The company is also said to be aligning its cap table to include more domestic investors in preparation for a potential India listing. Founded in 2021, Zepto competes with Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and BigBasket in India’s fast-evolving quick commerce space.

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Zepto raises $340 Mn at $5 Bn valuation

EntrackrEntrackr · 10m ago
Zepto raises $340 Mn at $5 Bn valuation
Medial

Quick commerce company Zepto has raised $340 million in a follow-on financing round led by General Catalyst, with Dragon Fund and Epiq Capital joining as new investors. Existing investors, including StepStone, Lightspeed, DST, and Contrary, also increased their stakes. With this new funding, the company’s valuation has surged by nearly 40%, rising to $5 billion from $3.6 billion in June, when it raised $665 million in its Series F round. Zepto, has raised over $1 billion in 2024, $1.2 billion in the past 12 months, and more than $1.5 billion since its inception. “The rationale behind this follow-on financing was twofold,” said Aadit Palicha, co-founder and CEO of Zepto. “First, the opportunity to bring on a lead investor of Neeraj Arora’s caliber from General Catalyst was one we couldn’t pass up. Second, strengthening our balance sheet is a strategic move, especially as the company continues to deliver robust growth and operating leverage.” Zepto serves millions of customers by delivering over 10,000 products across various categories within 10 minutes through a network of delivery hubs nationwide. The Mumbai-based firm claims it has nearly achieved EBITDA positivity with 140% year-on-year growth and an annualized gross merchandise value of over $1 billion (Rs 8,300 crore). As of May 2024, it also reports that about 75% of its stores are fully EBITDA positive. In FY23, Zepto registered a 14-fold increase in revenue to Rs 2,024 crore, though its losses widened to Rs 1,272 crore. The quick commerce sector is becoming increasingly competitive with Flipkart’s recent entry and BigBasket’s full shift to rapid delivery. Additionally, e-commerce leader Amazon is expected to join the market early next year. Currently, Zomato-owned Blinkit has emerged as top player in the quick commerce followed by Swiggy Instamart, Zepto and Tata Digital-owned BigBasket.

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