Ripplr, India's first full-stack distribution platform for consumer brands, has raised $40 million (~INR 330 Cr) in Series B funding from Fireside Ventures, Sojitz Corporation, Bikaji Foods International Ltd, Neo Foods, 3one4 Capital, and Zephyr Peacock.
Revolutionising FMCG Distribution
The retail market in India is going through grounds-up digitalization, and smart logistics and distribution is a fundamental driver of efficiency and margin expansion. Ripplr is a Distribution as a Service (DaaS) platform, designed to digitise and manage operations for FMCG brands through its omni-channel, asset-lite, and tech-first approach. It enables live inventory tracking, predictive analytics, and assists with loading and routing decisions and buying patterns. With a distribution network spanning 12 cities, Ripplr services 80,000+ retailers.
Ripplr is building India’s largest digital-first distribution platform to solve for the increasing complexities, rising costs, high attrition, and weak ROIs that come with a traditional distribution platform. Their intelligent distribution system bridges the gap between brands and unorganised retail, opening up new distribution channels and managing logistics visibility. By solving for both distribution and information asymmetry, Ripplr provides a comprehensive solution for companies seeking to optimise and scale their supply chain operations.
Scaling Operations and Pan-India Presence
Ripplr intends to use funds from the Series B raise to scale its tech platform, expand the team and build a pan-India presence. The company also seeks to address the challenges of reach and visibility encountered by FMCG brands in offline distribution and supply chain operations.
“With this round, we are aiming to increase our geographical footprints in India to solve the reach and visibility complications faced by all the FMCG Brands in offline distribution and supply chain. At Ripplr, we aim at becoming one of the trusted long-term partners for brands, distributors, and Kirana stores by building an omnichannel model to optimise supply chain inefficiencies,” co-founders Santosh Dabke and Abhishek Nehru said in a joint statement.
Strong Client Base and Impressive Revenue Growth
Ripplr has established itself as an emerging leader in the sector with a strong client base, including some of the biggest names in the FMCG sector such as Unilever, Nestle, Tata, Godrej, Nivea and Dabur, among others. In addition, Ripplr also offers logistics services to a range of prominent brands, including Licious, BigBasket, and DMart, to name a few.
Since 3one4 Capital’s entry in the seed round, Ripplr has seen a significant growth in recent years to become operationally profitable, with its revenue growing almost 6x in the last financial year.
Santosh and Abhishek have led by example and delivered a terrific start for the team. We are happy to welcome the new investors and partners that are joining them on this journey. We are incredibly excited to continue supporting the team as they scale the foundations of tech-driven neo-distribution infrastructure for India!
At 3one4 Capital, the team has intentionally built a long-term commitment to responsible investing and to support the evolution of an ecosystem conducive to RI. This active commitment has helped the firm secure the signatory status to the UN PRI.
3one4 Capital has been ranked by Preqin, a global reference database for asset management, as India’s top performer for two of its funds, in the recent Alternative Assets report. The seed and early-stage funds managed by the firm have been recognized for their performance amongst the India-focused venture capital funds in this Asia Pacific-focused report published in 2021. With industry-leading Net IRRs, 3one4 Capital’s Rising I & Fund II are the top two amongst the best performing India-focused VC funds between the vintage years, 2010- 2018.