Digital distribution and logistics ecosystem platform, Ripplr has raised $3 million in Series A funding from private equity fund, Zephyr Peacock India Growth Fund, Chand Family Office - Yukti and existing investor, 3one4 Capital.

With the onset of COVID-19 in India, the market experienced significant disruptions in supply chains and re-establishing them to provide a higher degree of reliability became a significant challenge.

Commenting on the ground challenges, Abhishek Nehru, Co-Founder, Ripplr said, "The distribution network is mostly regional in nature, and the strength and consistency of operations is heavily dependent 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 authorized 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 provides tech-enabled logistics and distribution services for consumer brands. The venture claims it helps both prominent & new-age brands to seamlessly open up distribution channels and allocate logistics contracts, along with reducing inventory wastage and management costs, helping them focus on production and brand development.

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 unorganized. 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. As a company, Ripplr has already proven its ability to convert revenue potential into actual revenue for brands. It is already working with several marquee players. We are excited to partner with the founders and the management to bring about a distribution revolution."

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 customized dashboards. At scale, the brands can use the analytics with suggestive planning algorithms to reduce wastage and loss of sale at retail end points. This platform-based approach helps optimize operations across the value chain claims the venture.

Santosh Dabke, Co-Founder, Ripplr added, "In the last year, we have observed the consumer purchase patterns change significantly and unified data is not available to brands easily to understand what the consumers want. We have set in place the fundamentals of our tech-enabled business that will emerge as the next generation data-led distribution network. This will also be a great leverage for emerging brands that want to identify and reach their customer cohorts without spending large marketing budgets. Our mission is to create a first of its kind omnichannel platform connecting brands with distributors/retailers, building strong predictive analysis boosting sales and collections, optimising inventory and out of stock situations."

With an annualized run rate (ARR) of INR 850 million Ripplr expects to reach an ARR of INR 8.5 billion in the next two years. Headquartered in Bangalore, Ripplr is currently serving customers in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune and Delhi NCR. The company plans to expand to 300 cities and towns in the next three years by adding distribution partners on its platform.

Its clientele include Dabur, Reckitt & Benckiser, Britannia, McDonald's, Tata consumer Brands, Patanjali, Too yum & Godrej Consumer.

First Published:Jan 19, 2021 3:07 PM IST