The funding is led by Sequoia Capital India’s Surge
The Bangalore-based startup is empowering people to set up their own hyper-local micro-distribution businesses
Apnaklub is addressing deep inefficiencies in India’s rural FMCG distribution system by digitally connecting retailers and wholesalers to provide wider, consistent access to competitively-priced goods
Since 2020, Apnaklub has welcomed over 5000 wholesale partners and will be expanding its reach into underserved Indian communities
Bengaluru, NFAPost: Apnaklub, a B2B wholesale platform for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), announced it has raised $3.5 million in a seed round from Sequoia Capital India’s Surge, bringing the total funds raised so far to $5 million.
Apnaklub connects India’s retailers, such as kirana and general stores in semi-urban and rural areas, to a wide range of consumer goods and brands via its network of digitally-connected wholesale partners.
Kirana stores are small neighbourhood shops in India that supply essentials for rural communities, such as daily household necessities, snacks, sanitary products and tobacco. A 2020 report by Accenture estimated that by this year, 13 million kirana shops across India will account for 75% of the total retail industry.
However, kirana owners are often unable to meet a minimum quantity or purchase amount to buy from distributors, who in turn are constrained by the capital needed to deploy goods to these areas. This leaves many of these retailers with a limited assortment of goods to stock in their neighbourhood stores.
Apnaklub addresses this gap by connecting wholesale agents to provide kirana stores with a wider range of SKUs, no minimum order quantity and competitive prices. Apnaklub’s network of agent partners help collect demand from their surrounding kirana stores, aggregate them, and place an order on the app. Apnaklub then delivers the goods to the partner, who then distributes them to the stores.
Apnaklub Chief Operating Officer Manish Kumar said Apnaklub is providing wholesalers across the country with an organised supply infrastructure and digital tools to cater to the hyper-local needs of shopkeepers and large families around them.
“This funding will enable us to expand across more rural areas in India as well as increase our range of services and products for our partners,” said Manish Kumar.
According to the 2020 report by Accenture, the digital transformation of just 10% of the 13 million kirana stores in the country could boost retail consumption by more than 5% and generate about 3.2 million new jobs.
Apnaklub’s innovative, agent-led solution known as the Apnaklub Partner Program currently includes the participation of over 5,000 wholesalers and counting. Partners are provided with personalised training and support to create sustainable wholesale businesses for themselves, while also earning a commission on each order they fulfil. The startup also has plans to layer other services onto its network, such as providing pricing and market intelligence data to small and large brands alike.
Apnaklub Founder and CEO Shruti said Apnaklub is going beyond providing an organised supply of FMCG goods to semi-urban and rural areas.
“Our mission is to equip people across India with the means to set up their own hyper-local micro-distribution businesses, by providing them with better profit margins, access to a large assortment of brands and ensuring supply consistency. We’re empowering people to take charge of their livelihoods,” said Shruti.
Apnaklub was founded in July 2020 in Bangalore by Manish Kumar and Shruti. Shruti previously worked at Omidyar Network and Bain & Company. She is an IIT-Delhi gold medallist and a Harvard Business School graduate. Manish has over 20 years of experience in the FMCG distribution sector and has had leadership roles at Walmart India, Metro Cash & Carry, and Future Group.
Apnaklub is part of Surge’s fifth cohort of 23 companies that have developed new digital solutions to help companies and individuals work, live and learn better in a rapidly evolving Southeast Asian landscape.
About Apnaklub
Apnaklub is an agent-led B2B wholesale platform for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). The startup’s mission is to encourage and empower people to set up their own hyper-local micro-distribution businesses by providing them with better profit margins, access to a large assortment of brands and SKUs, and supply consistency.
The startup connects retailers, such as kirana and general stores, in India’s semi-urban and rural areas to a wide range of consumer goods and brands via its network of digitally-connected wholesale partners.
