Temasek-backed logistics startup Shiprocket has acquired Arvind Ltd’s omnichannel software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, Omuni for Rs 200 crore, marking its fifth acquisition so far.
The deal, which will be a mix of cash and equity, comes a month after Shiprocket announced the acquisition of Pickrr for around $200 million.
Omuni, operated by Arvind Internet Pvt. Ltd, claims that its SaaS products enable brands to unify inventory, order, catalogue, content, pricing, logistics and data management across physical and digital store fronts to deliver online/offline commerce journeys between stores, warehouses and digital channels.
“Omuni helps us tap into an offline retail merchant network and merges with the quick commerce and logistics which will enable us to conduct quick deliveries from the retail store. Also, Omuni customers can leverage our marketing stack, they can use our warehouses to improve their store inventory and use our transportation to move bulk inventory,’ Saahil Goel, co-founder and chief executive officer of Shiprocket, said in an interaction.
The third-party logistics or 3PL player earlier acquired Glaucus, Rocketbox and Wigzo. For future acquisitions, Shiprocket says it is bullish on engaging with startups that are critical pieces of the entire post-purchase journey of the consumer.
“It can be startups around return, loyalty, customer service, trust, fraud. All of these things which are enabling more parts of the post-purchase, are all of interest to us,” Goel said.
The company is also mulling partnerships with cross border accelerators like Assiduus which will enable brands of Shiprocket to sell their products overseas.
“We are not into listing on marketplaces kind of a thing, but given that we have some many D2C brands which can sell overseas, we will use our network of partners to help them,” he added.
Operated by Bigfoot Retail Solutions, Shiprocket was founded in 2017 by Gautam Kapoor, Saahil Goel, and Vishesh Khurana. The platform powers shipping and fulfilment for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), direct-to-consumer (D2C) retailers and social commerce sellers across multiple categories. Its shipping solutions are present across more than 29,000 pin codes within India and 220 countries across the world.
The startup also serves as cash on the delivery gateway, claiming to be growing 1.5-2 times in a span of 12 months in terms of revenue.
In December last year, Shiprocket brought in Zomato as an investor. It raised $185 million (Rs 1,380 crore) as part of its Series E funding round, co-led led by Zomato Ltd, Temasek Holdings and Lightrock India.
In July 2021, the company raised $41.3 million (Rs 305 crore) as part of its Series D1 funding round. The funding was co-led by Paypal's corporate VC arm PayPal Ventures, Info Edge Ventures along with existing investor Bertelsmann. In February 2021, it raised $27 million (Rs 200 crore) in an extended Series C round of funding co-led by returning investor Tribe Capital and new backer March Capital.
