Company Profile is an initiative by ListMyStartUp to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by AAA 2 Innovate Pvt Ltd., the parent company of Zipaworld.
Zipaworld Success Story
The Indian logistics market is one of the most significant ones in the global logistics and supply chain market which is worth $4.3 trillion. The growth of the logistics and supply chain sector is phenomenal and contributes to more than 14% of India's GDP. Zipaworld is a logistics engine or can be called a marketplace, or an e-Mall that exclusively caters to the logistics services needs of the market and customers. Zipaworld happens to be the most unique digital logistics platform where e-booking and other transactions can be done related to air freight, ocean freight, and surface freight all from one platform.
Zipaworld has already managed to bring multi-modal transportation and logistics like air freight, ocean freight, road freight into one platform just within a span of 9 months since its launch in September 2020. Over the past few months, it has grown organically with partnerships and associations with various vendors and other players within India, in the Gulf countries, Europe, and the USA. It managed to have associates in over 35 countries across the world providing logistics services.
Zipaworld - Company Highlights
- Startup Name-Zipaworld
- Founders-Dr. Ambrish Kumar
- Founded-September 2020
- Headquarters-Noida
- Industry-Logistics and Supply Chain
- Parent Organization-AAA 2 Innovate Pvt Ltd.
- Website-zipaworld.com, aaa2innovate.com
Zipaworld - About and What it does
Zipaworld is a logistics service provider but the digital way, or a digital logistics platform. The team calls Zipaworld – The Logistics E-mall. The concept of E-mall is applied here, that is, a single-window portal that displays several catalogs, products, or vendors providing their products and services. The idea is to provide a single-window solution to the customer who is otherwise required to go from pillar to post for their requirements.
In the logistics arena, there has been a dire need for the centralization of processes and single window sources, as currently, the customer must go to various vendors and service providers. The concept of e-Mall for logistics was coined by the founder, Dr. Ambrish Kumar, and named Zipaworld. As the name suggests, Zipaworld provides various logistics services to the numerous zip codes of the world. This includes multi-modal transportation, other freight forwarding services through air, ocean, rail, road freight along with the other aspects of the supply chain.
Zipaworld is an online platform that provides automated solutions for domestic and international courier services, air freight, ocean freight, road/ rail freight, door-to-door services, first/ last mile pick-ups and deliveries, express services, warehousing services, customs brokerage services, and other logistics services. Zipaworld offers a seamless digital experience with features like freight query management, freight rate comparisons, online booking, prompt freight forwarding, automated freight documentation, live tracking, instant invoicing, online payment gateways, e-dockets for storing and archiving e-documents, and so on.
Zipaworld Integration Process
The vision for the next few months is to integrate more than 25000 zip codes of India into the platform and integrate the same with the global zip codes connecting them using the various modes of cargo transportation. The idea is to provide a seamless convenience to the end consumers like manufacturers, distributors, exporters, importers, traders to avail transparent logistics services at their own ease without much interference by the multiple mediators. The concept of delivering anything and everything will be achieved by the end of this year. The company plans to expand outside India on a large scale in the coming couple of years and become a global player with a virtual presence in more than 150 trading countries. It plans to create a huge network in the supply chain integrating all stakeholders for smooth movement of trade.
The long-term vision of Zipaworld is to use the latest technology like Machine Learning, AI, IoT to automate the complete logistics processes and bring in blockchain technology in the logistics and supply chain. The idea is to turn the tables for the supply chain bringing in sheer visibility, mitigating risks, reducing the demand and supply gap, consequently reducing the logistics cost which is currently very high.
Zipaworld - Logistics & Supply Chain Industry
The logistics and supply chain sector in India is the second-fastest-growing sector after e-commerce. The growth of the sector is phenomenal and contributes to more than 14% of the GDP. The worth of the sector stands at USD 170 billion currently and is expected to grow up to USD 250 billion at a CAGR of 10.5% in the next 5 years. This was the prediction pre-COVID, but the prediction has not changed much post-COVID as well. As the global trade is increasing and the dependency of the various nations on one another is also increasing, logistics is a sector that is getting benefitted. The Indian logistics market is one of the most significant ones in the global logistics and supply chain market which is worth $ 4.3 trillion.
Also, India is set to become a global investment hub for production and manufacturing, warehousing, and a potential trans-shipment hub and gateway for trade movement from the nearby countries. The supply chain and logistics sector in India is also the largest employment provider, with more than 8 million people employed across India. However, there are several drawbacks that keep the logistics cost at 14% of the GDP.
The major reason being the unorganized, disintegrated, and fragmented processes and players across the whole supply chain ecosystem. Only 15% of the players have an organized and integrated working model. Other reasons include the under-developed infrastructure of ports, cargo terminals, not up to the mark road and rail network, an uneven network of warehouses, lagging cold-chain facilities, lack of multi-modal transportation, issues pertaining to first and last-mile connectivity, decentralized customs procedures, and most of all non-availability of centralized and single-window logistics platforms.
Zipaworld - Founders and Team
AAA 2 Innovate Pvt Ltd, the parent startup company, and Zipaworld were founded by Dr. Ambrish Kumar. The core team comprises of his co-companions from his previous company, some experts of the supply chain & technology sectors, fresh young minds aspiring to kick-start a career in logistics and supply chain and IT fields of work, and those seeking to grow with the growth of the start-up. The core team that is taking the concept forward consists of personnel from the shipping line, airline, ports and terminals, freight forwarding, technology backgrounds.
AAA2 Innovate Pvt Ltd. Logo
About Dr. Ambrish Kumar | Founder, Zipaworld
Dr. Ambrish Kumar is a renowned name in the logistics and supply chain fraternity. He has been the brain behind the award-winning Indian startup LogYcode that revolutionized the Air Freight logistics ecosystem a couple of years back. The concept coined and implemented by Dr. Ambrish Kumar turned out to be one of the initial movers to launch a mobile app for Logistics services. Dr. Ambrish holds the acumen of more than 16 years of experience in stalwart diverse combinations in the domains of Logistics, Freight Forwarding, CFS, Operation, Supply Chain Management, Warehousing & Evaluating New Project Movements.
He has held senior management pedestals of different reputed organizations like APM Terminals India Pvt. Ltd., Eastern Cargo Carriers India Pvt. Ltd, Group CEO of S.A. Consultants and Forwarders Pvt Ltd (SA Group) and LogYcode Tech Solutions Pvt Ltd (Founder).
He has an affluent academic background, having attained P.HD. in Economics, with his thesis on ‘Industrial Policy and Industrial Growth’. Also, his qualifications include M. A. in Economics and MBA in International Trade and is also SAP qualified. There is an innovation involved in every action of Dr. Ambrish and his team whether it is designing the office space of the start-up or designing a digital gateway to revolutionize the logistics sector.
AAA2 Innovate Pvt Ltd. - Office Reception Area
The startup is gradually growing which started with a team of 6 core members and now has a team of more than 30 members in the direct payrolls. In addition, the start-up has also managed to acquire stakes in a domestic transportation company by the name of Radiant X-Ways Logistic Pvt Ltd, which has offices in more than 40 locations across India.
The startup has formed a vibrant work culture and the office resonates an aura that every employee looks forward to every day. The startup follows a circular hierarchy rather than the usual vertical or horizontal hierarchy, where any member of the team can approach any other member or senior without any hurdles or protocols.
There are only mentors and no reporting managers. The company promotes working from home as the processes are fully digitized.
Anyone can use the office space any time with sheer flexibility in timings.
There are no strict office hours to be followed as the company has aligned its work partners with its vision and everyone feels responsible towards their work.
The office encourages leisure and fun with an in-house chill-out and gossip area with couches, bean bags, and recliners, reading nooks, Table-Tennis, and other activities to keep its people engaged with more than just work.
The startup focuses on the happiness index of its workforce with policies and norms molded to justify this factor.
The startup has done its best in supporting the team members and their families during the crisis hours and the pandemic.
Zipaworld
AAA2 Innovate workspace
Hiring and Head-hunting
While head-hunting, the company looks for partners in their crime and not employees. The aspirants who wish to be an integral part of the team, who are responsible themselves, and who wish to grow with the growth of the company. The startup is highly instrumental in campus recruitments and offering internships to freshers and thereafter rendering them opportunities to make a career in the company itself.
Zipaworld's Ideation Journey - How it Started
The founder of Zipaworld, Dr. Ambrish Kumar is a hardcore logistics professional who has grown from ground level and held senior-level positions in various levels of the supply chain like, ports and terminals, shipping lines, freight forwarders, etc. He is also SAP qualified and always was inclined towards technological advancement, artificial intelligence, and human development. As he has experienced several loopholes in the conventional logistics processes that still exist with manual workflows and heavy paperwork, he realized that automation and integration are the need of the hour.
He, along with a team of logistics and IT experts had developed a prototype model of a logistics platform in his previous company where he held the position of CEO. However, since the company was only into freight forwarding, the scope of the digital platform was only limited to the B2B model and could not explore the larger supply chain. So, he planned to start his own venture by the name of AAA 2 Innovate Pvt Ltd which was launched during the pandemic in July 2020.
While the industry and most businesses were apprehensive of taking any new risks during the pandemic, Dr. Ambrish and his team found the pandemic as an opportunity to capitalize and bring about a digital transformation which was the need of the hour. During the unexpected and prolonged lockdowns, many conventional enterprises of the logistics sector suffered as they could not carry out their operations due to dependency on manual working, and businesses were badly affected. Zipaworld was launched within a record time of three months in September 2020 and started with automated processes for air freight transactions. This turned out to be a boon to many exporters and importers, traders of pharmaceuticals, and also to small freight forwarding enterprises as they could carry out their logistics transactions like checking competitive pricing options, book shipments, get automated freight documents, pay the freight online, track their shipments, get deals and discounts, and much more, all round the clock at their convenience.
Within a month’s time, it managed to get more than 20 customers and 30 vendors onboard the platform. There are some other reasons that rendered an impetus to Dr. Ambrish Kumar and his ambitious team to develop Zipaworld. The increasing logistics and supply chain cost which is almost 14.5% in India, compelled for integration and digitalization of the processes offering single-window solutions. Another major reason is the improving Government policies and initiatives to encourage the logistics industry and draw global trade opportunities and investments.
Zipaworld - Products/Services & USP
Zipaworld is a logistics engine or can be called a marketplace, or an e-Mall that exclusively caters to the logistics services needs of the market and customers. Zipaworld happens to be the most unique digital logistics platform where e-booking and other transactions can be done related to air freight, ocean freight, and surface freight all from one platform. Not just that, Zipaworld can be used to book both international and domestic air freight. The platform integrates multi-modal transportation. The customer can just feed their zip codes for the origin and destination and Zipaworld offers an end-to-end solution and booking options. Zipaworld has now also reached the doorsteps of people across India by getting into the B2C concept with its newly launched domestic and international Courier product, where it is even providing doorstep pick-up services from more than 2000 pin codes across India.
Hence, the customer does not need to go to various vendors for various services like transportation, warehousing, freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and so on. The portal negates conventional delays caused by time zone differences, as the price quotes and the processes are fully automated and are available 24x7.
Moreover, the whole process moves in a simple ‘Previous-Next’ model, which makes the user comprehend the flow easily. The portal logs and records stage-wise updates and send push messages and notifications to the customer thereby keeping utmost transparency of the transactions.
Zipaworld is developed keeping in view the end customer or a layman. So the user interface of Zipaworld and its flow are easily understandable by even a layman. The portal simplifies the complexities of logistics and renders an easy gateway to book cargo just like booking travel or vacation. While the platform provided end-to-end logistics services like door-to-door logistics, but it does not use complex terminologies like the Incoterms or confusing documentation names. The platform has simple-to-understand terminologies that anyone can use without any training or demonstration. Moreover, the platform does a single invoicing for multiple services availed for a single shipment. There are various analytics and reporting available for the users to assess the trends and anticipate seasonal fluctuations based on historical data.
Zipaworld is a web and cloud-based platform that makes it readily handy for anyone with a smartphone or laptop to use. It is developed in such a way that people located in remote areas can also carry out their logistics and supply chain transactions from one gateway without having to go through the otherwise puzzling processes and documentation formalities.
While discussing the pain areas that have been addressed by Zipaworld, let us first highlight the pain areas of the customers seeking logistics services -
- The logistics sector is largely disintegrated and fragmented. This causes the end customer or the owner of a consignment, to suffer the most.
- Currently, not just in India, but across the world, there are very few single-window gateways that offer all logistics and multi-modal transportation services from one gateway.
- Hence, the end customer must go to various disintegrated vendors for various services, like a vendor for warehousing, another for transportation, another for freight forwarding, and so on.
- Moreover, the customer is required to manage the pricing, invoicing, and payments separately for each vendor.
- This calls for not just wastage of time and energy, heavy paperwork, multiple authorizations, etc., but also fetches high-cost factors as there are many players and mediators involved.
- In a nutshell, the uniquely designed Zipaworld portal addresses the pain areas and optimizes cost-effectiveness, time efficiency, and service efficiency.
Zipaworld - Name, Tagline and Logo
Significance of Name 'Zipaworld'
The name ‘Zipaworld’ signifies the various zip codes of the world. As Zipaworld is a centralized platform that is involved in 3PL/ 4PL services, the name justifies the service portfolio encompassing all logistics services from origin zip code to destination zip code from a single window, anywhere in the world.
Notion Behind Zipaworld's Logo Design
The logo shows speeding lines with Zipaworld written, which shows fast and prompt service.
Zipaworld's Tagline
The tagline ‘The Logistics E-Mall of India’ again means a one-stop e-marketplace that offers all logistics services.
AAA Logo
The logo of the parent company AAA 2 Innovate Pvt Ltd is a pencil with a tree growing on top of it. This denotes writing and starting innovation and flourishing into various levels and fields of work. As the startup is into various other services like software (ERP, SaaS) development, digital marketing, cloud and server services, Trading and sourcing, financial management services, logistics consultancy. The tagline of the parent company is ‘Innovation is our addiction’, resonating with the innovative addictive impetus that each team member carries with them.
Zipaworld - Business Model and Revenue Model
Zipaworld is an online marketplace from where the customers can choose and book one or more logistics services as per their requirement. Zipaworld offers options to pick and choose services with instant pricing quotes available for air freight, ocean freight and express services thereby optimizing the turnaround times. For air or ocean consignments, just like booking a travel ticket, one needs to insert some basic information like origin, destination, date of materialization, number of packages, weight and dimensions, and commodity type, checking the requisite services from the checkboxes.
The portal flashes instant live market pricing options with all-inclusive cost options to view cost break-up. The customer may choose based on service levels and cost, and e-book the consignment. Upon booking, the Airway Bill, Bill of Lading, or other freight documents get automatically created after which the online payment can be made. The pricing is fetched real-time from the various contracted vendors and carriers, thereby making the pricing realistic and competitive.
Zipaworld's revenue comes from the incentives, performance-linked bonuses and volume-based contracts, and commitments with vendors and carriers. The margins levels and service/ convenience fees and commissions have always been kept on the lower side as the bigger aim is to cater with a competitive and reliable gateway for the service seekers.
Zipaworld - Startup Launch and Growth Hacks
The company was launched during the pandemic which was a time of disillusionment for most businesses. However, the team saw it as an opportunity and looked forward to launching the platform for prospective customers from the pharmaceutical and medical sectors. The idea was planted rightly and they started getting pharmaceutical customers on board just within a fortnight of the launch. The first customer to be on board with the company was a pharmaceutical manufacturer and trader. The customer located in Mumbai could easily access the portal and e-book shipments on their own which helped them during the pandemic when they could not rely on their vendors who were mostly closed.
Earlier people had to approach multiple vendors like transporters, warehouse providers, freight forwarders, customs brokers, which was hectic and they could not focus on their core business. Also, they had to chase the vendors for freight documentation, trade-related authorizations, billing invoices which was a painstaking hassle. Also, they did not get proper information regarding the status of the processes and shipments. Zipaworld portal helped them improve their supply, procurement, exports, and distribution turnaround time to less than 1/4th of what it was before. They were able to focus on their core business more and maximize the production and distribution activities during the COVID time.
It initially managed to multiply the customers through existing customers who suggested Zipaworld to other exporters of pharmaceuticals, mostly they were from western Indian cities. Hence it can be stated that the initial customer onboarding was through word-of-mouth and traditional sales and marketing drives.
Zipaworld started carrying out digital marketing activities through social media, news media, and email marketing which further enhanced the reach of Zipaworld to other parts of India and also globally. It managed to get recognition from customers from the Middle Eastern countries and Europe as well. Gradually the startup managed to gain more than 100 customers within 4 months of the launch of the Zipaworld portal.
By the first quarter of 2021, Zipaworld started witnessing a huge influx of visiting customers and prospects through the Zipaworld portal which could be used for price comparison purposes without logging in or registration process. The launch of the Ocean Freight Module in early Feb 2021 saw an increasing demand for ocean freight inquiries through the portal mostly from the western Indian regions.
Further, the team managed to leap ahead investing stakes in Radiant X-ways Logistic Pvt Ltd, a 10-year-old Indian domestic logistics giant renowned for express distribution, catering to the first and last-mile transportation by air and road to a huge client base that consisted of electronics, spare parts, and pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors. This helped it gain access to catering to the international logistics requirements of the customers.
Zipaworld - Challenges Faced
The Logistics sector still follows an orthodox working model. If one compares the air freight forwarding process with the passenger air travel industry, the latter is fully automated for almost 15 years with e-booking platforms and smooth paperless transactions.
In the logistics and freight forwarding sector, the fraternity is still accustomed to using e-mails and phone calls for inquiries with paper-based transactions galore. The team at Zipaworld faced an initial reluctance from the prospects to cling to a new digital means to carry out the transactions. However, they started getting overwhelming penetration and recognition amongst its customers within a month as the need of the hour was a digital single window gateway during the pandemic. The customers started understanding the dire need for automation of processes, accuracy, transparency, visibility thereby reducing turnaround time and following best practices. The idea of saving time, cost, and manpower and rather using these elements for more productive works has been comprehended by the customers
Zipaworld - Growth Status
Zipaworld is a digital portal that can be accessed from across the world, hence the idea is to be virtually omnipresent in all parts of the world. Over the past few months, it has grown organically with partnerships and associations with various vendors and other players within India, in the Gulf countries, Europe, and the USA. It managed to have associates in over 35 countries across the world providing logistics services.
The complete logistics market of India is worth $170 billion and is growing at a CAGR of 10.5% to reach $ 250 billion in the next 5 years. For assessment, the startup takes into consideration only the exports market from the top 8 cities of India, which as per its study from the DGCA data, stands at approx. 1020 tons.
With the kind of centralized and multimodal platform developed, Zipaworld has considered a modest 5% of the total volumes handled from the origin. This is only an instance of the exports market, however, its scope includes imports, domestic market, express and courier, and other logistics services.
The team at Zipaworld expects the payback period of the initial investment in 2.5 years as per the growth trend and assessment of volumes, revenues, and cost.
The Zipaworld has an average of more than 5000 visitors daily which forms the base for the visiting customers. This is in addition to the already registered 250+ regular customers availing of logistics services across the world. The popularity of the Zipaworld website (zipaworld.com) has been growing phenomenally with the website being ranked 70000 among the global websites and 7200 among the Indian websites in just within a span of 9 months on Alexa ranking and various other popularity measures.
Zipaworld - Funding
The startup has remained self-funded and bootstrapped till now and has managed to successfully stay above the breakeven. The team shall look for the funding when it is the right time and have encompassed most of the supply chain activities within the online platform.
Zipaworld - Advisors/Mentors
The concept and the idea are formulated and mentored by the founder of the company, Dr. Ambrish Kumar who leads from the front to propel the ventures to achieve the larger vision and mission.
However, it has several IT consultants and mentors guiding to use the right technology, switch gears whenever required to stay abreast with the market requirements. Zipaworld has a robust team of logistics professionals who keep the workflows up to the mark with the present standards also adhering to the trade norms and protocols. It has reliable and renowned vendors and partners associated who provide the most competitive and transparent pricing options.
Zipaworld - Acquisition & Investment
It invested a stake in Radiant X-ways Logistic Pvt Ltd, a 10-year-old Indian domestic logistics giant renowned for express distribution, catering to the first and last-mile transportation by air and road to a huge client base that consisted of electronics, spare parts, and pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors.
The company has a presence in over 27 states across India with more than 40 offices and warehouses. The direct control over own and fixed transport fleet of specialized vehicles enabling reach to the remotest part of the country makes Radiant commit pick-up from and delivery to any corner of India.
Zipaworld - Competitors
There are several traditional logistics players embracing technology to automate processes and a lot of startups entering the supply chain arena to bring innovative solutions to the pain areas. However, one fact to be noted is that most of the digital transformations are taking place at the entity or enterprise level. That is, the automation is taking place to simplify a particular process and not integrating the complete end-to-end workflow.
For instance, there are enterprises and startups that have come out with solutions for first and last-mile connectivity, there are others that have brought solutions for warehousing, some others with ocean freight booking platforms. However, until the integration between these players happens with more single-window solutions, the loopholes in the supply chain ought to remain and the end customer will suffer.
If looked at the competition, it can be stated that there are very few online platforms across the world that offer multi-modal freight options in one dashboard. However, there are ocean freight platforms like Cogoport, FreightBro, air freight platforms like Freightos, and other logistics platforms like Far-eye, Shipsy, etc.
Zipaworld - Recognition and Achievements
The growing popularity of the Zipaworld website across India and around the globe is the most significant recognition for the team.
Zipaworld has been in the news for all the good reasons that have been highlighted and praised by the various media that have covered the endeavors of Zipaworld in addressing the pain areas, especially during pandemic times.
The team has seen enterprises and organizations showing interest and getting associated with them over the past few months from the Middle-east, Europe, and the USA.
The parent company AAA 2 Innovate Pvt Ltd is registered with DPIIT (Start-up India), is MSME registered, and is a member of the global logistics trade network 7Connetwork.
Zipaworld - Future/Expansion Plans
Zipaworld will be soon having its Partner program for registering on-board the aspirants who wish to carry out a logistics business from their convenience and location and be a part of the logistics ecosystem.
The online portal is all set to integrate more than 25000 zip codes across India with extensive global connectivity in the remainder of the year 2021, thereby resolving the first and last mile connectivity issues pertaining to the sector.
Zipaworld will soon be introducing a fleet of more than 150 Electronic/battery-operated transport vehicles along with its partner companies in their drive to reduce carbon footprint and also to reach out to cover the remotely commercial and non-commercial locations across North India.
Further ventures this year include integrating goods transportation and drivers to the Zipaworld application and connecting them with the manufacturers, exporters, shippers, traders, bookings through Zipaworld App. The concept of delivering anything and everything will be achieved by the end of this year.
Zipaworld plans to expand outside India on a large scale in a coming couple of years and become a global player with a virtual presence in more than 150 trading countries. It plans to create a huge network in the supply chain integrating all stakeholders for smooth movement of trade.
The long-term vision of Zipaworld is to use the latest technology like Machine Learning, AI, IoT to automate the complete logistics processes and bring in blockchain technology in the logistics and supply chain. The idea is to turn the tables for the supply chain bringing in sheer visibility, mitigating risks, reducing the demand and supply gap, consequently reducing the logistics cost which is currently very high.
Zipaworld - FAQs
What is Zipaworld?
Zipaworld is an online platform that provides automated solutions for air freight, ocean freight, road/ rail freight, door-to-door services, first/ last mile pick-ups and deliveries, express services, courier, warehousing services, customs brokerage services, and other logistics services.
Who founded Zipaworld?
AAA 2 Innovate Pvt Ltd, the parent startup company, and Zipaworld were founded by Dr. Ambrish Kumar.
What is AAA2 Innovate?
AAA2 Innovate Pvt Ltd is the parent company of Zipaworld. It is into various other services like software (ERP, SaaS) development, digital marketing, cloud and server services, Trading and sourcing, financial management services, logistics consultancy.
How does Zipaworld make money?
Zipaworld is an online marketplace from where customers can choose & book one or more logistics services as per their requirement. Zipaworld's revenue comes from the incentives, performance-linked bonuses and volume-based contracts, and commitments with vendors and carriers.
What is Zipaworld's USP?
Zipaworld is a logistics engine or can be called a marketplace, or an e-Mall that exclusively caters to the logistics services needs of the market and customers. Zipaworld happens to be the most unique digital logistics platform where e-booking and other transactions can be done related to air freight, ocean freight, and surface freight all from one platform.
When was Zipaworld launched?
Zipaworld was launched in September 2020, amidst the pandemic.
Is Zipaworld an Indian Company?
Yes. Zipaworld is an Indian Company headquartered in Noida.