Unique Startup Business Models – Story – 2 – Zilingo – A Successful Technology And Commerce Platform In The Fashion Industry

Founded in 2015 by Ankiti Bose and Dhruv Kapoor, Zilingo is an online platform that launches small fashion businesses online. Focusing on enterprises in South East Asia, Zilingo provides a multitude of services to small merchants to take their business online. 

Zilingo is a B2B platform that brings all aspects of the fashion industry supply chain together, from raw material wholesalers, merchants, all the way to customers. They provide all kinds of technical assistance, from data science, online platforms and other virtual services, to sourcing and financing of businesses. By forming a symbiotic relationship with the small business, they can make decent levels of profit while simultaneously allowing smaller merchants to digitize and scale their businesses, as well as tap into a larger marketplace.  

Problems Faced By Small businesses

A small, localized shop faces many disadvantages when they attempt to go online or reach a wider audience. They are limited by funding, technology, access and competition from larger, more established corporations. In the global market, there may be untapped potential for their goods, but these merchants find it very hard to have a profitable business in that situation. 

Often, the small merchants have to go through many middlemen and encounter many expenses while trying to market to a nationwide or global audience. The margins are squeezed out, leaving them with very little profit. Zilingo targets this issue, working with the small businesses to help them get their due. 

The Zilingo Approach 

Zilingo is set to disrupt the global fashion industry with its business model, which helps small businesses circumvent the middlemen on their way to an expansive online market. They offer traders an end-to-end, cloud-based platform that not only connects the various independent players but also offers them tech and financial support. 

The company provides the necessary resources, connections, financial as well as tech support for small companies to connect with other small companies as well as a vast customer base. A small scale merchant or designer can avail purchases from raw material sellers, factories, and even tech support to scale their business.

Tweets by Zilingo

Boosting the competition

Zilingo provides a well rounded, versatile platform that allows small businesses to boost their productivity and sales. This is provided to merchants across many countries and brings together this aggregate base of producers and manufacturers. At the same time, the process of designing, manufacturing, and other aspects of the actual product remains decentralized. Independent sellers can remain independent, true to their style, and it can all be done without a listing charge, which Zilingo does not claim from its production workforce. 

Their diverse team, decentralized culture, technological innovation and commitment to helping smaller companies give them a unique standing in the industry. They have a diverse line of products sourced from various nations and suppliers, all backed by the platform themselves. This allows these businesses to directly trade with a larger market, such as brands or other clients online. 

The Growth Story

Zilingo has raised over $307 Million as an investment and is valued at close to a billion dollars. Committed to powering small businesses in the industry, they aim to become a major player in Fashion by forming symbiotic relationships with small merchants and businesses. They aim to become a platform that will allow the small fishes to come together and grow further, in competition with global conglomerates themselves.