Flipkart Acquires D2C SaaS Startup ANS Commerce To Provide Tech Enablement To Brands & Sellers

Walmart-owned ecommerce marketplace Flipkart has acquired a direct-to-consumer (D2C) software-as-a-service (SaaS) startup ANS Commerce for an undisclosed amount. 

The deal is yet to be completed and is expected to be closed in the second half of 2022, subject to ‘customary closing conditions’, according to a press statement.

Through this acquisition, Flipkart will continue to strengthen its ecommerce play by investing in technology enablers to address the need of the evolving digital retail market in India. 

Started in 2017 by Amit Monga, Nakul Singh, Sushant Puri, and Vibhor Sahare, ANS Commerce provides services to companies and brands looking to sell online. This includes services that help brands set up digital storefronts, integration with marketplaces including Flipkart and Amazon, and warehousing and facilities maintenance services.

It works with more than 100 clients across enterprises, mid-market and D2C brands in different categories, supporting their transition to digital commerce. 

ANS Commerce’s products help brands and businesses create digital brand stores, store fronts on its Kartify platform, improve returns on advertisement spends and manage end-to-end processes covering logistics and warehousing. 

The ecommerce enablement startup raised $2.2 Mn last year in a Pre-Series A funding round led by Gokul Rajaram of Door Dash, also a board member at Coinbase and Pinterest; and Venture Catalysts.

“Our efforts focus on ensuring that businesses, including MSMEs and smaller brands, can leverage the opportunities that ecommerce offers, to provide greater value and deeper experiences for Indian customers who are rapidly adopting digital commerce,” said Ravi Iyer, senior VP and head – corporate development, Flipkart. 

Launched in 2007, Flipkart Group is one of India’s leading digital commerce entities. It includes group companies such as Flipkart, Myntra, Flipkart Wholesale, Cleartrip, Flipkart Health+ and a majority stake in payments app PhonePe.  

In 2021, ANS Commerce was also part of Flipkart’s tech startup accelerator program – Flipkart Leap. 

“ANS Commerce was created to enable businesses to leverage the opportunity of ecommerce in India. We’ve seen a dramatic change in consumer behaviour, and as a result, brands have also pivoted in their approach on how to engage with consumers,” Amit Monga, Nakul Singh, Sushant Puri, and Vibhor Sahare, cofounders, ANS Commerce, said in a joint statement. 

The ANS Commerce acquisition comes in the wake of Flipkart making multiple investments and acquisitions in the last one year. 

The ecommerce giant acquired 100% shareholding in online travel booking site Cleartrip in April last year, online pharmacy SastaSundar in November last year and invested with Walmart $145 Mn into Bengaluru-based agritech startup Ninjacart in December 2021. The round values the Tiger Global-backed startup between $700 Mn and $800 Mn.

Most recently in April, Flipkart announced that it launched Flipkart Health+ app to enable users to access medicines, healthcare products and services across India. 

The ecommerce marketplace also announced the expansion of its grocery services to 1,800 cities across India in January this year. With this, Flipkart Grocery will now deliver across 10,000 pin codes in 23 states.

Last month, Flipkart pumped in $553.2 Mn (INR4,205 Cr) into its marketplace business, as per its regulatory filings in Singapore.

The cash infusion of more than half a billion US dollars has come in the wake of its grocery and social ecommerce expansion plans announced early this year.