ShopDeck Raises $8 Million to Empower D2C Sellers with Cutting-Edge Solutions
ShopDeck, a leading direct-to-customer (D2C) ecommerce solutions provider, has announced raising $8 million (approximately ₹68 crore) in a funding round led by global investment firms Bessemer Venture Partners and Elevation Capital. The round also saw participation from Venture Highway (now part of General Catalyst) and Chiratae Ventures. This significant milestone marks a new chapter in the company’s journey as it sets out to strengthen its AI-powered technology stack, expand its operations, and support sellers in tier-2 and tier-3 cities across India.
From WMall to ShopDeck: A Journey of Evolution
ShopDeck’s story began in 2018 when founders Rishabh Verma and Harmin Shah launched WMall, a social commerce platform focused on value commerce. However, the platform faced scalability challenges, prompting a pivot in 2022 to an ecommerce enablement model under the name NuShop. This transition eventually led to the birth of ShopDeck, a platform dedicated to empowering small and medium-sized sellers by providing comprehensive support in storefront management, marketing, shipping, customer engagement, and scaling online presence.
Reflecting on the pivot, co-founder Verma shared, “We began our journey at the end of 2018 with the thesis for building a value commerce marketplace for India, but we encountered various roadblocks and were unable to scale. In 2022, we decided to shut down our initial model and pivot to our current model, which we believe is relatively more interesting than what we were pursuing earlier.”
Empowering Sellers Across India
ShopDeck’s innovative approach addresses a critical gap in India’s booming ecommerce landscape. The platform’s AI-driven tools and consulting services enable small and medium-sized merchants to overcome challenges posed by traditional marketplaces. According to Verma, “Merchants have a ‘love-hate’ relationship with marketplaces as they get many orders but themselves lack direct customer connections.”
The funding will help ShopDeck focus on three primary objectives:
Enhancing AI-Powered Technology: The company plans to invest heavily in software development to build tools that optimize storefronts automatically, helping merchants improve efficiency and profitability.
Expanding Operations: By bolstering its on-ground operations, ShopDeck aims to support sellers in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, tapping into underserved markets.
Talent Acquisition: The startup is looking to attract top talent to drive innovation and growth.
Diverse Offerings and Future Plans
Currently, ShopDeck supports a wide range of product categories, including fashion, apparel, accessories, jewelry, home and kitchen products, and general merchandise. The company plans to expand into new categories such as beauty and food, which are significant segments for D2C brands.
Verma explained, “We will invest heavily in software, leverage our team and growth consultants, and build software that can help merchants optimize their storefront automatically. The second goal is to start expanding the top of the funnel and get more and more D2C brands to work with us, given that our software has reached a steady state.”
Market Position and Competition
ShopDeck’s profitability-first approach positions it uniquely in a competitive landscape. It competes with platforms like Zomato-backed Shiprocket and Unicommerce-backed Shipway. However, its combination of AI-driven tools and service support gives it a distinct edge.
Commenting on the investment, Anant Vidur Puri, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, stated, “India’s ecommerce is booming, but small merchants remain underserved. ShopDeck’s innovative profitability-first approach, combining AI-driven tools and service support, positions it uniquely in the market.”
A Promising Future
As ShopDeck embarks on its next phase of growth, the startup’s focus on empowering small and medium businesses and leveraging cutting-edge technology promises to transform the ecommerce landscape. With a strong vision and solid financial backing, ShopDeck is set to make a lasting impact in India’s vibrant ecommerce ecosystem.
Conclusion
ShopDeck’s journey exemplifies resilience, adaptability, and innovation. From its inception as WMall to its transformation into an AI-powered D2C solutions provider, the company has consistently demonstrated its commitment to empowering merchants. With the recent funding, ShopDeck is poised to bridge critical gaps in the ecommerce ecosystem by enabling small and medium businesses to thrive. As the platform expands its reach and offerings, it will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping the future of ecommerce in India, driving growth, and creating value for its customers and partners alike.
