Zyod, an Indian startup looking to revolutionize the apparel industry by offering a combination of sourcing and manufacturing, has recently raised $3.5 million in a seed round led by Lightspeed Venture India Partners. The Gurugram-based company promises to deliver new apparel ranges to its customers in a fraction of the traditional industry standard’s 180-day lead time and 2,000-piece minimum order size, using a transformed 21-day production cycle with a just 50-piece minimum order.
The success of Zyod is largely driven by its efficient end-to-end service, helping fashion brands manage their inventory more carefully and making them more competitive. Additionally, the startup is leveraging India’s advantageous cluster-based supply chain that extends beyond metropolitan cities and tier-1 cities. It is also equipped with sophisticated AI-powered design recommendation engines that tailor to brand needs and deliver results quickly.
Founded earlier this year by Ankit Jaipuria and Ritesh Khandelwal, Zyod has more than 150 clients across 13 countries. It caters to a diverse range of customers, from small D2C brands to large-scale fashion labels looking to expand their product range. Additionally, the startup has seen traction from companies looking to shift away from Chinese suppliers and adopt a China-plus-one strategy.
The seed fund saw participation from FJ Labs, Panthera Peak Capital and angels such as Tracxn co-founder Abhishek Goyal and Oyo global COO Abhinav Sinha. The startup plans to utilize these funds to improve the design recommendation engine and automate the supply chain, while also expanding their team of 45 employees.
The company behind the innovation is co-founded by Ankit Jaipuria, who has leveraged his background in technology and industry to develop an efficient product and processes. He believes in the importance of embracing failure and experimenting to tackle the challenges faced by fashion brands. With its new funding, Zyod is set to break barriers in the apparel industry by providing a reliable solution to create quality products in a timely and efficient manner.
