While Amazon is seeking to take on Shopify in the west, it is exploring social commerce in India.
Amazon has acquired the Indian social commerce firm GlowRoad for an undisclosed sum, according to a source familiar with the case.
An Amazon representative confirmed the purchase, saying it will assist the company achieve its goal of digitising the country’s 10 million enterprises by 2025.
According to Amazon, who has invested over $6.5 billion in its India business, getting GlowRoad on board is “a critical step in this direction.”
“With GlowRoad, Amazon will empower millions of innovators, homemakers, students, and small business owners across the country. With Amazon’s technology, infrastructure, and digital payment capabilities, GlowRoad’s widely loved service will be even more efficient and cost-effective.
GlowRoad offers wholesale prices and enables clients resale on Facebook and WhatsApp. It also gives them a logistics network and the capacity to collect cash. A network of over 6 million resellers earning an average of 35,000 Indian rupees ($460) each month is claimed by the business.
GlowRoad recently announced plans to grow into Southeast Asian markets.
“GlowRoad is dedicated to empowering ‘homepreneurs’ and introducing diverse suppliers to the marketplace. The work we’ve done in four years has only scratched the surface,” said co-founder Shekhar Sahu.
According to data analytics platform Tracxn, the four-year-old business has raised around $32 million in previous investments from Accel, CDH, Vertex, and Korea Investment Partners.
The source indicated GlowRoad’s staff will join Amazon, but TechCrunch couldn’t confirm the price. They requested anonymity because it isn’t yet public.
