A new playbook: Startups go vertical in India’s qcom race

As the quick commerce (qcom) race hots up, a new model — vertical qcom — is gaining investor attention.

- UDISHA SRIVASTAV

Unlike horizontal players such as Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart, which stock everything from groceries to gifts and gadgets, vertical platforms focus on depth over breadth.

These platforms target niche but high-value categories, such as pharma, fashion, beauty, baby care, and pet care, where the range of assortment and repeat purchases is high. Investors say that specialised vertical players can offer better availability and domain-specific expertise.

They are also increasingly betting on these models for their higher average order values (AOVs), repeat transactions, and optimised inventory and delivery networks.

For instance, Info Edge Ventures and Chiratae Ventures recently invested $4.5 million in a seed funding round in fashion qcom company Zilo. All In Capital also invested $1.4 million in qcom Pharma firm Plazza, and a baby care-focused qcom startup, Peeko, raised $3.2 million in a seed round led by Stellaris Venture Partners.