Velocity launches Shipfast to enable quicker commerce for D2C brands
Velocity partners with 7 leading logistics players to facilitate 4-hour, same-day, and next-day shipping for D2C brands.
Velocity founders Saurav Swaroop, Abhiroop Medhekar (in the middle), Atul Khichariya
D2C enabler Velocity has launched Shipfast, a solution designed to help Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) businesses offer faster deliveries through their own websites.
With 4-hour, same-day, and next-day shipping options, Shipfast enables quicker order fulfilment while reducing operational overheads. Backed by Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures, Velocity has partnered with leading logistics providers like Delhivery, Shadowfax, Ekart, EcomExpress, and more to cover multiple cities across India.
Founded in 2020 by Abhiroop Medhekar, Atul Khichariya, and Saurav Swaroop, Velocity leverages these digital-first businesses’ abundant data and robust online cash flows to power these solutions. The Bengaluru-based startup has raised $30 million in equity funding led by Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures. Its portfolio includes many of India’s fastest-growing D2C brands like Soulflower, Chumbak, and Off Duty.
While D2C brands have seen significant growth on quick-commerce platforms like Zepto, Blinkit, and Swiggy’s Instamart, many are choosing to own the customer journeys end-to-end by facilitating faster deliveries through their own websites to avoid high commissions. One persistent challenge, however, has been the shipping experience. Delivery delays, long issue resolution times and lack of accurate tracking, often lead to customer dissatisfaction, impacting brand loyalty.
To address these pain points, Shipfast has reimagined shipping workflows with its logistics partners to optimize for quicker deliveries. It also incorporates a mix of internal early warnings for delivery roadblocks, along with proprietary AI agents to ensure seamless deliveries. This helps in minimizing the need for customers to escalate issues, while also reducing the operational overheads for brands.
“Velocity’s mission has always been to power the growth of D2C brands in India. Shipfast is a natural step in our evolution. While access to capital drives 40-50% growth for D2C brands, faster deliveries can unlock an additional 30-40% growth by increasing customer conversions. Shipfast enables quicker commerce for D2C brands, strengthening direct customer relationships, boosting loyalty, and driving repeat purchase rates on their own websites. We’re excited to launch our product built in-house, and are actively looking to bolster it with potential acquisitions,” said Abhiroop Medhekar, Co-Founder and CEO, Velocity.
Since its inception in 2020, Velocity has served 5000+ customers across its various products. It has financed over 1,200 e-commerce businesses, disbursing more than ₹1,000 crore in working capital. Some notable brands funded by Velocity are Soulflower, Suta, Imagimake, Frido, Koskii, Hammer, Bewakoof, and Chumbak
"It’s exciting to see our long-term financing partner, Velocity, expanding into the logistics space, which aligns perfectly with the growing demand for same-day and next-day deliveries—something our customers truly value," said Amit Sarda, Co-founder of Soulflower, a leading beauty and personal care D2C brand.
