In a world where disruption often comes at the hands of the daring, Ankiti Bose emerged as a fierce trailblazer. Not just for being a woman in the male-dominated world of tech entrepreneurship, but for rewriting the rules of what it means to fall, get up, and lead again with greater wisdom. Born in 1992 in India, Ankiti Bose’s story is not just about the rise of a unicorn or a startup’s fall — it’s about resilience, redemption, and the relentless pursuit of purpose.
Ankiti Bose: From Mumbai to the Marketplace – A Spark of Inspiration
Ankiti’s formative years were grounded in discipline and ambition. A student of Cambridge School in Kandivli, Mumbai, she pursued Mathematics and Economics at St. Xavier’s College — a foundation that would later equip her with the analytical rigor necessary for building a business. She started her career at McKinsey & Company and later joined Sequoia Capital in Bangalore — environments that honed her strategic thinking.
But her defining moment came in 2014 during a trip to Bangkok’s bustling Chatuchak Market. Amidst over 11,000 stalls and thousands of merchants, Ankiti noticed a glaring opportunity — most vendors had no online presence. The market was thriving with creativity but stifled by a lack of access to technology and e-commerce tools.
While others saw chaos, Ankiti saw potential.
The Birth of Zilingo: Fashion Meets Technology
In 2015, at the age of just 23, Ankiti Bose left her prestigious role at Sequoia to co-found Zilingo, alongside software engineer Dhruv Kapoor. Armed with savings of $30,000 each and a big dream, the two set out to transform how fashion supply chains worked across Southeast Asia. Zilingo wasn’t just another e-commerce startup. It was an ambitious attempt to empower the thousands of small and medium-sized fashion vendors across the region.
The startup addressed the real hurdles these merchants faced — not just selling online, but navigating procurement, scaling operations, design, marketing, and financial inclusion. Under Ankiti’s leadership, Zilingo provided a full-stack platform: from self-listing to sourcing raw materials and accessing working capital — effectively turning mom-and-pop stores into competitive, global businesses.
Ankiti Bose: Zilingo’s Meteoric Rise – A Billion-Dollar Dream
Zilingo’s growth was swift and staggering. From its early roots in Bangkok’s traditional markets, it expanded into Indonesia, India, the U.S., and beyond. Its unique value proposition and Ankiti’s powerful storytelling attracted major investors, including Sequoia Capital and Temasek Holdings. By 2019, the company neared a $1 billion valuation, making it one of Asia’s few female-led unicorns — and Ankiti Bose the first Indian woman to co-found such a venture.
Her presence as a young, confident Indian woman leading a global tech startup broke boundaries and redefined what leadership looked like in Southeast Asia’s male-dominated tech landscape.
Empowering Women, Driving Inclusion
But Ankiti’s vision extended beyond profits. At Zilingo, she championed women’s inclusion in the workforce. One notable initiative trained women in Indonesia — where 40% of women reportedly leave the workforce after marriage — to design and manufacture clothing. Zilingo’s mission wasn’t just commerce; it was empowerment. Ankiti’s belief that technology could democratize fashion and elevate marginalized voices was embedded into Zilingo’s DNA.
The Fall: A Unicorn in Crisis
However, in 2022, Zilingo faced a storm. Amid an attempt to raise funds, concerns surfaced around accounting practices. On March 31, 2022, Ankiti was suspended as CEO. Allegations ranged from financial misrepresentation to management style. By May 20, 2022, she was officially terminated.
The Reinvention: Terra-Invest and the Return of Ankiti Bose
In 2024, when most expected her to retreat, Ankiti Bose made a comeback — not in e-commerce, but in capital. She launched Terra-Invest, an investment firm based in London and Dubai. This new venture seeks to merge capital with conscience, focusing on frontier challenges like AI ethics, sustainable energy, and blockchain governance.
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