ECOM NEXUS — Master Brief

Product · Market · Tech · Roadmap · Revenue · USPs · Raise | April 2026 | Confidential

The Product — Three Products, One Ecosystem

Ecom Nexus is a Commerce Intelligence Platform. Not just an OMS. The OMS runs operations. Build launches stores. Engage grows customers. Together they create a flywheel where each product feeds the next.

Ecom Nexus OMS — "Run your operations"

Multi-tenant SaaS order management system for Indian and Middle East ecommerce sellers. Omnichannel order inbox across 12 channels, 12 logistics carrier integrations, 3 payment gateways, GST engine with CGST/SGST/IGST auto-calculation, AI profit leak detection, COD risk scoring, NDR management, B2B dual-channel, WhatsApp automation via Flowise. Already ~80% built on Django 5.1 + React 19. Requires 2–3 months to complete and convert to production SaaS.

Ecom Engage — "Grow your customers"

Customer intelligence and growth layer embedded in the OMS. RFM segmentation (Champion, Loyal, Potential, At Risk, Lost, New). Campaign execution by segment across WhatsApp/SMS/Email. Loyalty programs with tier system and expiry. Abandoned cart recovery. Referral programs. AI campaign copy generation via Gemini. Goes live as V2 feature (Month 6–12). Built into nexus_engagement — models and API already designed.

Ecom Build — "Launch your store"

AI-powered ecommerce store and Flutter app builder. Brand describes their business in plain language → AI configures WordPress store (theme, payment gateway, SEO, shipping rules, products) → live in 30 minutes. Flutter app builder produces branded iOS + Android app from drag-and-drop inputs. No code required. Every store auto-connects to Ecom Nexus OMS on setup — creating a self-filling acquisition flywheel. Development begins Month 9. Requires 6+ months dedicated build. Live Month 15+.

What Makes It Different

AI-native, not AI-bolted-on

The Zeron AI engine routes 17 task types across 3 providers automatically. 80% of tasks run on Ollama locally at zero cost. Every COD order is risk scored. Every NDR gets AI analysis. Every support ticket arrives with a verdict and confidence score. This is the operating system of the platform — not a chatbot tab.

Infrastructure pricing model

Monthly floor ₹999–₹2,999 + per-order fee by order value. Revenue grows automatically as brands scale their GMV. No plan upgrades needed. One brand grows from ₹3,399/month at beta to ₹1,02,999/month in Year 3 — without a single upsell call. Same model as Razorpay.

True multi-tenancy

Schema-per-tenant at PostgreSQL level. Each client's data lives in a completely separate database schema. Cross-tenant data leak is structurally impossible — not just filtered in code. Enterprise-grade isolation at startup pricing.

WhatsApp as the operating channel

The entire platform communicates through WhatsApp — order confirmations, shipping updates, NDR alerts, Profit Leak Detector weekly report, abandoned cart recovery, return requests. Flowise visual bot builder lets non-technical team build conversation flows without code.

Why We're Building This

We didn't decide to build an OMS. We watched 10 enterprise OMS deployments fail — and documented every single reason why. That failure data became the product specification.

The structural gap

Brand StageTool They UseThe Reality
Under 200 orders/monthExcel, WhatsApp, manualWorks fine. No problem to solve.
200–50,000 orders/month ← THE GAPSpreadsheets + 5 disconnected toolsToo complex for spreadsheets. Too small for enterprise tools. Too busy for 12-week implementations. No tool built for exactly this stage.
50,000+ orders/monthUnicommerce, custom ERPCan afford the enterprise cost. Have IT team to implement it.

Seven operational problems we've seen brands bleed money to

ProblemMonthly Loss Per BrandEcom Nexus Solution
COD RTOs8–22% RTO rate = ₹12,000+ per 100 COD orders in shipping + reverse logistics costsAI RTO scoring on every COD order within 60 seconds. High-risk orders held for manual verification before dispatch.
Return fraud12–18% of returns fraudulent in fashion/electronics. No systematic detection.Warehouse QC gate before refund triggers. Photo evidence captured. Return policy enforced per product category.
Marketplace overcharging₹2–8 Lakhs per year in incorrect commission, weight, and SLA deductionsAutomated settlement reconciliation against Amazon/Flipkart statements. Line-by-line variance detection. Dispute pack auto-generated.
Stockout revenue loss8–15% of potential revenue lost to avoidable stockouts6-bucket inventory model. Platform inventory sync. AI reorder predictor with days-of-stock traffic light per SKU.
Ops headcount trap1 ops staff per 300–500 orders/day without automation. Revenue growth = proportional hiring.Automation engine handles order confirmation, carrier assignment, NDR management, notifications — without human intervention.
GST compliance errorsFiling penalties. Audit exposure. Manual CGST/SGST/IGST calculation on thousands of orders.Auto-calculated per line item based on buyer/seller state. Interstate determination automatic. GST-compliant PDF invoice generated on every order.
Dead stock15–25% of inventory value locked in zero-sales items with no visibilityDead stock alerts at 45 days no-sale. Cost value shown. AI-suggested clearance actions.

Why these founders specifically

The credential that matters most: documented failure data

Saketh has spent 6 years building ecommerce infrastructure for 150+ clients through Amalyte. He personally led 10 Unicommerce deployments and watched all 10 fail within 6 months. The failures were consistent: too complex, too slow, too expensive to maintain for the team sizes these brands have. He didn't learn this from a case study — he lived it client by client. Chinmai runs Amalyte operations and owns the 40-client warm network that is the first GTM channel. K Siva Prasad provides 15+ years of enterprise engineering governance as technical advisor. No competitor launching today has this combination of failure knowledge, active client network, and product in development.

Market Research

$118B
India Ecommerce GMV 2024
Growing 25% YoY
600K+
Active Scaling Brands India
500–500K orders/month
$14B
UAE + KSA GMV 2024
Growing 18% YoY
₹8,500 Cr
TAM — Commerce Ops SaaS
India + ME annual
₹2,800 Cr
SAM — Addressable V1 Brands
150K brands in target profile
₹180 Cr
SOM — Year 3 Target
5,000 brands at ₹3,600/month avg

Four structural tailwinds that make this the right moment

TailwindWhat It Means for Ecom Nexus
$100B D2C India by 2028Thousands of brands crossing ₹1 Cr GMV each year — all outgrowing spreadsheets at the same moment. The market is self-generating our addressable opportunity. Every brand that scales to 200+ orders/month is a potential client.
90% AI API cost drop (2023–25)The Profit Leak Detector and RTO AI engine — features that cost ₹50 Lakhs to build 3 years ago — now cost under ₹5 Lakhs. Economically viable at ₹1,999/month pricing for the first time in history. Our Ollama local inference brings 80% of AI costs to zero.
500M+ WhatsApp users IndiaOur entire communication and notification layer runs on WhatsApp — the channel where founders already live. Zero adoption friction. Our Monday Profit Leak Detector report lands where the founder is, not in an inbox they check once a week.
ME Compliance Mandate (EmaraTax + Zatca)UAE and KSA brands legally cannot operate without e-invoicing compliance from 2025. We build UAE VAT and Zatca into V2. This creates urgency that no sales pitch can match — brands come to us because they must comply, and we are the platform that handles it.

Competitive positioning

SpreadsheetsUnicommerceZoho / OdooEcom Nexus
Setup timeImmediate4–12 weeks6–16 weeksSame day activation
Monthly costFree₹20–45K flat₹25–60K flat₹999 floor + per order
AI intelligenceNoneNoneBasic reportsLeak Detector + RTO AI + NDR analysis
WhatsApp automationNoBasic webhooksNoVisual Flowise bot flows
B2B dual channelNoPartialComplex setupSame dashboard, same team
POS includedNoNoAdd-on onlyYes — software-only, offline mode
ME complianceNoLimitedPartialUAE VAT + KSA Zatca built-in
Pricing modelFreeFlat ₹20–45KFlat ₹25–60KInfrastructure: floor + per order
Switching costNoneMediumHigh (IT)Very high — transaction lock-in

Target Customer

Primary: Indian D2C and marketplace sellers with ₹1–100 Cr annual GMV, 200–50,000 orders per month, operating across 2+ channels, with 2–20 people in operations. Secondary from Month 9: UAE + KSA brands where compliance is a forcing function.

Three buyer profiles

ProfileWho They AreTheir PainOur Fit
D2C Brand OwnerSells own website + Amazon + Flipkart. ₹2–15 Cr GMV. 3–5 ops staff. Growing fast.3 dashboards open simultaneously. Spreadsheet reconciliation. No unified RTO or stockout visibility. GST manual on every invoice.Starter/Growth tier. Omnichannel OMS. Profit Leak Detector. WhatsApp notifications. GST invoice auto-generation. Same-day setup.
Marketplace Power SellerAmazon/Flipkart primary. ₹5–50 Cr GMV. 5–15 ops staff. Settlement disputes every month.Cannot prove marketplace overcharging. RTOs at 15–22%. COD tracking manual. NDR management consuming ops team daily.Growth/Scale tier. Settlement reconciliation. RTO AI. COD remittance tracking. NDR engine with AI recommended actions.
Multi-location Brand2–4 warehouses. B2B and B2C both. ₹10–100 Cr GMV. Needs warehouse ops + B2B pricing.Inventory across locations invisible. B2B orders on separate system. No per-SKU B2B pricing. ERP integration manual.Scale/Enterprise tier. WMS plugin. B2B dual-channel. ERP connector (Tally, Zoho, Frappe). Full GST stack.

First clients — confirmed and pipeline

ClientStatusDetail
HyperXGT (Toys)ConfirmedFull founder trust. Beta access at Starter floor pricing. Case study in 90 days. Primary reference for all subsequent sales.
3 warm beta clientsIn conversationProduct walkthrough complete. Awaiting platform launch. Problem and pricing validated by all three founders.
40+ Amalyte networkRe-engagement pipeline6 years of prior ecommerce client relationships. Problem known and trusted. Warm outreach only — no cold sales for first cohort.
UAE investor introIntroduction stageWarm contact who approached founders proactively. UAE first client targeted Month 9.

Go-to-market phases

Phase 1 — Network GTM (Months 1–6)

Zero paid acquisition. HyperXGT beta. Amalyte client re-engagement (2–3 brands/month). UAE investor network (1 brand by Month 9). LinkedIn founder content: 10 documented Unicommerce failure stories. Direct outreach to 50 identified scaling brands in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai.

Phase 2 — Ecosystem GTM (Months 6–12)

Logistics co-marketing: Shiprocket + Delhivery referral partnerships. Their clients = our exact audience. Agency white-label: ecommerce agencies offer Ecom Nexus as branded dashboard. CA referral network: GST filing value prop resonates immediately. Seller communities: Facebook groups, WhatsApp networks.

Technology Stack

Backend

LayerTechnologyVersionWhy This Choice
Web FrameworkDjango5.1.4Batteries-included ORM, migrations, admin. Python ecosystem ideal for AI/data/finance. Replaced NestJS + TypeScript.
API LayerDjango REST Framework + drf-spectacular3.15.2Mature serializer validation, filtering, pagination. OpenAPI 3.0 schema auto-generated for SDK generation.
Multi-tenancydjango-tenants3.7.0Schema-per-tenant at PostgreSQL level. ORM auto-scopes all queries. Cross-tenant data leak structurally impossible.
Authdjangorestframework-simplejwt5.3.1Access (8h) + refresh (30d) tokens. JWT carries tenant_id. NexusTenantMiddleware extracts on every request.
Task QueueCelery + Redis5.4.0All async: AI inference, notifications, carrier sync, label generation, marketplace sync, invoices. 5 scheduled tasks via Celery Beat.
WebSocketsDjango Channels + channels-redis4.1.0ASGI-native. HTTP + WebSocket in same process. Live tracking, order updates, hardware bridge.
AI Routing (Zeron)Ollama + Anthropic SDK + Google Generative AI3-provider router. 17 task types auto-routed. 80% on Ollama locally at zero cost. Claude for complex reasoning. Gemini for creative.
WhatsApp FlowsFlowise + Meta Cloud API1.xVisual bot flow builder. Non-technical team builds WhatsApp order + tracking + return flows without writing code.
PDF GenerationReportLab4.2.2GST-compliant invoice PDFs generated automatically. Stored in MinIO.
Payment GatewaysRazorpay SDK + Cashfree + PhonePeAll 3 with HMAC webhook verification. Replay attacks blocked. Refund automation.

Database + Infrastructure

ComponentTechnologyVersionRole
Primary DatabasePostgreSQL16Schema-per-tenant. All money as integer paise — zero rounding errors. django-mptt for category trees.
Cache + BrokerRedis7Tenant object cache (5min TTL). Order sequence INCR per-tenant. Celery broker + result backend.
Object StorageMinIO (S3-compatible)latestInvoice PDFs, shipping labels, design artwork, product images. Pre-signed URLs for secure access.
Event StreamingKafka (KRaft mode)3.7.0Event streaming between services. No ZooKeeper dependency. Auto-create topics.
Local AI InferenceOllama (qwen2.5:7b + llama3.1:8b)latestRuns on GPU/CPU. Zero marginal cost for 80% of AI tasks: NDR analysis, risk scoring, intent classification, chat.

Frontend

TechnologyVersionRole
React19.226 screens. 18 fully wired to live Django API via proxy.
Vite8.0Build tool. 2x faster HMR. Proxies /api → Django:8000.
TypeScript6.0Full type safety. All API responses typed.
Tailwind CSS4.2Utility-first. Dark maroon-copper brand system to be applied (next sprint).
Recharts3.8Revenue trend, channel distribution, order volume charts.
Framer Motion12Page transitions and modal animations.

The Zeron AI routing system — 17 task types across 3 providers

ProviderModelCostTask Types
Ollama (Local)qwen2.5:7b, llama3.1:8bZeroNDR analysis, SLA alerts, inventory alerts, chat, intent classification, order risk scoring, complaint analysis, quality check text — 8 tasks, 80% of volume
Claude APIclaude-haiku-4-5Per token (sparing)Fraud analysis, return analysis, reconciliation root cause, complex reasoning — 4 tasks requiring deep reasoning
Gemini APIgemini-2.0-flashPer token (creative)Product descriptions, campaign copy, SEO meta, WhatsApp draft, image QC — 5 creative and vision tasks

22 Django modules — build status

✅ Complete (12 modules)

ModuleWhat It Owns
nexus_coreTenant, User, ApiKey, PluginConfig, RBAC, AuditLog
nexus_orders16-status OMS, StatusEngine, CheckoutIntelligence, OrderFactory. 57/57 tests.
nexus_logistics12 carrier adapters, NDREngine, ManifestService, CarrierRouter
nexus_paymentsRazorpay + Cashfree + PhonePe webhooks, refunds, COD remittance
nexus_customersPhone-first identity, RFM scoring, loyalty foundation, COD risk counters
nexus_notificationsWhatsApp + SMS + Email + FCM, template system, per-order channel
nexus_financeGST invoice, ReportLab PDF, MinIO, settlement reconciliation models
nexus_inventory6-bucket model, atomic locking, platform inventory, transaction log
nexus_productsProduct, Variant, Image, Category (MPTT), HSN, cost price
nexus_zeron3-provider AI router, 17 task types, rate limiting, usage tracking
nexus_tickets7 ticket types, AI pre-analysis, auto-escalation, human override
nexus_returnsFull return lifecycle, QC flow, approve/reject, photo evidence

🟡 Schema done, logic in progress (10 modules)

ModuleWhat's Left
nexus_engagementCampaign real-send, loyalty earn/redeem at checkout
nexus_marketplaceAmazon SP-API + Flipkart live sync, settlement parsers
nexus_erpFrappe/ERPNext HTTP client + bidirectional sync
nexus_wmsPick task assignment, barcode scan confirmation
nexus_posPOS sale flow, offline sync
nexus_warrantyAuto-create on delivery, claim flow, expiry alerts
nexus_custom_productsArtwork upload, vendor notification, QC gate
nexus_b2bCredit check at checkout, PO approval flow, tiered pricing
nexus_hardwarePrinter/scanner WebSocket bridge
nexus_fast_commerceRider WebSocket tracking, dark store inventory sync

Implementation Roadmap

The OMS needs 2–3 months of completion work to become a production SaaS with live paying clients. Ecom Build requires 6+ months of dedicated development and begins only after OMS V1 is commercially stable. Ecom Engage goes live as part of V2.
0
Now → Month 3 — Pre-Launch Sprint
Fix 4 critical launch blockers (1 week): install missing npm dependency, fix monetary field aliases, verify endpoint paths, extend stats endpoint with chart data. Apply dark maroon-copper design system. Add revenue/channel charts to Dashboard. Wire 3 mock-data screens (Warehouse, Vendors, AutomationHub) to live API. Security hardening: DRF rate limiting, CSP headers, argon2 passwords, email invite token flow. GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline. HyperXGT onboarded in beta mode.
CTO hired Month 2Platform runs end-to-endHyperXGT beta active
1
Month 3 → Month 6 — OMS SaaS Conversion (2–3 month sprint)
Amazon SP-API + Flipkart live sync. Campaign execution with real sends (nexus_engagement). Loyalty earn on delivery and redeem at checkout. Returns automation with reverse pickup scheduling. B2B purchase order flow with credit check. GST return data export in GSTR-1 format. COD remittance reconciliation matching. E-invoice IRN integration stub. Platform commercially live. UAE first client onboarded.
10 paying clients targetUAE activatedMRR: ₹47,960
2
Month 6 → Month 12 — V2 Growth + Ecom Engage Live
E-invoice IRN via IRP API. UAE VAT + KSA Zatca Phase 1+2 compliance. Plugin suite complete: WMS barcode scan pick tasks, POS offline sale flow, warranty auto-create on delivery, custom products artwork approval, B2B tiered pricing. Full no-code automation engine. ERP connectors: Tally, Zoho Books, Frappe/ERPNext. Ecom Engage goes live as standalone growth layer. Zeron AI streaming responses. 55 brands. Seed fundraise initiated.
55 brands₹5.17L MRRME compliance liveSeed fundraise
B
Month 9 → Month 15+ — Ecom Build (6+ month dedicated build)
Separate engineering track funded from seed round. Phase 1: AI WordPress builder — brand describes business → AI configures theme, plugins, payment gateway, SEO, shipping rules → live store in 30 minutes. Nexus OMS connection on store setup. Phase 2: Flutter app builder with Build Console — branded iOS + Android app from drag-and-drop inputs. Published through managed deployment platform. Every Ecom Build sale = new OMS client at near-zero CAC. Acquisition flywheel active.
Starts Month 9Live Month 15+Funded from seedSelf-filling OMS pipeline
P
Month 12+ — Production Hardening + Scale Infrastructure
Multi-stage Docker for production. PgBouncer connection pooling. Celery worker segmentation by queue (orders/ai/default). Health check endpoints for load balancer. Sentry error tracking. Structured JSON logging. Automated PostgreSQL backups to MinIO. N+1 query elimination. Full-text search via SearchVectorField + GIN index. Admin URL hardening. 2FA for OWNER/SUPER_ADMIN accounts.
100+ brandsSeries A ready Year 3

Revenue Model

Transaction-based: monthly platform floor + per-order fee scaled by order value. Revenue grows automatically as brands scale their GMV. Pricing rates below are indicative — they will be calibrated from first-quarter operational and competitive data.

Platform tiers — D2C / Marketplace

TierMonthly FloorPer-Order RangeWho It ServesSetup FeeWaiver
Starter₹999₹3–₹60New brands · 0–500 orders/month₹9,99930 days
Growth₹1,999₹2–₹40Scaling · 500–3,000 orders/month₹19,99945 days
Scale₹2,999₹1.50–₹25Multi-channel · 3,000–15,000 orders/month₹34,99960 days
EnterpriseCustomCustom15,000+ orders/month · ₹5 Cr+ GMVCustomCustom

The compounding effect — one brand, zero plan upgrades

Brand MilestoneMonthly OrdersCalculationMonthly RevenueMultiple
Beta Month 3200200 × ₹7 + ₹1,999₹3,399
Month 6800800 × ₹7 + ₹1,999₹7,5992.2x
Month 92,0002,000 × ₹7 + ₹1,999₹15,9994.7x
Month 124,5004,500 × ₹7 + ₹1,999₹33,4999.9x
Year 2 (Scale)12,00012,000 × ₹4 + ₹2,999₹50,99915x
Year 3 (Scale)25,00025,000 × ₹4 + ₹2,999₹1,02,99930x

This is one brand. Revenue grew 30x without a single sales call, plan upgrade, or negotiation. 1,100 brands in Year 3 = ₹84 Cr ARR.

Three-year revenue projections

YearActive BrandsAvg Orders/Brand/MonthPlatform GMV/MonthMRRARR
Year 1552,000₹9.7 Cr₹5.17L₹61.5L
Year 23203,500₹123 Cr₹1.58 Cr₹18.96 Cr
Year 31,1005,000₹770 Cr₹7.0 Cr₹84 Cr

Unit economics

MetricValue
Min ARPU (floor only)₹999/month
Avg ARPU — Year 1 (M12)₹15,445/month
Avg ARPU — Year 2₹49,375/month
Gross margin75%+
LTV (3-year, 95% retention)₹5,56,020
CAC — Year 1 cohort₹13,000
LTV:CAC42:1
Payback period< 2 months

B2B tier (separate structure)

PlanCommitmentPer Order
B2B Starter₹2,999/mo₹25
B2B Growth₹7,999/mo₹18
B2B Scale₹19,999/mo₹12
EnterpriseCustomNegotiated

UAE/ME pricing

Same tier structure, AED-denominated, 25% premium on per-order floor rate. Reflects 2–3x higher AOV and compliance value of built-in UAE VAT + Zatca.

USPs & Competitive Moats

1. Implementation knowledge that cannot be bought or replicated quickly

6 years, 150+ projects, 10 documented Unicommerce failure case studies. Every reason these enterprise tools fail for this market segment is understood and built against. A well-funded competitor cannot acquire this institutional knowledge in 3 years — it requires living it client by client, implementation by implementation.

2. Distribution already built — near-zero CAC for the first client cohort

40+ Amalyte ecommerce clients are warm re-engagement prospects. HyperXGT is confirmed. 3 warm betas in active conversation. The first 10 clients require zero cold sales calls, zero paid acquisition, zero SDR team. No competitor launching today has a comparable warm pipeline on Day 1.

3. Data network effect — platform gets smarter with every brand added

As brands process orders, the RTO prediction model, NDR classification accuracy, return fraud pattern detection, and Profit Leak Detector all improve across every client simultaneously. A brand joining in Year 3 benefits from intelligence accumulated across 1,100 brands. This cannot be replicated by any new entrant — they would need the transaction history to build the same intelligence.

4. Transaction model switching cost — the highest in the category

Once a brand's channels are connected, couriers configured, team trained, transaction history accumulated, and AI models tuned to their specific business — switching to another OMS requires months of disruption and permanent loss of everything built. This is operational lock-in, not contract lock-in. Clients stay because leaving is genuinely expensive — not because they're contractually obligated.

5. Ecom Build flywheel — self-filling acquisition pipeline from Month 15

Every store built on Ecom Build auto-connects to Ecom Nexus OMS on setup. The ₹9,999 Ecom Build setup fee covers the full acquisition cost of a new OMS brand. CAC for Phase 2-sourced clients approaches zero. No other OMS in India or the Middle East has a storefront builder feeding its pipeline at this price point.

Why the transaction model specifically beats flat SaaS

DimensionFlat SaaS (incumbents)Ecom Nexus Transaction Model
Revenue growth mechanismRequires upsell to higher plan. Sales team grows proportionally with revenue.Automatic. Brand GMV growth = our revenue growth. No call needed.
From 1 brand over 3 yearsStatic ARPU unless plan upgraded or cancelled.Compounds 30x from ₹3,399 to ₹1,02,999/month. Zero sales intervention.
Investor story"We have 50 clients at ₹9K ARPU.""We process ₹24 Cr GMV/month. We earn ~0.25% of every rupee. It grows as brands grow."
Competitive positioningSaaS vendor. Replaceable by competitor with lower monthly fee.Infrastructure layer. Like Razorpay — embedded in daily operations.
Margin trajectoryFlat. Support costs grow with users.Improving. Ollama handles more AI as scale grows. Marginal cost per order falls.

How Much We're Asking & Dilution

Asking ₹1.5–2 Crore pre-seed at ₹10–12 Crore pre-money valuation. Recommended dilution: 10–15%. This preserves enough equity for seed and Series A without painful dilution, while giving pre-seed investors a credible 5–8x return path within 12 months.

Why ₹1.5–2 Crore specifically

Below ₹1.5 Cr: cannot hire CTO + engineer + sustain 12 months of operations. Above ₹2 Cr: unnecessary dilution before the first proof points. The raise is scoped precisely to unlock one milestone: commercially live OMS with paying clients and UAE activated. Not a cent more than needed to reach the seed trigger.

Why 10–15% dilution

At ₹10–12 Cr pre-money: standard for Indian pre-seed SaaS. Leaves founders with 85–90% entering seed. Seed at ₹60–80 Cr post-money gives pre-seed investors 5–8x paper return in 12 months. Founders still hold 65–70% at seed close — enough equity to be meaningful at Series A. Going below 10% signals undervaluation. Going above 15% leaves no room for subsequent rounds.

Valuation justification — this is not a concept deck

Evidence PointDetail
Substantial working code22 Django modules, 12 production-ready apps, 57/57 passing tests on the core OMS module. Not a wireframe — a functioning platform with real automated tests.
12 carrier integrationsShiprocket, Delhivery, Ekart, BlueDart, DTDC, Shadowfax, NimbusPost, Aramex, SMSA, Fetchr, Naqel — each with real API calls for AWB generation, tracking, and label creation.
3 payment gatewaysRazorpay, Cashfree, PhonePe — all with HMAC-verified webhook security. Not mocked. Real processing capability.
Confirmed first clientHyperXGT is confirmed. 3 additional warm betas in conversation. 40-client re-engagement pipeline warm.
AI infrastructure builtZeron 3-provider routing system operational. Ollama running locally. 17 AI task types mapped. Zero marginal cost for 80% of AI workload.
2–3 months to revenueNot 12 months. Not 18 months. The OMS needs 2–3 months of completion work to reach first paying client. Pre-seed capital is not funding a build from scratch.

Use of funds — ₹2 Crore allocation

Category%AmountWhat It Funds
Product / Tech40%₹80LCloud infra (AWS/GCP), AI API costs (Claude, Gemini), MinIO storage, Kafka, Redis, Sentry monitoring. Scales with client count.
Team30%₹60LCTO at ₹80K–1.2L/month from Month 2, + 1 backend engineer Month 3, + 1 frontend engineer Month 5. 10–12 months of team cost.
GTM20%₹40LOnboarding 10 clients (travel, implementation support, setup materials). Logistics co-marketing partnerships. UAE market entry.
Contingency10%₹20LLegal (incorporation, shareholder agreements, client contracts). Unexpected infra cost. Timeline buffer.

Burn and runway

PeriodMonthly BurnPrimary Cost Drivers
Months 1–2₹1,20,000Cloud infrastructure only. No full team yet. CTO search active.
Months 2–3₹2,40,000CTO onboarded + cloud scale + OMS completion sprint.
Months 4–6₹3,60,000CTO + 1 backend engineer + cloud + early GTM spend begins.
Months 7–12₹4,68,000Full team + GTM + UAE market entry. Break-even target Month 12.

Funding roadmap

RoundAmountTimingTrigger MilestoneImplied Valuation Step-up
Pre-Seed₹1.5–2 CrNowIncorporation · CTO hired · OMS live · UAE activatedBaseline
Seed₹12–18 CrMonth 1255 brands · ₹5.17L MRR · UAE live · Ecom Build in dev5–8x on pre-seed
Series A₹60–100 CrYear 31,100 brands · ₹84 Cr ARR · ME dominant · Ecom Build live4–6x on seed
On dilution thresholds: do not go below 8% at pre-seed — signals underconfidence in the valuation. Do not go above 18% — leaves too little headroom for seed without painful founder dilution. The 10–15% range at ₹10–12 Cr pre-money is the standard and defensible position for an Indian SaaS pre-seed with working product, paying clients in pipeline, and a 12-month path to a 5x seed step-up.