e-commerce
Shadowfax bags $300k funding from Snapdeal founders & others
MUMBAI: In view of the booming e-commerce industry, the Gurgaon-based tech-enabled logistics startup Shadowfax has raised funds of $300,000 from multiple investors.
Merely within four months since inception, the hyperlocal merchant delivery services company received the investment in an angel round led by established Indian entrepreneurs such as Snapdeal founders Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal, Powai Lake Ventures’ Zishaan Hayath and Limeroad’s Prashant Malik.
The reason they are betting big on the venture lies in the difference in approach, according to Shadowfax co-founder and CEO Abhishek Bansal. “We believe that improving the existing state of last mile delivery and hyperlocal logistics would enable all future business growth. At Shadowfax, we are looking to build India’s most formidable, credible and fastest merchant delivery service. To achieve our aim, we have invested in strengthening our people on-boarding & training with tech-enabled solutions that help us provide 100 per cent service assurance,” he said.
Shadowfax has invested in robust and reliable technology that uses multiple modes of communication in order to provide relevant solutions in the Indian context. It employs integrated GPS tracking functions and automated algorithms in its product to improve the efficiency of the network.
Shadowfax CTO and co-founder Vaibhav Khandelwal elaborated, “We have incorporated several features that leverage our proprietary end-to-end capacity planning algorithm to put the merchant directly in touch with the rider, geo-location for tracking orders, rider route planning, order coupling etc. that will help us become most efficient delivery company. Our advanced technology around restaurant preparation time ensures riders pick up meals only after they are ready and use the shortest route to navigate their way to their destination. We are single-mindedly focused towards building a highly reliable and smart network that guarantees seamless and accurate delivery which will help us lead this space.”
Facts and figures support Shadowfax’s exponential growth within a short span of time. Since its launch in May 2015, Shadowfax today has an average delivery volume processing of approximately 3000 orders a day and 120-150 outlets that are currently utilising its service for last mile delivery in the Delhi-NCR region. Its service levels have made the company the vendor of choice with the merchants. The growth of the company has been driven through referrals.
“We’re growing very rapidly. We have already created a niche for our services in Delhi-NCR and are looking to strengthen our present team of 35+ employees and 350+ riders and expand into 10 more cities within the next one year. With the recent investment, technology maturity and endorsement from our partners we are well poised to achieve that goal,” says Abhishek.
The company further aims to take its services beyond food delivery and expand its efficient logistical infrastructure to multiple other categories. Angel investor Hayath added, “Abhishek and Vaibhav are focused on using technology as the core to build a strong merchant delivery network. This is a large problem with high fragmentation and the founders are obsessed with skill, efficiency and speed. This gives me the confidence that Shadowfax will grow into a very valuable company.”
Moreover, Shadowfax has a strategic tie-up with NSDC’s training partners to enhance skills of riders and provide customized training that focused on continuous improvement. “With our superior training infrastructure and pioneering approach towards the delivery management sector, we will make the delivery industry an aspirational avenue for the youth of the country. We have opted for a partial crowd-sourced model, where anyone who wishes to be a rider can join our rider pool. However, every rider is imparted vocational skill based training before deployment,” said Abhishek.
“Our core team comprises members who have known each other well from our time at IIT-Delhi. We share an extremely strong bond from our college days, and it has translated into a strong base on which to build the organisation. We are keen on getting like-minded individuals on board who can contribute to Shadowfax’s growth,” he concluded.
e-commerce
Instamart and Duolingo launch street spell check campaign for Instaprint
Duo the owl fixes signboard typos across cities to showcase instant printing.
MUMBAI: If spelling mistakes had a sworn enemy, it might just be a bright green owl with a printer. Instamart has teamed up with language learning platform Duolingo for a quirky nationwide campaign that turns everyday spelling errors into a public spectacle while promoting its instant printing service, InstaPrint. The playful activation takes aim at the many misspelled shop boards and public signs scattered across Indian streets. From “saloons” that promise haircuts rather than drinks to menus and posters peppered with punctuation mishaps, the campaign sends Duolingo’s mascot Duo on a mission to restore linguistic order.
Armed with Instamart’s instant printing feature, Duo prints corrected versions of the mistakes on the spot and pastes them over the originals. The result is a series of humorous street interventions that have quickly begun circulating on social media.
Photos and videos of the grammar correcting owl have been widely shared online, with amused users reacting to the unexpected spell check patrol. One user joked, “Ab ayega na maza bhidu,” capturing the internet’s delight at the unusual campaign.
Behind the humour lies a practical message. The activation is designed to showcase the capabilities of Instaprint, Instamart’s printing service that allows users to print documents and posters almost instantly.
The company says the feature is meant for everyday needs such as printing resumes, visa documents or last minute posters without the usual scramble to locate a print shop.
Instamart introduced Instaprint in 2025 across select metropolitan cities including Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. The service allows users to order printed materials directly through the platform, extending the quick commerce model beyond groceries and household essentials.
By combining Duolingo’s famously persistent owl with India’s street level spelling quirks, the campaign taps into the internet’s long running fascination with grammar mistakes while demonstrating a real world use case for instant printing.
After all, in a world full of typos, sometimes what you really need is a quick printer and a very determined language teacher.
