Millennial On A Mission

A self-proclaimed pathological optimist, ANKITI BOSE, co-founder and CEO of a near-billion-dollar start-up, is set on changing the world. She tells Annabel Tan how she’s working hard to level the playing field, whether it’s for women in tech or small businesses trying to make it big

Ankiti Bose is your typical idealistic millennial determined to make a difference. At 27, she is also one of Asia’s youngest female CEOs leading a start‑up worth nearly US$1 billion. Four years ago, she co‑founded Zilingo, a fashion platform based in Singapore, which raised US$226 million in its most recent round of funding from investors such as Sequoia Capital, Temasek Holdings Private Limited and Burda Principal Investments. Zilingo is currently well on its way to unicorn status with a valuation of US$970 million.

Idealism is considered by many to be an Achilles heel, but Ankiti has proven with her success that there is strength in daring to dream. As she shares Zilingo’s journey and her passion for empowering others, it is clear in her conviction that Ankiti is set on fighting for the underdogs. In fact, it was her seemingly simple idea of helping small businesses compete with larger corporations that led to the birth of Zilingo.

While on holiday in Bangkok in 2014, she visited the popular Chatuchak market, where she noticed how the local designers and micro‑entrepreneurs lacked the means to take their businesses further. Most of the vendors were simply putting their label on clothes from a wholesaler, then selling them at the market, she discovered. They were not trying to expand their businesses to become global brands, and they had no fight against the big international fashion brands.

But the Indian national saw potential in them and had a solution to help these small businesses grow. Technology, she believed, would level the playing field for these small businesses.