From a Small Trading Firm to a Tech Unicorn, Zerodha is an Indian financial services company that started as a small trading firm in 2010. 

Within a decade, it grew to become a unicorn with a valuation of over $1 billion.

Zerodha was founded by Nithin Kamath and his brother in Bengaluru. They wanted to create a transparent and low-cost platform for trading. They started with just two employees and worked out of a small office.

In the early years, Zerodha relied on word of mouth to grow. They didn’t have any marketing budget, so they focused on building a good product and providing excellent customer service.

Zerodha introduced a new business model that disrupted the traditional brokerage industry. They charged a flat fee instead of a percentage of the trade value, which made trading more affordable for small investors.

Zerodha’s user base grew rapidly, and they had to scale up their infrastructure to handle the traffic. They built a technology stack that was robust and scalable, which helped them handle millions of trades per day.

Zerodha continued to innovate and introduced new products like mutual funds, bonds, and currencies. They also built a trading platform that was accessible to everyone, including those in remote areas with limited internet connectivity.

In 2020, Zerodha became a unicorn with a valuation of over $1 billion. They achieved this by focusing on their core values of transparency, simplicity, and innovation.

Zerodha’s success has had a significant impact on the Indian brokerage industry. It has forced traditional players to rethink their business models and make trading more affordable for small investors.

Zerodha’s success story is a testament to the power of innovation and disruption. They started with a small idea and turned it into a billion-dollar business by focusing on their customers and building a world-class product.