Zorp is a no-code rapid mobile application development platform that allows users to develop apps over a drag-and-drop interface
The early-stage startup is working to enable companies to build apps for their physical processes
Zorp has raised $600K in a pre-seed round to build its core team and invest in growth activities
India’s internet economy is growing rapidly and the app economy is a big contributor to the same. India’s total app downloads are projected to reach 31.5 Bn in 2022, as per a Statista report.
There are more apps and solutions available than ever before to deploy and automate a startup’s internal processes. The country’s burgeoning enterprisetech and software as a service (SaaS) segment, which has produced 19 of the 100 Indian unicorns, has a big role in providing these solutions.
According to a 2020 report by Vendr, a small company, with around 35 employees, ends up using 102 SaaS apps, spending $5,736 per employee.
However, not all companies can afford to have these many tools. As a result, many internal processes are carried out on spreadsheets, emails or countless groups on WhatsApp, and other social media channels.
Bengaluru-based Zorp is trying to address this problem. The rapid mobile application development (RMAD) startup offers a no-code platform for enterprises to quickly develop and deploy apps within a company.
Zorp claims that 80% of the world’s workforce physically interacts with machines, people, and infrastructure, and only 1% of software is built for them.
The startup, founded in 2021 by Bala Panneerselvam, Vivek DK and Subramanya Somayaji, aims to bring this workforce into the apps ecosystem.
It recently raised $600K in a pre-seed round from Good Capital, Better Capital, Bharat Founders Fund and multiple angel investors.
Drag, Drop, Develop – How Zorp Works
Speaking with Inc42, Zorp cofounder (Business) Panneerselvam said, “In simple terms, you can think of us as a no-code platform with which you can build apps (for) any internal business application, that is what we actually focus on.”
A startup needs to put significant effort and resources into developing an app. An app’s development can usually take a team of 10 engineers, a dedicated project manager, and a designer, around 6-8 months and around a million dollars, he said.
“What Zorp is doing is that it gives them the ability to build the same product, in a matter of minutes, and you don’t have to be an engineer to do it.”
Zorp allows users to build an app using its drag-and-drop user interface through its Android and iOS app, and website. A user can develop a workflow using its ‘Workflow Builder’, and link their data fields and data banks with the app using the option to configure and introduce data fields.
Currently, Zorp offers a freemium subscription plan. There is no trial period. Users can go for its free plan and use the app they develop for up to 1,000 tasks per month, along with limited functionality in terms of integrations, analytics and other features. However, the startup also offers four paid plans, starting from $7.5 a month and going up to $20 per month, along with a custom plan for enterprise customers.
Once that is done, users can move on to customise the app’s user interface, which is also a drag-and-drop option with simple tools and options.
In a video, that he has posted on YouTube, Panneerselvam develops a delivery application within 10 minutes.
After the app is developed, the users can simply download the app on their devices and deploy it across their company, without the need to upload it first to Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store.
Zorp has developed its product to cover more than 100 use cases, ranging from delivery to doorstep KYC and housekeeping for hotels to field sales.
Over the last six months, the startup has built the core product and has clients like Porter, Jar, and Rescue. Overall, the startup has onboarded more than 10 clients who have been using its paid plans for the last 6 months. However, Panneerselvam declined to reveal the revenue numbers.
Counting On Increasing Popularity Of DIY
The startup plans to invest in the team in the coming months as it builds its core product team. Besides, it will also invest in “growth activities”.
Panneerselvam said the company has got validation from the market in terms of use cases developed and the users onboarded on the app, and that now is the time to push for growth.
However, the startup doesn’t want to be known just as an RMAD platform.
“Our principle from day one has been to be the infrastructure for operations,” Panneerselvam said. “Any time someone wants to do any kind of process, we want to be the technology infrastructure which caters to the need of companies to build infrastructure.”
“We call ourselves the technology infrastructure for physical work,” he added.
Zorp’s plans for going from being an RMAD platform to replacing many of the physical workflows that have become ingrained in the way companies work is by no means a walk in the park.
According to a Gartner report, the worldwide low-code development applications market was valued at $13.8 Bn in 2021. Another report by Forrester noted that investment in the sector will reach $21.2 Bn by 2023 worldwide, growing by a CAGR of 40%.
DIY is an idea that Indians are warming up to now, and it has started with website development. Many low-code/no-code website development platforms such as Squarespace and Wix are growing more popular, and even WordPress itself has made it easier.
This trend has started to proliferate in app development, and thus, the market is vast for Zorp, along with an opportunity to provide Indian enterprises with a simple solution to develop an app for something that would otherwise be an excel sheet.
In India, the startup will compete with Kissflow, which boasts over a million users across 160 countries. Along with Kissflow, Zorp will find competition from similar-sized startups such as Falcon and Pathfndr, among others.
Zorp is targeting B2C businesses with large field workforces, which can utilise its platform to create apps for better streamlining and operations. According to Bala, Zorp is looking at a market opportunity of $120 Bn in this segment.
Therefore, companies such as Swiggy, Zomato, Dunzo, Flipkart and others, which have thousands of people on the ground, can use this platform to develop apps to digitise their backend workflow.
The biggest challenge will be to convince startups and other companies to develop apps by themselves. However, the differentiation that Zorp seeks to create, if it plays its cards right, can prove to be of great value for both young startups and users that make apps for themselves. This will not only automate internal workflows but also increase efficiencies across various verticals.
