Meet man who had 20 failed start-ups, got inspired by empty refrigerator, currently owns firm worth Rs 85158 crore...

Apoorva Mehta's journey to success was filled with challenges and failures, but it eventually led him to become a successful entrepreneur. Mehta, the founder of Instacart, a popular grocery delivery app in the US, stepped down from the company's board in 2022, leaving behind a fortune of USD 1.1 billion (Rs 9,194 crore). His story is a true example of perseverance paying off.

Interestingly, Instacart is now valued at USD 10.26 billion is approximately Rs 85,158 crores according to a report by Stock Analysis. Mehta’s journey started when he noticed a simple but persistent problem, an empty refrigerator. Born and raised in India, Mehta earned an engineering degree from the University of Waterloo in Canada. After graduation, he joined Amazon as a supply-chain engineer. However, after two years with the e-commerce giant, Mehta decided to quit and pursue his dream of becoming an entrepreneur.

But the road to success wasn’t easy. Over the next two years, Mehta tried and failed at nearly 20 different startup ideas. From launching an advertising platform for gaming companies to creating a social network for lawyers, none of his ventures gained traction. Mehta was struggling to find a breakthrough idea that would make an impact.

The turning point came when Mehta faced a simple but recurring problem in his daily life. He was often low on groceries, and every time he opened his fridge, he was greeted with empty shelves. This frustration led him to recognize a gap in the market – while online shopping had grown significantly, grocery delivery remained largely untapped. Seeing the potential in this space, Mehta founded Instacart in 2012.

In the early days of Instacart, Mehta himself made deliveries using Uber. His dedication and hands-on approach helped the company grow quickly. Instacart saw a massive surge in popularity, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, as more people relied on home deliveries.

In September 2022, Instacart went public, pricing its IPO at USD 30 per share and raising USD 660 million. After years of hard work, Mehta handed over his responsibilities to Fidji Simo, the current CEO of Instacart. Mehta's journey from a string of failed startups to building a billion-dollar company shows that success often comes after many attempts and failures. His story is a reminder that perseverance is the key to achieving great things, even when the path is difficult.

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