// startup autopsy
Chiper
SoftBank-backed B2B wholesale app connecting small retailers to brands raised $60M and shut down as distributech economics proved unworkable.
unit economicsSilent Shutdown
Quiet closure with no public announcement · Fatal mistake: Unit Economics
| Founded | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Closed | 2023 |
| Country | Colombia |
| Sector | Marketplace |
// the model, blind
Evaluating only Chiper’s profile at its peak — without knowing the outcome — the model ranked Unit economics as the #1 likely cause. That’s exactly how it died.
Key Events Timeline
FOUNDING
Chiper founded
FOUNDING
Chiper founded in Bogota to connect small Colombian retailers with FMCG wholesale suppliers via mobile app.
FOUNDING
Chiper founded
DOWN ROUND
Down round or bridge financing
FUNDING
FUNDING
Raised $35M led by SoftBank to expand into Mexico and scale Colombia operations.
CRISIS
FUNDING
Closed additional $25M to build out logistics infrastructure and deepen brand partnerships.
SHUTDOWN
LAYOFF
Delivery economics do not improve at scale. Significant staff reductions and market contraction begins.
SHUTDOWN
Chiper ceases all operations in Colombia and Mexico. B2B distributech model proves uneconomical at any achievable scale.