Zest Money Group

Founded in 2015 by Lizzie Chapman, Priya Sharma, and Ashish Anantharaman, ZestMoney was a pioneer in India's digital lending and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) market. Its mission was to make credit accessible and affordable for millions of Indian consumers who were new to credit or underserved by traditional financial institutions. The platform allowed users to sign up and get an instant credit limit, which could be used to pay for purchases in installments (EMIs) across a vast network of over 10,000 online brands and 75,000 physical stores. Despite raising significant funding and becoming a market leader, the company faced challenges from a tightening regulatory environment and difficulties in securing new capital, ultimately leading to its shutdown in late 2023.