Entrepreneur Stories
Amazon’s Inspiring Growth Through The Years
The year was 1997 and Amazon was losing more money than selling the books it was so proud of having. However, with courage that would impressive even the fiercest lion, Jeff Bezos decided the best way to counter this backlash was by going public in the same year when profits were at an all time low. Going public on Nasdaq with $ 18 per share, Amazon proved everyone wrong. From the time of the IPO to present day, Amazon has grown so much that if you invested $ 10,000 in a share in 1997, your shares would currently stand at a value of $ 4.8 million! Here’s taking a look at the impressive growth of Amazon through the years.
1997 to 2000
The moment Amazon.com went public, it was like a brand new revolution hit the internet.
- With close to 80K regular users, close to $ 2.4 billion was spent on online shopping and on the Amazon website.
- At $ 18 per share, the valuation of this e commerce platform stood at $ 438 million, giving it hopes of becoming a profitable company despite the multiple losses.
- Finally realising the importance of branching out into different sectors, Amazon decided to expand the number of products available from one to 17, with 143 subcategories a year after it goes public.
- To increase the user experience, Amazon introduced the one click checkout and promptly patents it, realising no one else had that feature at that point.
- By the year 2000, Amazon’s share value had started climbing up steadily and by the time the dot com bust was in the offing, the share value stood at $ 91 per share.
- While several e commerce websites and other startups plummeted into destruction, Amazon stood on semi solid ground.
- Despite the steep decline of its share value (from $ 91 to $ 15,) Amazon decided to launch Marketplace, a feature which not only let the e commerce platform survive the bad times, but also allowed third party users.
- Increasing the users from 4 million to 5.5 million, this extremely smart move not only ensured the survival of Amazon during the bad times, but also ensured its ride through to success.
2000 to 2006
From the increase in the number of users to the introduction of new features, Amazon saw a massive surge in the response from people.
- Amazon broke the internet with Free Super Saving Shipping for orders worth over $ 99, providing online shoppers with incentives to buy more, thereby increasing their revenue.
- Looking at the success the Free Super Saving Shipping service garnered, Amazon introduced the first Cyber Monday sale! Over the years, this sale became so popular, it accounted for $ 3.45 billion in sales, with the day it was launched earning the most revenue in 2016.
- Entering into new services and products, Amazon launched Amazon Prime, a one day delivery guarantee for people with the Prime membership. So well received was this service, it inspired a similar launch by other e commerce platforms like eBay and Alibaba.
- The year 2006 was quite a revolutionary year for Amazon, with the e commerce platform launching Fulfillment, a service for third party users. Now, this particular feature is available in over 100 countries!
2006 to present
The year 2006 saw an increase in the kind of people buying phones online, with Amazon being one of the first platforms that started selling the iPhone on the internet. With over 80 % of the people shopping for everything from books to electronic gadgets on the internet, it comes as no surprise that Amazon is one of the most famous and revenue generating platform in the world. In fact, for the last couple of years, Jeff Bezos has been so wealthy, he has held the position of being one of the richest people for the last few years in a row!
A decade ago, the success of a startup was measured largely by its ability to raise capital. Today, a different metric is gaining importance: the ability to generate meaningful exits for investors. Large stake sales by early backers are becoming increasingly common, not because growth opportunities have disappeared, but because India’s startup ecosystem is entering a more mature phase where capital is expected to complete its full cycle from investment to returns.
This evolution is particularly significant for consumer brands that have successfully blended technology, retail, and strong brand-building. Companies that were once viewed as high-risk startup bets are now attracting institutional investors capable of absorbing large transactions. Such developments indicate that these businesses are no longer being valued solely on future potential; they are increasingly being assessed on operational performance, market leadership, and long-term profitability. In many ways, investor exits are becoming a validation of a company’s ability to create lasting enterprise value.
The broader implication extends beyond a single company or investor. Successful exits encourage more global capital to enter India’s startup ecosystem because they demonstrate that liquidity opportunities exist at scale. As more venture-backed companies approach public listings, secondary transactions, or strategic investments, the focus of founders and investors alike may shift from chasing headline valuations to building durable businesses. The next chapter of India’s startup journey will likely be defined not just by the creation of unicorns, but by the creation of companies capable of delivering sustained returns to all stakeholders.
Apple has unveiled the new MacBook Air with M5 chip, starting at $999 for 13-inch and $1,299 for 15-inch models. The MacBook Air M5 boasts a 2nm M5 chip with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU, and 50 TOPS Neural Engine for seamless AI tasks like real-time translation and 8K editing. Up to 22 hours of battery life, Thunderbolt 5, and Wi-Fi 7 make it the ultimate ultraportable, now 10% thinner at 0.44 inches with fanless cooling.
Key MacBook Air M5 features include Liquid Retina XDR display (500 nits, nano-texture option), 12MP Center Stage camera, and six-speaker Spatial Audio. Colors like new Sky Blue join Midnight and Starlight. Pre-orders are live today, with macOS Sequoia 15.4 enhancing Apple Intelligence and iPhone Continuity for students, pros, and remote workers.
Why buy MacBook Air M5 now? It outpaces Snapdragon X Elite rivals with ecosystem magic and future-proof performance, eyeing top 2026 laptop sales. CEO Tim Cook calls it “more capable than ever.” Visit apple.com for M5 MacBook deals and specs.
Delhi NCR-based gaming startup Zupee has acquired Mumbai-based microdrama platform Vertical TV in a deal valued under INR 40 Cr. This move strengthens Zupee Studio, its short-video arm launched in September 2025, by integrating Vertical TV’s expertise in bite-sized dramas like romance and thrillers.
Facing challenges from India’s 2025 real-money gaming ban, Zupee valued at $1 Bn after raising $120 Mn has pivoted to non-gaming content, including recent layoffs of 40% of its workforce. The acquisition builds on its November 2025 purchase of Australian AI firm Nucanon for interactive storytelling, targeting its 200 Mn+ users with engaging, mobile-first formats.
This deal underscores the rising microdrama trend in India, helping Zupee diversify amid regulatory pressures and compete in the short-video space dominated by quick, shareable content for on-the-go audiences.
What Investor Exits Reveal About the New Age of Indian Startups
Healthy Snacking Is Emerging as India’s Next Consumer Growth Story
