Entrepreneur co-founded start-up at 23

Zilingo's suspended chief executive Ankiti Bose co-founded the Singapore-based e-commerce start-up with Mr Dhruv Kapoor in 2015, when she was just 23.

The Indian national, a Singapore permanent resident who is understood to be around 30, was inspired to set up the technology platform after visiting Thailand's Chatuchak weekend market several years ago. The visit seeded the idea for the start-up, which initially sought to provide an avenue for small business owners to market their products online.

It has since broadened its focus across the fashion supply chain, providing procurement, distribution and trade services as well.

Before setting up Zilingo, Ms Bose was an investment analyst at venture capital firm Sequoia Capital in India, where she was immersed in Asia's fast-growing tech scene.

Her achievements as a young female entrepreneur have been widely celebrated, and she has spoken in media interviews about inspiring other young women to start their own businesses and chase their dreams.

Ms Bose and Mr Kapoor, who is understood to be a year older than her, were named on Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia in 2018, and she was on the Singapore 100 Women in Tech List in 2020. She has also spoken at various conferences, including the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore last year.