From Amazon Engineer to Billionaire: Apoorva Mehta’s Inspiring Journey from an Empty Fridge to Instacart Success
Apoorva Mehta, the billionaire founder of Instacart, may not have a rags-to-riches story, but his journey is undeniably one that began with inspiration drawn from “nothing.” This remarkable entrepreneur has often shared the story of how the idea for the delivery platform Instacart was born during a Eureka moment in 2012 when he found himself staring at an empty fridge.
A Lightbulb Moment: More than a decade ago, Apoorva Mehta was residing in his San Francisco apartment, lamenting the fact that his refrigerator contained nothing but hot sauce. This empty fridge, which had been an ongoing challenge, suddenly became a wellspring of inspiration. In 2012, during a time when he could shop online for virtually everything except groceries, Mehta had his lightbulb moment. He began coding the first version of the Instacart App, setting in motion a revolutionary concept in the world of grocery shopping.
The Entrepreneurial Journey: Apoorva Mehta’s path to success is a testament to his resilience and determination. Born in India and having lived in Libya before settling in Canada, he pursued engineering studies at the University of Waterloo. Mehta’s career took him through prestigious companies like BlackBerry, Qualcomm, and Amazon, where he worked as an engineer. However, he chose to step away from his conventional 9-to-5 job to chase his entrepreneurial aspirations.
Overcoming Challenges: According to Forbes, Mehta ventured into entrepreneurship with more than 20 product ideas, none of which found success. Then, the breakthrough came with Instacart. Today, millions of households across North America rely on Instacart for their weekly grocery needs, a testament to the company’s impact. Forbes reports that Apoorva Mehta’s net worth has reached an impressive $1 billion.
Instacart’s Milestone: Instacart, the company founded on Mehta’s vision, recently marked another significant milestone. It announced the pricing of its initial public offering (IPO) of 22,000,000 shares of common stock. Of these, 14,100,000 shares are being offered by Instacart itself, while 7,900,000 shares are being sold by certain selling stockholders. The IPO was set at a public offering price of $30.00 per share.
Apoorva Mehta’s journey, from a humble apartment with an empty fridge to the helm of a billion-dollar company, serves as an inspiring reminder of what determination, innovation, and an empty fridge can spark.
