Who is Vaibhav Chawla? Delhi startup founder shares emotional post on shutting down Wherehouse.io

Vaibhav Chawla, co-founder of quick commerce startup Wherehouse.io, has been in the news lately for his candid LinkedIn post announcing the shutdown of his company. This came after a series of unfortunate events that included the police taking his team into temporary detention following what he termed a “frivolous complaint” by a client. Having shared his struggle, he emphasised how protecting his team was more important than the business itself, writing, “Wherehouse means nothing if we can’t protect the very people who built it.”

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Chawla wrote, “Shutting down Wherehouse. We started Wherehouse in 2021, with a hypothesis the brands will come closer to the customers. This was pre-Quick Commerce. The hypothesis stands true. The model evolved and we pushed through every obstacle, capital constraints, operational chaos, and the brutal realities of building consumer infra.”

Who is Vaibhav Chawla?

Chawla did his B.Tech in civil engineering from Delhi Technological University. After internships and early roles in strategy across various companies, he co-founded his first venture, an experience that later helped him shape Wherehouse.io.

He founded Wherehouse.io in 2020 with Lavelesh Sharma, with the vision of bringing brands closer to consumers and anticipating quick commerce in India. Chawla termed the journey of the startup as operational hurdles, capital constraints, along challenges related to building consumer infrastructure. Reflecting on both successes and lessons learned, he wrote that he built “a real business, real infrastructure, real people, real impact.”

The closure came after a turbulent period, which included a "frivolous complaint" that resulted in police detaining his team without appropriate documents. Chawla emphasised that no business is worth the safety and well-being of the people who built it.

Social media reactions

The announcement got a flood of support on social media. " It was a pleasure to back you guys from the first cheque. Companies die, but founders never die - all the best for the next chapter! " wrote a Bengaluru-based founder. Ex-employees praised Chawla's leadership and learning opportunities at Wherehouse.io, calling him a kind and committed founder.

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A techie claiming to be a former employee of Wherehouse.io wrote, “My heart truly broke to read this. Having worked at Wherehouse.io, I can confidently say it's a place where growth and character take shape. It's hard to explain how nice my experience was at Wherehouse.io. My heart is still with the people of wherehouse.io. Vaibhav Chawla, genuinely, I found you a true and compassionate founder. More power to you, Vaibhav and his team. I would be more than happy if I could support the Wherehouse.io team in any way I can.”

Another user wrote, “Sorry to hear this Vaibhav. You built something to be proud of, and choosing to close it is incredibly hard but often the bravest decision. Wishing you the best for the next steps.”