In a significant development within India’s startup ecosystem, women-only community platform Leap.club has announced that it is halting all operations. The decision comes after the startup raised $2.3 million in funding since its inception in 2020, but struggled with the high cost of customer acquisition and member retention challenges.
The announcement was made via the company’s official Instagram and LinkedIn pages, where the founders shared an emotional note explaining the reasons behind the shutdown. Despite building a strong community and offering curated events and networking experiences, the company admitted that the financials simply didn’t add up.
“We would like to think we did many things right — from a vibe, space, member experience, and event programming point of view — but here’s the hard truth: the numbers from an acquisition and retention perspective didn’t hold good,” the statement read.
Leap.club’s Vision and Journey
Leap.club was launched with a mission to create a safe, empowering, and exclusive community for women professionals. The platform gained early traction by offering curated experiences, networking opportunities, and offline events aimed at personal and professional growth. The startup’s user base was primarily built on an invite-only model, creating a sense of exclusivity and strong word-of-mouth.
Backed by investors and supported by a growing wave of women-led initiatives, Leap.club stood out in a male-dominated startup landscape. Its offline presence expanded with the launch of its Bandra club in Mumbai, which opened in 2023 as a physical space for members to connect, collaborate, and grow.
Financial Reality Sets In
Despite its promising start and positive user feedback, Leap.club faced ongoing difficulties in scaling the business sustainably. The cost of acquiring new members outpaced revenue, and retaining existing users over the long term proved to be an ongoing challenge. These issues ultimately led to the difficult decision to cease operations.
The company confirmed that it will be shutting down its offline club in Mumbai and will also terminate the operations of its online community and app by the end of this month.
What This Means for the Startup Ecosystem
Leap.club’s shutdown sheds light on the growing challenges faced by community-driven startups, especially those operating in niche spaces. While engagement and brand loyalty are key metrics, they must be balanced with strong unit economics and sustainable growth strategies.
The startup’s closure is a reminder that strong branding and user experience alone are not sufficient for long-term viability. Customer lifetime value must outweigh acquisition costs, and retention must be built into the core product experience.
Final Words
While Leap.club’s journey has come to an end, it leaves behind a legacy of having created a space where thousands of women professionals connected and thrived. Its story will serve as both an inspiration and a cautionary tale for other startups trying to blend community with commerce.
As the founders put it, “We’re proud of what we built. We just couldn’t make the numbers work.”
