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Lagos-based food delivery startup Chowdeck just landed $9 million in fresh funding. If you’re not familiar, this is one of the rare companies that’s profitable — yes, profitable — in a sector known for burning cash.
Even more impressive? They’re doing it in Nigeria and Ghana, where food delivery comes with its own set of logistical challenges. But Chowdeck seems to have found a winning formula: deliver local favorites fast, figure out the economics early, and move quickly without cutting corners.
A Tough Market, Cracked
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Founded in October 2021 by Femi Aluko, Olumide Ojo, and Lanre Yusuf, Chowdeck is not your average delivery app. In just three years, it’s grown to serve over 1.5 million customers across 11 cities using a network of more than 20,000 riders. Half of its deliveries in dense cities even happen by bicycle — it’s local, practical, and efficient.
While big international players like Jumia, Glovo, Bolt Food, and Yango have either pulled out or scaled back in parts of West Africa, Chowdeck has doubled down. And their numbers show it’s paying off:
- In 2024, the value of meals delivered on Chowdeck grew more than 6x compared to the year before.
- By mid-year, they had already surpassed their full delivery totals for all of 2024.
So what’s the secret?
Chowdeck doesn’t enter new cities or verticals unless they plan to break even in just a few weeks. And that’s not just talk. When they expanded to Ghana in May, they hit 1,000 daily orders within months — all without spending a dime on advertising.
What They’ll Do With $9 Million
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The $9 million Series A was led by Novastar Ventures, with support from Y Combinator (who’ve backed them from the start), Rebel Fund, GFR Fund, Kaleo, AAIC Investment, HoaQ, and others. According to CEO Femi Aluko, this money is going toward some major upgrades:
- Launching a “quick commerce” model for ultra-fast delivery of groceries and essentials.
- Opening 40 dark stores (local warehouses for faster delivery) by the end of this year — and 500 by 2026.
- Rolling out two to three new stores each week.
- Hiring top talent to keep pushing product and operations forward.
- Scaling their grocery segment and shortening delivery times even more.
And here’s where things get even more interesting: Chowdeck recently acquired Mira, a point-of-sale software tool for African restaurants and hospitality businesses. Mira manages inventory and tracks orders in real-time — useful not just for restaurants, but for optimizing Chowdeck’s own logistics. They’re slowly shifting from being just a delivery app into something broader: a vertical software-plus-logistics company.
Why This Matters
Food and grocery delivery in Africa is still a new habit for many. As Aluko puts it, “A whole generation is growing up ordering food without ever having walked into some of the restaurants…on our platform.” It’s a moment of cultural and consumer shift — and Chowdeck is right at the center.
Unlike some peers who tried to force Western playbooks onto African cities, Chowdeck is building locally — understanding the food people want, the infrastructure that exists, and the pace at which people are willing to adopt something new.
Brian Waswani Odhiambo at Novastar Ventures summed it up perfectly: “With deep local insight, a sustainability-first approach, and impressive execution, [Chowdeck] is redefining last-mile delivery on the continent.”
What’s Next?
If they hit their goal, Chowdeck will scale from delivering local jollof rice and suya to becoming a go-to app for groceries, essentials, and real-time commerce.
500 dark stores. More cities across Nigeria and Ghana. Even tighter delivery times. All profitably.
It’s a massive bet — but so far, it looks like one that might actually work.
For startups looking to thrive in emerging markets, Chowdeck is shaping up to be a blueprint worth watching.
Keywords: Chowdeck, food delivery Africa, Nigeria startup, Chowdeck Ghana expansion, quick commerce, last-mile delivery, African super app, profitable food delivery, YC-backed startups Africa, dark stores Africa.
