Amazon has led a £450m fundraising round in Deliveroo, alongside existing investors T Rowe Price, Fidelity Management and Research Company, and Greenoaks. Deliveroo says it has raised £1.2bn since it launched in London in 2013.
It comes after Amazon shut down its own UK food delivery platform, Amazon Restaurants, in 2018 after less than two years.
Deliveroo says it will use the funding to further develop its Editions ‘dark kitchens’ format, offer ‘increased support for restaurant partners’ and create a more ‘personalised experience’ for customers.
“Amazon has been an inspiration to me personally and to the company, and we look forward to working with such a customer-obsessed organisation,” says Deliveroo founder and CEO Will Shu.
Amazon is understood to have made approaches to buy Deliveroo outright in the past, according to a report in The Telegraph, which adds that Uber has also held talks with the UK-based company over a deal.
Doug Gurr, Amazon UK country manager, says the company was “impressed” with Deliveroo’s approach.
“Will and his team have built an innovative technology and service, and we’re excited to see what they do next,” he says.
Deliveroo now operates in 500 towns and cities across 14 markets worldwide, including Australia, Hong Kong, and Kuwait.
The investment will be completed in the coming months, subject to customer regulatory approvals.
