ChoundacA lagos-based food delivery startup that has been beneficial in one Notorious and low-marketing marketA quick commercial strategy has been raised $ 9 million into a series A fund to introduce strategy and expand more cities in Nigeria and Ghana.
The equity round was led by Novastar Ventures, which included Y Combinator, AAIC Investment, Ribel Fund, GFR Fund, Kaleo, Hauq and others. Investors are betting on the team’s ability to connect local market expertise with execution and changing a difficult difficult area in a profitable super app for food, grocery items and essential things.
“We are thrilled about this round because it brings us closer to our vision to be the number one super app of Africa,” CEO and Co-Founder Phemi Aluko Said. “This funding will be able to supercharges our growth plan, which will enable us to expand more cities, reduce delivery, reduce our grocery footsteps and attract the best talent for innovation and customer satisfaction.”
Established by Aluko in October 2021, Olumide ozoAnd Lanre YusufChoundac is now operated in 11 cities of Nigeria and Ghana, which serves 1.5 million customers with a network of over 20,000 riders. Its logistics system average 30 minutes per order, and in dense areas, more than half of delivery comes by bicycle.
While the leading players have excluded or withdrawn their African operations, Choundak has bent in the complexity of local markets – local food, an operational hard challenge – an operational hard challenge to create confidence with customers.
In 2024, the value of food distributed via Choundak exceeded six times the previous year. This year, the company says it passed its total 2024 before July.
The new funding will help Choundak roll out by a network of Quick Commerce, Ultra-Fast delivery by a network of dark stores and hyperlocal logistics hubs. The company plans to open 40 dark stores by the end of this year and has launched 500, two to three new stores each week by the end of 2026. Choundac Gather $ 2.5 million Seed round last year.
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Food distribution is a crowded business globally, but when done well, it has given birth to some other big companies. Doordash,
On the other hand, Quick Commerce is a capital-intensive gamble in most markets. in Europe, Gorilla and Getir Burned through hundreds of million dollars before retreat or consolidated. In India, platforms like Nap, Zepto And Swiggy When it comes to profitability, the level of success with the model was different.
Choundak has been beneficial before this lifting and Aluko says that the company does not enter cities or verticals without a plan to break within a few weeks.
For example, food distribution forum Neighbor entered Ghana in MayWithin three months, It was handling 1,000 daily orders Without the paid advertisement, which according to allukes, has come from paint-up demand for a service that provides international cuisine as well as local favorite. The company aims to quint 5,000 daily orders in that quantity by the end of September 2025.
Aluko says that Choundak plans to apply the same playbook to dark stores, which will complement the operation of its restaurants and grocery delivery.
Another vertical will be complementary software to these functions. This June, YC-supported startup acquired MeeraA point-selling provider for African food and hospitality businesses. Meera’s devices manage inventory and order in real time; Now, it will help Choundak to customize its operation, the company will have to bring to the restaurant as a vertical mother-in-law-logistics provider.
Choundac growth is a win for local players in the region, After jumia exit Left market share for foreign brands such as Glovo, Bolt Food and Yango. As yet, Some of these companies Also withdrawn From some marketsIncluding Nigeria and Ghana, which is now aggressively targeted aggressively.
Super apps such as Gojem, YC-supported YasirAnd Mant Other local companies are providing food distribution services to other African markets.
“The market is still very early,” said Aluko. “Customer behavior is shifting online for the first time. An entire generation is ordering food on our platforms without walking in some restaurants or markets.”
For major investors Novastar Ventures, the condition is on execution and local insight. “Choundek is creating a future for African cities,” said partner Brian Vaswani Odhimbo. “With deep local insight, a stability-first approach, and impressive execution, it is redefincely defines the final-meal distribution on the continent.”
