Nigerian food delivery startup Chowdeck raises $9m to drive quick commerce and expand operations

Chowdeck, Africa’s leading on-demand delivery platform, has raised $9 million in Series A funding to expand into more cities in Nigeria and Ghana and roll out a quick commerce strategy aimed at speeding up grocery and local market deliveries.

The equity round was led by Novastar Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, AAIC Investment, Rebel Fund, GFR Fund, Kaleo, HoaQ, and others.

The investors bring global networks, sector expertise, and operational know-how to help Chowdeck scale sustainably and navigate Africa’s complex logistics landscape.

The fresh capital will support faster, more reliable delivery of food, groceries, and medicine. Chowdeck’s quick commerce push, powered by dark stores and hyperlocal logistics, will cut delivery times, improve service coverage, and accelerate entry into underserved cities.

Commenting on the raise, Femi Aluko, CEO and co-founder of Chowdeck, said, “We’re thrilled about this round as it brings us closer to our vision of becoming Africa’s number one super app, transforming how millions of Africans access food, groceries and essentials every day.”

“This funding will supercharge our growth plans, enabling us to expand into more cities, reduce delivery times, scale our grocery footprint, and attract the best talent to drive innovation and customer satisfaction.”

Launched in October 2021, Chowdeck has become the go-to technology partner for food and hospitality businesses in Africa, offering solutions from logistics and inventory management to payments and analytics. Last year, the startup raised a $2.5 million seed round.

Today, it serves over 1.5 million customers through more than 20,000 riders across 11 cities, with average delivery times of 30 minutes.

The value of meals delivered via its platform in 2024 surged more than sixfold from the previous year, with 2025 already surpassing the total from last year.

Its recent acquisition of Mira, a provider of modern POS systems for the food and hospitality sector, will also allow it to develop new tech-driven solutions to boost growth and enhance the customer experience.