Lagos-based food delivery startup Chowdeck has raised $9 million in Series A funding to scale its operations in Nigeria and Ghana and roll out a quick commerce model aimed at ultra-fast delivery of food, groceries, and everyday essentials.
The equity round was led by Novastar Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, AAIC Investment, Rebel Fund, GFR Fund, Kaleo, HoaQ, and others. Investors are backing the company’s plan to combine deep local market knowledge with disciplined execution in a sector where many global players have struggled to achieve profitability.
Founded in 2021 by Femi Aluko, Olumide Ojo, and Lanre Yusuf, Chowdeck currently operates in 11 cities across both countries, serving 1.5 million customers through a fleet of more than 20,000 riders. The startup has been profitable since launch, maintaining an average delivery time of 30 minutes, with more than half of orders in dense areas completed by bicycle.
Chowdeck plans to anchor its quick commerce strategy on dark stores and hyperlocal logistics hubs, with 40 stores to open by the end of 2025 and 500 by the end of 2026, adding two to three new stores each week. The company’s rapid path to breakeven in new markets — such as its Ghana launch in May 2025, which reached 1,000 daily orders in three months without paid advertising — has strengthened investor confidence.
Lead investor Novastar Ventures described the company as “building the future of logistics for African cities” with a sustainability-first approach and strong execution. CEO and co-founder Femi Aluko said the funding will help Chowdeck expand to more cities, reduce delivery times, scale its grocery operations, and attract top talent, with the goal of becoming Africa’s leading super app for food and essentials.
The company has also been building a software layer into its operations. In June, it acquired Mira, a point-of-sale platform for African food and hospitality businesses, to help optimise restaurant operations and position Chowdeck as both a logistics provider and a vertical SaaS player.
Chowdeck’s growth has been swift: the value of meals delivered in 2024 was more than six times that of 2023, and that figure was already surpassed before mid-2025. The startup previously raised $2.5 million in seed funding last year.
Chowdeck’s rise comes as the exit of Jumia Food reshaped the African food delivery market, leaving room for homegrown players to challenge foreign rivals like Glovo, Bolt Food, and Yango — some of which have since scaled back. The company is now positioning itself alongside other African super app contenders such as Gozem, Yassir, and MNT-Halan.
