Delivery service Chowdeck secures $9 million in Series A funding, planning to accelerate delivery speeds and expand operations in Nigeria and Ghana.
Chowdeck Secures $9 Million in Funding for Rapid Expansion and Quick Commerce in Africa
Chowdeck, an on-demand delivery platform, has secured $9 million in Series A equity funding, led by Novastar Ventures. The funds will be used to expand the company's reach across Nigeria and Ghana, focusing on a quick commerce model to enhance the speed and efficiency of grocery and local market deliveries.
With 1.5 million customers and 20,000 riders across 11 cities, Chowdeck is poised for growth. Femi Aluko, CEO & co-founder of Chowdeck, stated that the funding will accelerate growth plans, enabling expansion into more cities, reducing delivery times, and scaling the grocery footprint.
The strategy includes opening approximately 40 new "dark stores" — specialized fulfillment centers to facilitate deliveries in under 20 minutes. This marks a strategic shift to investing more in physical infrastructure to support quick commerce and improve customer experience.
Chowdeck aims to optimize logistics to maintain an average delivery time of 30 minutes, with goals to reduce it to 20 minutes or less for grocery deliveries through dark stores. The company also plans to expand its customer base beyond the current 1.5 million users and support over 20,000 riders.
In addition to this, Chowdeck aims to build an integrated platform offering seamless payments, inventory management, and real-time performance tools that empower merchants and enhance end-user satisfaction. The platform will also be used to improve merchant tools and customer experience following the acquisition of Mira, a point-of-sale provider for the food and hospitality sector.
The company is also hiring top talent to drive innovation and customer satisfaction, supporting its ambition to become Africa’s leading super app for food, groceries, and everyday essentials.
Brian Waswani Odhiambo, Partner at Novastar Ventures, commented that Chowdeck is building the future of logistics for African cities and redefining last-mile delivery on the continent. The new investors in Chowdeck bring sector expertise, global networks, and operational know-how to navigate Africa's logistics challenges.
Notably, Chowdeck's meal delivery value in 2024 was 6x higher than in 2023, and the company has already surpassed last year's total in 2025.
References: [1] TechCrunch. (2021, October 22). Chowdeck raises $9 million to scale its on-demand delivery platform across Africa. TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/22/chowdeck-raises-9-million-to-scale-its-on-demand-delivery-platform-across-africa/
[2] Ventureburn. (2021, October 22). Chowdeck raises $9m to expand on-demand delivery service in Nigeria and Ghana. Ventureburn. https://ventureburn.com/2021/10/chowdeck-raises-9m-to-expand-on-demand-delivery-service-in-nigeria-and-ghana/
[3] Disrupt Africa. (2021, October 22). Nigerian and Ghanaian on-demand delivery platform Chowdeck raises $9m Series A. Disrupt Africa. https://disrupt-africa.com/2021/10/22/nigerian-and-ghanian-on-demand-delivery-platform-chowdeck-raises-9m-series-a/
[5] Ventureburn. (2021, October 22). Chowdeck raises $9m to expand on-demand delivery service in Nigeria and Ghana. Ventureburn. https://ventureburn.com/2021/10/chowdeck-raises-9m-to-expand-on-demand-delivery-service-in-nigeria-and-ghana/
The funding secured by Chowdeck will not only be utilized for expanding the business across Nigeria and Ghana, but also for investing in technology to support the quick commerce model and improve customer experience.
With the new funding, Chowdeck aims to establish more connections in the finance industry, potentially opening up opportunities for partnerships and collaborations in the realm of business and technology.
