US delivery giant Gopuff is set to take over grocery startup Dija in a bid to “create a leading platform across Europe”.
It marks the second acquisition of a UK business by the $15 billion Pennsylvania “unicorn” in the space of three months.
The purchase will give Gopuff a foothold in London and mainland Europe, including Paris, Madrid and Valencia.
It already operates in Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle.
READ MORE: Gopuff acquires delivery startup Fancy
Rumours about a Dija buyout surfaced in June, when sources indicated the 10-minute grocery startup needed at least $150 million to stay afloat.
Dija bosses are also thought to have approached Berlin-headquartered Gorillas, which itself looks at risk of a takeover by US behemoth DoorDash in a “fire sale”.
Gopuff executive Daniel Folkman said that Dija’s infrastructure and “local expertise” would allow the business to “scale rapidly” as it expands across the continent.
“We will continue to innovate and define the Instant Needs economy across Europe and bring the category to more customers in the region,” he added.
Dija believes that its founders are staying on and no employees will lose their jobs.
“With our team’s extensive experience of building and scaling food and delivery companies across Europe, we are perfectly positioned to lead the everyday essentials space in Europe,” Dija co-founder Alberto Menolascina said.
In May, Gopuff acquired Fancy, a startup which claimed to deliver at “supermarket prices” in under 30 minutes.
Folkman hailed the buyout as an “important first step” in the US business’ expansion across the UK and the rest of Europe.
The news comes after Ocado boss Tim Steiner warned that, despite attracting a recent wave of investment, rapid delivery firms would fail to put a dent in the grocery market.
Instead, he argued, major retailers offering the “lowest price”, “largest range” and “freshest food” would continue to dominate.
According to IGD, the UK’s sub-60 minute “quick commerce” market is worth £1.4 billion.
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