Lagos-based food delivery company Chowdeck has raised $9 million in Series A funding to expand operations in Nigeria and Ghana and introduce a quick commerce model focused on ultra-fast delivery of food, groceries, and household essentials.
The equity round was led by Novastar Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, AAIC Investment, Rebel Fund, GFR Fund, Kaleo, HoaQ, and other investors. The company said the funding will support the rollout of dark stores and hyperlocal logistics hubs designed to reduce delivery times and extend its grocery network.
Founded in 2021 by Femi Aluko, Olumide Ojo, and Lanre Yusuf, Chowdeck currently operates in 11 cities across Nigeria and Ghana, serving 1.5 million customers through a fleet of more than 20,000 riders. The company reported an average delivery time of 30 minutes and said over half of orders in high-density areas are completed using bicycles.
CEO and co-founder Femi Aluko said, “We’re thrilled about this round as it brings us closer to our vision of becoming Africa’s number one super app. 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.”
Chowdeck intends to open 40 dark stores by the end of 2025 and 500 by the end of 2026, adding between two and three each week. The company said the model aims to replicate the rapid path to breakeven achieved in Ghana, where operations launched in May 2025 and reached 1,000 daily orders within three months without paid advertising.
Lead investor Novastar Ventures described Chowdeck as “building the future of logistics for African cities” through a sustainability-first approach and strong operational discipline.
The company has remained profitable since inception. It said the value of meals delivered in 2024 was more than six times that of 2023, and that the 2024 total was surpassed before mid-2025. Chowdeck previously raised $2.5 million in a seed round last year.
In June 2025, Chowdeck acquired Mira, a point-of-sale platform for African food and hospitality businesses, to integrate a software layer into its operations and offer vertical SaaS solutions for restaurants. The move follows the exit of Jumia Food from the Nigerian market and retrenchment by foreign competitors such as Glovo, Bolt Food, and Yango.
Aluko said the long-term goal is to provide a homegrown alternative in the race toward African super apps. “As more Africans order online for the first time, our vision is to be the go-to platform for food and essentials,” he said.
