Startup Lieferheld
Delivery Hero and Lieferheld raise another €40 million
Hot on the heels of a new round of funding, Berlin-based Delivery Hero continues to stamp its name on the burgeoning online food-delivery industry with a series of bold manoeuvres. The latest investment was a significant €40 million Series D round headed up by Moscow-based Kite Ventures, bringing Delivery Hero’s haul to around €80 million in total funding to date.
The developed world’s appetite for convenient online-food ordering has only just begun to rumble, and the latest funding puts Delivery Hero in a prime position to continue its steady expansion. With operations in 11 major countries, including Germany (known locally as startup Lieferheld), UK, Korea and Russia, Delivery Hero boasts a network of over 22,000 restaurants already, a number that’s growing by the day.
Founded by Fabian Siegel and Niklas Östberg, in less than 2 years from establishment the company’s rate of growth has been astounding, a fact readily noted:
“We are one of the fastest-companies in the world,” Siegel said in a statement, “The current round provides us sufficient capital to fuel our aggressive international growth plans”.
The strategies employed by Delivery Hero have enabled the company to quickly secure footholds in many major markets (outside of the US) by enthusiastically acquiring smaller competitors and beating slow-moving markets to the punch.
The numbers behind the rapid expansion speak for themselves. In the first quarter of 2012, online orders increased by 84%, and annual revenue hit more than €250 million. With over 32 million meals ordered through the platform, employee numbers have increased to match the pace; Delivery Hero now employs over 400 people across several countries with no sign of slowing down.
Keep your eyes on the online-food delivery market – it’s only just beginning to heat up.