Chowdeck Raises $9M to Boost Quick Commerce Expansion in Africa

Chowdeck, a Lagos-based food delivery startup, has raised $9 million in Series A funding, led by Novastar Ventures alongside investors including Y Combinator, AAIC, Rebel Fund, GFR Fund, Kaleo, and HoaQ.

“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,” CEO and co-founder Femi Aluko said.

Founded in 2021 by Femi Aluko, Olumide Ojo, and Lanre Yusuf, Chowdeck currently serves 1.5 million customers across 11 cities in Nigeria and Ghana, supported by a fleet of over 20,000 riders.

The company boasts profitability since its inception, achieving an average order delivery time of 30 minutes, with more than 50% of dense-area orders fulfilled by bicycle.

Chowdeck’s new quick commerce strategy relies on establishing dark stores and hyperlocal logistics hubs, aiming to open 40 dark stores by end-2025 and 500 by end-2026, or two to three stores per week.

This aggressive rollout replicates the success of the Ghana launch in May 2025, where Chowdeck hit 1,000 daily orders within three months without paid advertising.

Chowdeck’s growth has been remarkable, its 2024 meal delivery value was more than six times that of 2023, and that 2024 milestone was already surpassed before mid-2025.

The startup previously raised $2.5 million in a seed round last year, highlighting strong investor confidence.

In June, Chowdeck acquired Mira, a point-of-sale platform for African food and hospitality businesses, bolstering its operations and positioning the company as both a logistics provider and vertical SaaS player for restaurants.