Chowdeck raises $9M in funding to speed up grocery and food deliveries across Nigeria and Ghana

In many African cities, getting fresh groceries delivered quickly is still a frustrating gamble — slow delivery times, patchy logistics, and limited coverage often leave consumers waiting hours for essentials. Now, Nigerian-born on-demand delivery startup Chowdeck wants to change that. The company has raised $9 million in Series A funding to expand across Nigeria and Ghana and launch a quick commerce strategy aimed at slashing delivery times for groceries, food, and essentials.

The round was led by Novastar Ventures with backing from Y Combinator, AAIC Investment, Rebel Fund, GFR Fund, Kaleo, HoaQ, and others. Each brings different sector experience, global connections, and operational know-how that Chowdeck plans to tap as it grows.

With $9M Funding, Chowdeck Aims to Launch Quick Commerce and Expand Across Africa

The fresh funding will fuel its push into more cities, build out dark stores for faster order fulfillment, and strengthen its hyperlocal logistics network for food, groceries, and medicine. Quick commerce, supported by these micro-warehouses, will give Chowdeck more control over inventory and make it possible to deliver faster, especially in areas where traditional supply chains slow things down.

Founded in October 2021, Chowdeck has quickly carved out a leading position in Nigeria’s and Ghana’s delivery markets. Its technology supports food and hospitality businesses with logistics, inventory management, payments, and performance tools, allowing merchants to keep operations running smoothly and customers happy. The company now serves more than 1.5 million customers through a network of over 20,000 riders in 11 cities. Orders typically arrive in about 30 minutes, and the value of meals delivered on the platform in 2024 was more than six times higher than the year before. It’s already surpassed that total this year, setting the stage for another record in 2025.

Chowdeck’s rise has been fueled by a mix of local execution, reliable delivery, and strong partnerships with vendors who see it as more than just a delivery app. Its recent acquisition of Mira—a provider of modern POS solutions for food and hospitality businesses—gives it another edge. Mira’s product development capabilities will help Chowdeck roll out new tools to boost growth and improve customer experience.

Commenting on the funding, Femi Aluko, CEO and co-founder of Chowdeck, said:

“We’re thrilled about this round as it brings us closer to our vision of becoming Africa’s number one super app, transforming how millions of Africans access food, groceries and essentials every day. 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.”

For Novastar Ventures, the investment is a bet on Chowdeck’s ability to reshape last-mile delivery in African cities. “Chowdeck is building the future of logistics for African cities by creating a platform that benefits consumers, vendors, and riders alike,” said Brian Waswani Odhiambo, Partner at Novastar Ventures. “With deep local insight, a sustainability-first approach and impressive execution, Chowdeck is redefining last-mile delivery on the continent. We’re very excited to partner with Chowdeck in this next phase of growth as it scales its offering and helps create a more inclusive, sustainable, and efficient urban economy.”

With momentum on its side, Chowdeck is positioning itself not just as a delivery service, but as a key infrastructure player for Africa’s growing digital economy.

ChowDeck co-founder and CEO: Femi Aluko (Credit ChowDeck)