Chowdeck, a Lagos-based food delivery company, has raised $9 million in a Series A funding round.
The investment will drive the company’s quick-commerce strategy and support expansion in Nigeria and Ghana.
The round was led by Novastar Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, AAIC Investment, Rebel Fund, GFR Fund, Kaleo, HoaQ and other investors.
Scaling a Profitable Model
Founded in October 2021 by Babafemi (Femi) Aluko, Olumide Ojo and Lanre Yusuf, Chowdeck serves 1.5 million customers in 11 cities with support from more than 20,000 riders.
Average delivery times hover around 30 minutes, and in densely populated areas, over half of all deliveries are made by bicycle. The company has made profitability a core principle, only entering new markets or verticals when it can achieve break-even within weeks.
In 2024, the total value of meals delivered through the platform grew more than sixfold compared with the previous year. By mid-2025, Chowdeck had already surpassed its full-year 2024 volume.
Building Quick-Commerce Infrastructure
The new funding will accelerate Chowdeck’s rollout of quick-commerce infrastructure, with plans to open 40 dark-store fulfillment hubs by the end of 2025 and scale to 500 by the end of 2026. The company aims to launch two to three new locations every week during this period.
In June 2025, Chowdeck acquired Mira, a point-of-sale provider for food and hospitality businesses. Mira’s inventory and order-management tools will be integrated into Chowdeck’s platform to help vendors manage operations more efficiently while strengthening the company’s logistics capabilities.
Founder’s Vision
“We’re thrilled about this round as it brings us closer to our vision of becoming Africa’s number one super app,” said CEO Femi Aluko. “Our focus has always been on building a sustainable, profitable business that solves real problems for both customers and merchants. This investment allows us to scale that mission faster.”
By combining its delivery network with vendor-focused technology, Chowdeck is positioning itself to become a leading super app for Africa’s fast-growing urban markets.
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