Lagos-based food delivery platform Chowdeck has secured $9 million in Series A funding to grow its Nigerian and Ghanaian operations and roll out a quick-commerce strategy for ultra-fast delivery of meals, groceries, and daily essentials.
The funding round was led by Novastar Ventures, with contributions from Y Combinator, AAIC Investment, Rebel Fund, GFR Fund, Kaleo, and HoaQ, among others.
“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,” said CEO and co-founder Femi Aluko.
Founded in 2021 by Femi Aluko, Olumide Ojo, and Lanre Yusuf, Chowdeck operates in 11 cities across Nigeria and Ghana, serving 1.5 million customers with a network of more than 20,000 riders. The company has been profitable since launch, achieving an average delivery time of 30 minutes, with over half of dense-area orders completed by bicycle.
The startup intends to open 40 “dark stores” by the end of 2025 and expand that number to 500 by 2026, adding up to three new locations per week. Its Ghana operations, launched in May 2025, reached 1,000 daily orders in under three months, without paid advertising.
Novastar Ventures described Chowdeck as “building the future of logistics for African cities” through sustainable and disciplined execution. The company’s transaction value in 2024 was more than six times that of 2023, and that record was surpassed before mid-2025. Chowdeck had previously raised $2.5 million in seed funding.
In June 2025, Chowdeck acquired Mira, a point-of-sale solution for the African food and hospitality sector, which will help streamline restaurant operations and strengthen its position as both a logistics and software solutions provider. The brand is positioning itself as a homegrown rival to global competitors like Glovo and Bolt Food.
