Chowdeck’s Strategic Pivot: Fueling Rapid Growth with Dark Stores After $9 Million Series A
Lagos-based delivery powerhouse Chowdeck has achieved remarkable growth, serving 1.5 million customers within just four years through its highly efficient service. As the company charts its course for the next phase of expansion, it is making a significant strategic bet on dark stores to supercharge its quick commerce ambitions across Nigeria. This shift represents a major investment in physical infrastructure, a departure from its initial asset-light model, and is supported by a recent $9 million all-equity Series A funding round led by Novastar Ventures.
Unleashing Ultra-Fast Delivery with Dedicated Infrastructure
Chowdeck’s evolution into quick commerce, particularly for groceries and medicines, highlighted a crucial challenge. CEO Femi Aluko explained to Techpoint Africa, “Chowdeck started because we wanted to deliver meals very quickly. We ventured into delivering groceries and delivering medicines, and we saw that it was increasingly difficult to achieve under 30-minute delivery with supermarkets and pharmacies.” To overcome these bottlenecks and consistently deliver on its promise of speed, Chowdeck is establishing its own dedicated fulfillment centers. The startup has already launched several dark stores in Lagos, strategically positioned to drastically cut down delivery times for everyday essentials. This approach has already proven successful, driving grocery delivery times down to an impressive 20 minutes or less. Building on this early success, Chowdeck has ambitious plans to open 40 more dark stores across Nigeria before the end of the year. This substantial expansion, marking a significant shift since its 2021 launch, underpins Chowdeck’s commitment to redefining last-mile delivery in the African tech ecosystem.
This strategic investment in dark store infrastructure is poised to cement Chowdeck’s position as a leader in Nigeria’s fast-growing quick commerce sector. By taking greater control over inventory and logistics, the company can ensure unparalleled delivery speed and efficiency, enhancing the customer experience and driving further market penetration. This decisive move, backed by substantial Series A funding, positions Chowdeck for accelerated growth and a dominant role in the future of African e-commerce.
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