DoorDash compra Instacart por US$ 17 bilhões

DoorDash has agreed to acquire Instacart for a whopping US$ 17 billion, marking a new chapter in its consolidation strategy within the delivery sector. The purchase price equates to $65 per Instacart share, a 26% premium to Instacart's October 22nd closing price, which was the last trading day before Bloomberg broke the news of the two companies negotiating.

Approximately 75% of the deal's value will be paid in cash, with a portion derived from a bridge loan from JP Morgan. The remaining amount will be covered by DoorDash shares. DoorDash plans to finalize the transaction between the end of 2027 and the first half of 2028, retaining the Instacart brand, app, and tech products developed by the company.

By making this move, DoorDash aims to gain traction in grocery delivery, which CEO Tony Xu sees as the fastest-growing segment in the industry. DoorDash is already the leader in restaurant delivery, and has already invested in grocery delivery through new distribution centers and DashMart stores, which serve as both physical stores and distribution points.

Xu explained that "ordering groceries online is one of the hardest things to get right. Someone has to pick a ripe avocado, find a substitute you would choose and deliver the ice cream before it melts." "Instacart spent years figuring that out well for high-income markets, while DoorDash built a delivery network and technology that local stores rely on daily," he said.

The deal will help Instacart compete with Amazon and Walmart, as Instacart's app average customer is from a relatively high-income demographic that uses the service regularly. Combined, DoorDash and Instacart will hold 23% of U.S. grocery online sales, according to Bernstein. Instacart founder Apoorva Mehta said that the two companies had previously discussed a potential merger.

According to the Financial Times, Instacart had even negotiated with Uber. Under the agreement, DashPass monthly pass holders and Instacart+ subscribers will pay a single monthly fee instead of two. Delivery drivers, who are independent contractors, will have the option to choose between DoorDash or Instacart orders. The Instacart acquisition is just another acquisition in DoorDash's string of recent deals.

Last year, the company purchased British Deliveroo for £ 2.9 billion (around $3.9 billion), as well as SevenRooms, hospitality technology, and Symbiosys, digital advertising. Earlier this month, DoorDash struck a deal to buy Grubhub, a widely used app for university dining. DoorDash stock rose 6% today in the afternoon session, while Instacart stock fell 1.4%.