Since 2024, Chowdeck has crossed 1 million users, expanded to more cities across Nigeria, integrated AI services in its customer service operations, and expanded its operations to Ghana.Β
And now? Nigeria-born on-demand YC-backed delivery platform has acquired Mira, the point-of-sale startup founded in 2023.Β
The amount of the deal? Undisclosed. But whatβs clear is that Chowdeck isnβt just delivering food anymore. The deal adds Miraβs inventory management, in-store payments, and financing tools to Chowdeckβs arsenal.
Why does this matter? Chowdeck wants to embed itself into the heart of its vendorsβ operations. This shift is key, especially in the delivery market where margins are thin, competition is brutal, and last-mile economics are rarely kind. By expanding into point-of-sale services, payment processing, and inventory financing, Chowdeck opens up new revenue streams beyond delivery fees and positions itself as a core infrastructure provider for restaurants and retailers.
With Mira co-captaining, Chowdeck goes from last-mile courier to merchant command centre. Thatβs fewer cancelled orders, better data, new revenue streams, and a business thatβs harder to copy.
Weβve seen similar moves elsewhere. In Nigeria, Glovo teamed up with Salad Africa to give vendors loans. Piggyvest also bought a food aggregator to secure payments from food businesses. While Chowdeck is in the ring with Glovo, FoodCourt, and other delivery players, scaling a POS business puts it on a new collision course with fintech giants like Moniepoint, which recently acquired a POS outfit to chase retail merchants. Chowdeck is now fighting in two rings: food delivery and merchant infrastructure. Thatβs a much bigger bet.
Zoom out: Food delivery in Africa has long been written off as a race to the bottom due to the brutal macro challenges that have forced out the likes of Bolt Food and Jumia Food. But if this plan works, Chowdeck wonβt just survive the delivery war; it might very well become the blueprint for how to win them.
