Grocery delivery app Weezy raises $20m for London expansion
Grocery delivery platform Weezy has raised $20m (£14.6m) to fund its expansion in London and across the UK as it cashes in on bumper demand during the pandemic.
Weezy, which offers local grocery deliveries in 15 minutes, said it will use the funding to add 50 employees to its London-based team over the next four months.
It will open new warehouses in Lambeth and London Fields this month, adding to existing locations in Battersea, Clapham, Fulham and Chelsea.
Weezy is also looking to expand outside the capital, with 40 more UK sites set to open this year.
The series A funding round was led by New York-based venture capital fund Left Lane Capital. UK-based fund DN Capital also took part in the round, alongside existing investor Heartcore Capital and angel investors including Groupon founder Chris Muhr.
Weezy, which was founded in July last year, uses pedal bikes and electric mopeds to deliver fresh produce and household products.
The startup has benefitted from surging demand for home delivery services as millions of Brits have been forced to stay at home during the Covid-19 crisis.
Major supermarkets have pumped money into their delivery services, alongside other platforms including Amazon Fresh and Farmdrop.
But Weezy has attempted to outdo its rivals on delivery time, with the average order arriving in under 15 minutes.
“People are no longer happy to wait around for deliveries, and there is strong demand for a more efficient service,” said co-founder and chief executive Kristof Van Beveren.
“Weezy customers love the friendliness of our team, the quality of our produce, and our quick, accurate delivery times. This new funding round will allow us to expand the team and our footprint to bring Weezy to more customers across the UK.”