Uber Technologies announced Thursday it has reached a deal to acquire German-based Delivery Hero for approximately $15 billion, a move that will create the largest food-delivery network outside of China. The transaction marks a major consolidation play in the fiercely competitive global food-delivery market.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a company statement that the acquisition will double the number of markets where Uber offers both mobility and delivery services. He highlighted the creation of a “denser combined network” for couriers and drivers that he argued will “drive higher order volumes.” The deal is expected to close later in 2027.
The purchase will expand Uber Eats into 65 countries across Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia—all regions where Delivery Hero currently operates. The combined entity will be the largest food-delivery group outside China, where Meituan dominates with a platform gross merchandise value of roughly $246.5 billion last year.
Despite potential antitrust hurdles, Delivery Hero’s supervisory board chair, Kristin Skogen Lund, defended the deal as the “right move.” She noted that the food-delivery business is “highly competitive and scale-dependent” and that building from a European base has proven challenging. “Joining forces with a strong partner now is the right move for Delivery Hero to best secure its future competitiveness and ability to deliver value for all our stakeholders,” Lund said.
Delivery Hero CEO Niklas Östberg expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, citing Uber’s global platform and shared commitment to innovation. “Uber’s global mobility and delivery platform and our shared commitment to innovation make this the right partnership to build on Delivery Hero’s strengths in local food delivery and Quick Commerce, and to take our Everyday App strategy further for our customers,” Östberg said in Uber’s statement.
Founded in 2011, Delivery Hero grew rapidly through a series of acquisitions but later retreated from some markets to focus on profitability, according to Reuters. Under the deal, the company is expected to maintain its Berlin headquarters and workforce until at least 2029. Uber has also committed to investing 2 billion euros in Germany through 2031.
The deal comes as Uber and DoorDash have emerged as two of the world’s leading food-delivery services outside China. The acquisition underscores the intense pressure on delivery companies to achieve scale in a market where margins remain thin and competition is fierce. Antitrust regulators in Europe and elsewhere are likely to scrutinize the deal closely, given the combined market power of the two firms.
This consolidation mirrors broader trends in the tech and delivery sectors, where companies are seeking to achieve economies of scale. The deal also highlights the growing importance of quick commerce and everyday delivery services, areas where Delivery Hero has been expanding.
