Chowdeck Raises $9M Series A to Boost Food Delivery Reach in West Africa

Femi Aluko, Chowdeck CEO & Co-Founder

Chowdeck, the Y Combinator-backed on-demand delivery startup, has raised $9 million in Series A funding to fuel its expansion across West Africa, particularly in Nigeria and Ghana. This funding round comes on the heels of Chowdeck’s successful entry into the Ghanaian market, underscoring investor confidence in its hyper-local strategy tailored to African consumer behavior.

The Series A round was led by Novastar Ventures, a prominent pan-African investment firm, and saw strong participation from both existing and new investors. These include Y Combinator, AAIC Investment, Rebel Fund, GFR Fund, Kaleo, and HoaQ. The capital will be used to deepen Chowdeck’s presence in key cities, enhance its logistics infrastructure, and expand its offerings beyond meals to include groceries, pharmaceuticals, and traditional market goods.

This funding milestone is particularly notable given the current global venture capital slowdown, where Series A rounds have declined by nearly 10%. In Africa, only a few tech startups, such as Rivy, SeamlessHR, and Raenest—have recently reached this stage. Chowdeck now becomes the first Nigerian food delivery platform to secure a Series A, joining the ranks of high-growth Nigerian startups like Flutterwave and Moniepoint that have successfully scaled beyond early-stage funding.

We’re still just scratching the surface. Consumer behavior has shifted dramatically in the past two years. We’re building for a generation that shops online and doesn’t even know where physical markets are.

Femi Aluko, Chowdeck’s CEO and co-founder

With over 1.5 million users and a fleet of 20,000+ riders operating in 11 cities, Chowdeck’s strength lies in its deep understanding of local preferences. Before Chowdeck, food delivery in Nigeria was largely limited to fast food staples like burgers and pizza. Chowdeck disrupted the market by offering beloved local dishes such as Amala, Ewedu, and Gbegiri, making traditional cuisine accessible via mobile.

Source: Innovation Village