DoorDash Hungers for Deliveroo, Hits Back at Uber Eats
JET & Delivery Hero drop middling Q1s, Uber partners with VW
The big boys are out to play today! We’ve got some industry-rattling news, from continent to continent. There are big acquisitions, huge lawsuits, so-so financial results and even hot new AVs… read on!
Today:
DoorDash Eyes Deliveroo
Uber in Legal Trouble?
Chart Time | JET & Delivery Hero Q1s
Uber Teams up with VW on AVs
M&A | DoorDash Offers $3.6 Billion for Deliveroo
DoorDash is making a play for London-based Deliveroo, with an all-cash offer to snap up the smaller 3PD for 180 pence per share, working out to about $3.6 billion USD. Will Shu-helmed Deliveroo sounds interested, noting it “would be minded to recommend such an offer to… shareholders.” Roo’s shares have oscillated around £1.30 each over the past year, meaning this tender comes at a nice premium.
The Big Picture: Deliveroo has about $900 million in cash on hand, and did about $2.7 billion in revenue last year, meaning this acquisition should be quite easy for DoorDash to swallow, given its own annual revenue neared $11B and it has over $5B in cash on its balance sheet. Deliveroo’s got a big presence in the UK, France, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Singapore, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE; this will help DD fill in some missing pieces since it bought Wolt in 2022 for $2.8 billion in stock: that Finnish deliverer is strong in Central & Northern Europe, as well as Japan.
LEGAL | DoorDash Seeks Dismissal of Uber Lawsuit
DoorDash is asking the California Superior Court to dismiss Uber’s lawsuit in its entirety; DD believes its “motion demonstrates that Uber’s grab-bag of claims are without merit.” DoorDash also claims Uber’s February lawsuit is “nothing more than a cynical and calculated scare tactic” and that it is using an “ill-fitting” state law normally applied to employee non-competes to justify its claims. Uber’s suit revolves around the two company’s white label delivery offerings — Uber Direct and DoorDash Drive — with Uber alleging its competitor coerces major restaurant chains into making exclusivity agreements, boxing out Uber.
The Big Picture: If Judge Christine Van Aken rules in DoorDash’s favor, that could mean Uber has two legal headaches this summer; the company is also in hot water with the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC sued Uber, alleging deceptive billing and cancellation practices tied to its Uber One membership program, which offers discounts on deliveries and ridehailing. The FTC claims Uber fails to provide a simple way for users to cancel memberships, and charges without consent. Uber contends “Uber One’s sign-up and cancellation processes are clear, simple, and follow the letter and spirit of the law,” and “Uber does not sign up or charge consumers without their consent, and cancellations can now be done anytime in-app and take most people 20 seconds or less.”
CHART TIME | JET’s Flat in Q1
Just Eat Takeaway.com released its Q1 trading update, showing 0% change in GTV YoY, while total orders fell 6%. The company has reiterated its earlier guidance for the year, aiming for Adjusted EBITDA in the range of €360 to €380 million. Delivery Hero had a Q1 update of its own, noting GMV was up 9% YoY on a like-for-like basis, while also reaffirming its annual guidance.
AUTONOMY | Uber Adds VW to its AV Roster
Uber is teaming up with Volkswagen to deploy the ID. Buzz AD on the Uber platform in multiple U.S. markets, starting with Los Angeles. Testing is set to begin later this year, with rides available on Uber scheduled for 2026. MOIA, VW’s autonomous mobility brand, will provide its integrated solution for autonomous driving and a software-based system for deployment on the Uber platform. The two mobility giants expect to deploy “thousands” of the retro-futuristic vans over the next decade.
The Big Picture: Uber continues to broaden its autonomy playbook, linking up with just about every robotaxi and autonomous delivery player out there, in contrast with its earlier strategy to develop AV hardware in house. Richard Willder, Uber’s Global Head of Autonomous Policy, shared more on the company’s approach at Curbivore 2025. He appeared on stage with Avride’s Chief Commercial Officer Sergei Kirillov; the two companies are collaborating on both autonomous passenger and goods movement.
A Few Good Links
Wonder & Grubhub revive Seamless brand in NYC with “dollar slice” promo. Vroom Delivery heads to c-stores. NLRB says Amazon must negotiate with SF Teamsters. Zomato under investigation for antitrust issues. Waymo hits 250k rides per week. Avride hits 1,300 deliveries per day at OSU. Lime turns to cargo bikes for scooter maintenance. Delivery Hero exits Thailand. Yandex Uzbekistan expands delivery operations. Embattled BluSmart turns to climate funds for attempted relaunch. DoorDash rolls out new community guidelines, touts green initiatives. Instacart Caper Carts head to Schnucks. Grubhub VP of Growth talks risk. Chipotle wobbles in Q1. Canada Post nears strike. Gopuff and Koddi collab on ad measurements. Uber CEO teases demise of human drivers by 2040. Domino’s same store sales dip. Shipt adds 11 food orgs to LadderUp. Temu adds tariff import charges.
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