Uber to buy Postmates for $2.65 billion to expand delivery

Uber Technologies Inc. agreed to acquire Postmates Inc. for $two.sixty five billion to grow in foodstuff delivery after the coronavirus pandemic cratered demand from customers for ride-hailing, its main company, and an earlier try to acquire Grubhub foundered.

The all-inventory offer is a modest consequence for Postmates, the moment a pioneer of the gig economic system that was outmaneuvered by deep-pocketed competition. It had been valued at $two.4 billion in an investment final 12 months, a man or woman with information of the subject claimed at the time.

Uber estimates that it will challenge about eighty four million shares of widespread inventory for 100 p.c of the totally diluted equity of Postmates, the enterprise claimed in a assertion asserting the offer Monday.

“Postmates is extremely complementary to Uber Eats, with differentiated geographic target regions and shopper demographics, and Postmates’ solid interactions with smaller- and medium-sized dining establishments, specially community favorites that attract consumers to the Postmates brand,” Uber claimed in the assertion.

Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, the head of Uber’s foodstuff-delivery company, is envisioned to oversee the blended operation, a man or woman with information of the plan claimed Sunday night. Underneath their agreement, Postmates co-founder Bastian Lehmann and his workforce will keep on to take care of the Postmates company, claimed one more man or woman, the two of whom asked not to be determined talking about a private offer.

In its assertion, Uber claimed it options to maintain the Postmates application operating individually, supported by a extra successful, blended service provider and delivery network.

Due to the fact the start of the pandemic, Uber has minimize extra than a quarter of its personnel and exited or pared back some firms, these types of as electric bikes and economical products and services, so it could target on core regions: ride-hailing and foodstuff delivery. Global rides plummeted 70 p.c, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi claimed in June. Uber Eats has been a shiny place for the enterprise as keep-at-house orders and cafe closures have prompted extra consumers to purchase in.

Uber sees advantages of combining with Postmates past just meal delivery. Postmates has also been an early pioneer in delivery-as-a-company, complementing Uber’s attempts in shuttling groceries, necessities and other products, the enterprise claimed. Places to eat and retailers will advantage from instruments and technologies to join with a more substantial consumer foundation, according to the assertion.

“Platforms like ours can energy substantially extra than just foodstuff delivery—they can be a massively essential component of community commerce and communities, all the extra essential for the duration of crises like COVID-19,” Khosrowshahi claimed in the assertion. He famous that Uber Eats bookings in the next quarter are up extra than 100 p.c from a 12 months earlier.

Uber’s proposed acquisition of Grubhub fell via final thirty day period when European rival Just Take in Takeaway.com NV acquired it as an alternative for $seven.3 billion. Uber’s bid for Grubhub, one particular of the larger sized players in the U.S. foodstuff delivery market, was very likely to have elevated antitrust concerns, according to marketplace analysts. The two collectively would have managed extra than half the U.S. market.

An acquisition of Postmates is a lot less very likely to raise regulatory scrutiny simply because it would not change substantially in the aggressive natural environment. Postmates, a distant fourth, would give Uber a company lead more than Grubhub, but the blended enterprise would still trail SoftBank-backed DoorDash Inc., the nationwide leader. Postmates would reinforce Uber’s placement in Los Angeles and the American Southwest, two markets where by the brand is strongest.

Uber executives have been vocal for months about seeking to travel consolidation in the foodstuff delivery market, though. Postmates and Uber have allied just before. The two firms sued California final 12 months, alleging a state law that took effect this 12 months designed to give gig employees unemployment protections is unconstitutional.

The transaction is envisioned to shut in the initial quarter of 2021, pending regulatory approval, Uber claimed.