Grocers Step It Up With Digital Convenience

Today in restaurant and grocery tech news, the 10-minute grocery delivery startup Gorillas raises nearly $1 billion in its Series C funding round, and Instacart acquires smart cart and self-service solutions provider Caper AI. Plus, Tesco takes on Amazon with cashierless checkout.

Tech Giants Aim to Capture Worldwide Ultra-Fast Grocery Delivery Demand

Around the world, the ultra-fast delivery space is heating up. On Tuesday (Oct. 19), Berlin-based 10-minute grocery delivery startup Gorillas announced a nearly $1 billion Series C fundraise, which included a $235 million investment from Germany-based global delivery giant Delivery Hero. Gorillas, founded in June 2020, operates 180 warehouses in 55 cities across nine countries.

Instacart Acquires Smart Cart Creator in Effort to One-Up Restaurant Aggregators

With the major restaurant delivery services making plays for Instacart’s customers, Instacart is stepping up its efforts to meet grocers’ digital needs. The online grocery platform announced on Tuesday (Oct. 19) that it is acquiring Caper AI, a company that creates smart carts for checkout-free shopping and computer vision checkout counters for more frictionless self-service. 

Tesco Announces Frictionless Checkout Store as Brick-and-Mortar Grocers Tap Self-Service

Amazon’s hold on the frictionless checkout space is weakening. On Monday (Oct. 18), Tesco, the largest grocery chain in the United Kingdom by market share and one of the top 10 grocery chains in the world by sales, announced plans to open its first checkout-free, computer vision-powered grocery store in the style of Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology.