Glovo

Glovo
Company type
Subsidiary
IndustryOnline food ordering and delivery
FoundedFebruary 2015[1]
Founders
  • Oscar Pierre
  • Sacha Michaud
[1]
Headquarters
Barcelona
,
Spain
Areas served
Multiple countries[2]
OwnerDelivery Hero (2022–present)[3]
WebsiteOfficial website
Bike courier

Glovo is a Spanish on-demand delivery company headquartered in Barcelona. It operates a mobile app that connects customers with local businesses and couriers for deliveries of food, groceries and other items.[1] Glovo was founded in 2015 by Oscar Pierre and Sacha Michaud.[1] Since July 2022, it has been majority-owned by the German delivery company Delivery Hero.[3]

History

Glovo began operating in 2015 and expanded from Spain into other markets after raising venture funding.[1] In 2017, it announced a €30 million Series B funding round led by Rakuten Capital and Cathay Innovation.[1]

In April 2019, Glovo raised €150 million to finance international expansion.[4] In December 2019, Glovo announced another €150 million funding round and said the raise pushed its valuation above US$1 billion.[5]

In September 2020, Delivery Hero agreed to acquire Glovo's Latin American operations in a deal valued at up to €230 million (including an earn-out).[6]

In December 2021, Delivery Hero agreed to increase its stake in Glovo and become the majority shareholder.[7] Delivery Hero said the transaction closed in July 2022, leaving it with approximately 94% of Glovo's shares on a non-diluted basis.[3]

Operations

Glovo operates a multi-sided marketplace that enables users to place orders from participating restaurants, grocery stores and other retailers, which are then delivered by couriers arranged through the platform.[1] A 2022 Reuters report described Glovo as operating in 23 countries at that time.[2]

Response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Glovo temporarily suspended operations in Ukraine, later resuming limited service; Reuters reported that the company said it would provide humanitarian support through the platform.[8]

Controversies

Labour classification

Glovo has faced legal and regulatory disputes in Spain over the employment status of its couriers. In September 2022, Spain's labour ministry announced a fine of about €79 million over alleged labour-law violations related to the hiring of riders.[9][10]

In January 2023, Spanish authorities announced an additional fine of €57 million, citing alleged misclassification of riders and other labour violations.[11]

In December 2024, Delivery Hero said Glovo would transition its riders in Spain to employee status, citing legal uncertainty around the freelance model.[12]

Competition law

On 2 June 2025, the European Commission fined Delivery Hero and Glovo a combined €329 million for participating in an online food delivery cartel, including a no-poach agreement and the exchange of commercially sensitive information.[13][14][15]

See also

  • Cyclologistics

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Lomas, Natasha (4 October 2017). "European on-demand delivery startup Glovo raises €30 million Series B". TechCrunch. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  2. ^ a b "FEATURE-The delivery apps making gig work a 'digital wild west'". Reuters. 1 February 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  3. ^ a b c "Delivery Hero welcomes Glovo to the Group – all closing actions taken" (Press release). Delivery Hero. 4 July 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  4. ^ "Spanish startup Glovo raises 150 million euros to fund overseas growth". Reuters. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  5. ^ Lomas, Natasha (19 December 2019). "Spain's Glovo grabs $166M Series E for its 'deliver anything' app". TechCrunch. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  6. ^ Lomas, Natasha (16 September 2020). "Delivery Hero picks up Glovo's LatAm ops for $272M in latest food delivery consolidation". TechCrunch. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  7. ^ Lomas, Natasha (3 January 2022). "Why Delivery Hero is acquiring a majority stake in Spanish delivery company Glovo". TechCrunch. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  8. ^ Thykjaer, Christina (9 March 2022). "Delivery app Glovo to provide humanitarian support in Ukraine". Reuters. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  9. ^ Thykjaer, Christina; Faus, Joan (21 September 2022). "Spain fines Delivery Hero's Glovo $78 mln for hiring breaches". Reuters. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  10. ^ Jiménez, Marimar (21 September 2022). "Trabajo multa a Glovo con 79 millones y regulariza a 10.600 de sus trabajadores". Cinco Días (in Spanish). El País. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  11. ^ Olías, Laura (24 January 2023). "Nueva multa a Glovo por falsos autónomos y 'riders' sin papeles: 57 millones de euros en Madrid". eldiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  12. ^ "Delivery Hero says Glovo riders in Spain to become employees". Reuters. 2 December 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  13. ^ "Food delivery cartel". European Commission (Press corner). 2 June 2025. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  14. ^ Chee, Foo Yun (2 June 2025). "Delivery Hero, Glovo hit with $376 mln EU antitrust fine". Reuters. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  15. ^ "EU fines Delivery Hero and Glovo €329mn for takeaway 'cartel'". Financial Times. 2 June 2025. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
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