InstaShop

What InstaShop does

InstaShop is a Dubai-headquartered quick commerce online marketplace founded in 2015 that connects consumers with local retailers across multiple product verticals. The platform aggregates more than 10,000 shops spanning supermarkets, pharmacies, pet shops, electronics, beauty, fitness nutrition and other categories, giving consumers a single-basket, same-day delivery proposition in the UAE and Egypt. The business operates as a two-sided marketplace, monetising through transaction commissions on orders routed between consumers and local merchants rather than holding its own inventory.

At scale, the platform processed $631 million in GMV in 2024, growing 16% year-on-year, with a workforce of 501-1,000 employees. The core product is a consumer mobile app and merchant onboarding layer; the underlying technology combines standard marketplace infrastructure with category expansion across 16+ verticals. In June 2023 InstaShop acquired GroCart, a B2B wholesale platform, extending its monetisation beyond the consumer marketplace into merchant-to-merchant supply relationships.

In February 2025, Delivery Hero sold InstaShop to Talabat Holding for $32 million, folding the platform into Talabat's broader regional delivery and quick commerce footprint. Going forward, InstaShop's growth is increasingly tied to Talabat's regional logistics, rider network and merchant relationships rather than operating as an independent marketplace.

Name

InstaShop

Legal name

InstaShop Ltd

Website

https://instashop.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

InstaShop is a Dubai-headquartered quick commerce marketplace founded in 2015, connecting consumers in the UAE and Egypt with over 10,000 local shops across 16+ verticals including groceries, pharmacies and electronics via a commission-based transaction model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Grocery Marketplace

NAICS

Food and Beverage Retailers (445), Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511), Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (445110)

SIC

Retail-Convenience Stores (5412), Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)

akta.pro primary industry

Kiosk & Micro-Format Convenience Retail (CRAHABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cash-and-Carry Wholesale Grocers (Business/Trade Customers) (CRAHACAB), Multi-Price-Point Convenience Discount (e.g., $1–$10) (CRAEAJAG)

Keywords

• Online grocery delivery
• Quick commerce marketplace
• On-demand retail delivery
• Multi-vertical marketplace
• Mobile grocery ordering

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Marketplace Transaction Commissions: InstaShop operates as a marketplace platform, generating revenue through commissions on transactions between consumers and partnered retailers across multiple verticals including supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, bakeries, and specialty stores.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

InstaShop is a multi-vertical quick commerce marketplace operating in the UAE and Egypt that connects consumers with more than 10,000 local shops across supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, bakeries, pet shops, organic stores, and other retail categories. Customers place orders through the InstaShop mobile app or website and receive items from 5 million-plus SKUs within 20-120 minutes, with same-day shipping on purchases. InstaShop also operates GroCart, a B2B wholesale marketplace serving traditional-trade retailers and HORECA businesses in the MENA region.

Product overview

InstaShop is a multi-vertical quick commerce marketplace platform operating primarily in the UAE that connects consumers with 10,000+ local shops across diverse categories. The core InstaShop Platform serves as the unified marketplace enabling delivery from supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, bakeries, butcheries, seafood shops, pet stores, flower shops, electronics retailers, home & living stores, stationery shops, specialty/ethnic grocery stores, organic shops, fitness nutrition providers, water delivery services, and toy/baby care retailers. The platform features distinct vertical-specific storefronts (Supermarkets, Pharmacies, Restaurants, Bakeries & Cakes, Fruits & Vegetables, Butchery & Seafood, Cosmetics & Beauty, Pet Shops, Flower Shops, Electronics, Home & Living, Stationery & Party Supplies, Specialty Shops, Organic Shops, Fitness Nutrition, Water Delivery, Toys & Baby Care, and Giving Back) each with specialized delivery timeframes and partner networks. InstaShop was acquired by Talabat in February 2025 for $32 million and operates as an independent brand under Talabat's Grocery and Retail vertical.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• InstaShop Marketplace A multi-vertical quick commerce marketplace that enables consumers in the UAE and Egypt to order from more than 10,000 local shops across supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, bakeries, pet shops, organic stores, and other retail categories via mobile app or website, with delivery within 20-120 minutes on 5 million-plus items.
• GroCart B2B Wholesale Marketplace A B2B wholesale marketplace for traditional trade and HORECA (hotels, restaurants, cafes) businesses across MENA, acquired by InstaShop, that connects small retailers and food service operators with local suppliers for inventory procurement.

Quantifiable outcome

• $631 million GMV in 2024 with 16% YoY growth
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TalabatcoreOthers · 25 February 2025Talabat Holding completed the acquisition of 100% of InstaShop Ltd from Delivery Hero SE on February 25, 2025, for a total consideration of USD 32 million. The acquisition was funded through internal cash reserves. InstaShop operates as an independent brand within Talabat's Grocery and Retail vertical, with pro forma Grocery and Retail GMV for 2024 surpassing USD 2.5 billion. Integration activities are underway to unlock operational and technology synergies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Talabat: Talabat is the leading food and grocery delivery platform in the UAE and the parent company of InstaShop; the two operate overlapping verticals (groceries, restaurants) under the same ownership, making them the most direct functional peer despite the parent-child relationship.
• Careem: Careem is a UAE super-app (Uber-owned) offering ride-hailing, food delivery (Careem Quik / food) and quick-commerce; it competes with InstaShop for the same multi-vertical on-demand consumer use cases within the same geography.
• el Grocer: el Grocer is a UAE-based online grocery delivery marketplace partnering with supermarkets and local shops; it is one of the closest head-to-head grocery delivery competitors to InstaShop in the UAE.
• Kibsons: Kibsons is a long-standing UAE online grocery and fresh-produce delivery service with its own fleet; it competes directly with InstaShop's Supermarkets and Fruits & Vegetables verticals in the same Dubai/UAE market.
• Deliveroo: Deliveroo operates food delivery in the UAE and has expanded into grocery and convenience verticals; it competes with InstaShop on the Restaurants and quick-commerce side of the platform.

Broad incumbents

• Noon: Noon is a major regional e-commerce and quick-commerce player in the UAE (Noon Daily) covering groceries, electronics and general merchandise; it is broader in scope but directly competes with InstaShop in the same on-demand grocery delivery category.
• Carrefour UAE (Majid Al Futtaim): Carrefour UAE operates its own online grocery delivery and is also one of InstaShop's largest merchant partners; the dual role makes it both a customer and a competitor in the UAE online grocery space.
• Amazon.ae: Amazon.ae is the dominant e-commerce platform in the UAE with growing grocery and same-day delivery capabilities; it competes with InstaShop's broader marketplace and Supermarkets vertical from a much larger incumbent position.

Regional players

• Jahez: Jahez is the leading food and quick-commerce delivery platform in Saudi Arabia with a similar marketplace model; comparable in technology and category mix though serving a different GCC geography than InstaShop.
• HungerStation: HungerStation is a major Saudi food and grocery delivery platform (Jahez group) operating a multi-vertical marketplace analogous to InstaShop, but focused on Saudi Arabia rather than UAE/Egypt.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/InstaShopUAE
• Facebookfacebook.com/instashopDeliveryApp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/instashop-convenience-delivered

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about InstaShop