Instacart has held preliminary discussions with Uber and DoorDash about a potential sale as the two companies expand their grocery delivery operations, according to The Information.
The grocery delivery platform – which has a market value of about $13 billion – is working with an investment bank to evaluate its options, with a potential deal estimated to value the company at $16 billion to $17 billion if a buyer pays a 30 per cent to 40 per cent premium.
However, talks remain at an early stage, and no formal bid or agreement has been reported.
A potential acquisition would come as Uber and DoorDash continue to expand beyond their core food delivery businesses through acquisitions.
DoorDash – which is valued at around $80 billion – acquired Deliveroo and restaurant software company SevenRooms last year, following its $8 billion acquisition of European delivery platform Wolt in 2022.
Uber – valued at about $135 billion – has agreed to acquire Delivery Hero’s Foodpanda business for roughly $15 billion and workplace catering service ezCater for more than $2 billion.
Aside from grocery delivery, Instacart also generates revenue from advertising and technology services for retailers, including e-commerce software and Caper smart carts.
For the second quarter, the business reported revenue of $1.043 billion, up 14 per cent year on year, while advertising and other revenue increased 16 per cent. Net income reached $111 million, with free cash flow at $480 million.
However, its growth has slowed compared with DoorDash. Instacart’s revenue rose 11 per cent in both 2024 and 2025, while DoorDash recorded 28 per cent growth last year.
Uber and Instacart reportedly explored a possible transaction in 2021, but discussions ended partly due to antitrust concerns.
Industry analyst Zak Stambor said the Trump administration had shown a “greater willingness” to approve deals, potentially with conditions such as requiring companies to sell parts of their businesses.
Instacart is scheduled to report its next results on November 5.
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