Dija Secures $20M Funding Round Led by Blossom Capital

Dija, a recently established startup in the U.K. created by former leading personnel from Deliveroo, is nearing a $20 million funding milestone, as reported by TechCrunch.

Several sources indicate that Blossom Capital, the venture capital firm established by Ophelia Brown – previously of Index and LocalGlobe – is leading this funding round, which is still pending finalization. The specific other investors involved remain unknown, but it’s understood that the opportunity attracted significant interest and multiple proposals from prominent investment firms. Representatives from both Blossom Capital and Dija have not provided any statements.

Operating within the convenience store and delivery sector, Dija was founded by Alberto Menolascina and Yusuf Saban, both of whom previously held significant roles at Deliveroo for several years.

Mr. Menolascina formerly served as Director of Corporate Strategy and Development at the food delivery company, having progressed through a number of positions. He also co-founded Everli (previously known as Supermercato24), an Italian grocery delivery service similar to Instacart, and gained experience at Just Eat.

Mr. Saban previously held the position of Chief of Staff to the CEO at Deliveroo and also worked at the investment banking firm Morgan Stanley.

Essentially, both founders possess extensive experience in food distribution and logistics, spanning both early-stage ventures and large-scale operations. Both Menolascina and Saban played key roles in Deliveroo’s Series D, E, and F funding efforts.

Currently, limited information is publicly available regarding Dija, other than its intention to provide convenient and fresh food delivery through a network of “dark” convenience stores. This involves establishing highly localized fulfillment centers in densely populated urban areas to facilitate exceptionally fast delivery times. This approach appears comparable to goPuff, a U.S. company supported by Accel and SoftBank, or potentially Weezy, a U.K.-based startup.

However, the viability of this business model has not been universally demonstrated, and success will likely depend on substantial capital investment, giving Dija a promising initial advantage. Furthermore, the increased consumer demand for online grocery services during the pandemic underscores the importance of opportune timing.