pidedirecto Secures $5.25M to Revolutionize Fast Delivery

PideDirecto: Empowering Latin American Businesses with Rapid Direct-to-Consumer Delivery

Based in Mexico, PideDirecto is innovating the e-commerce landscape by providing a platform designed to facilitate direct sales from local businesses to consumers throughout Latin America. The company specializes in ultra-fast delivery, aiming for order fulfillment within a 30-minute timeframe.

Founding and Early Development

PideDirecto was founded in September 2020 by Hussein Fawzi, Ronni Samir, Anders Steiner, and Antonio Nacoud. Fawzi, Samir, and Nacoud initially connected as students in Sweden, where they first encountered Steiner.

Prior to PideDirecto, the founders established a corporate wellness program in 2018. This earlier venture focused on connecting employees with local restaurants for lunch and snack orders. A significant shift occurred with the onset of the pandemic.

The Pandemic-Driven Pivot

As the pandemic forced a widespread transition to remote work, demand for home delivery services surged dramatically, increasing from 10% to 80% of their customer base. This change highlighted a critical issue for businesses.

Fawzi and Samir observed that a substantial portion – between 25% and 30% – of each sale was being absorbed by delivery marketplace fees. Businesses found themselves heavily reliant on these marketplaces and their drivers, creating a sustainability challenge.

Addressing the Need for Direct Control

“This realization prompted the creation of PideDirecto,” explained Fawzi. “Our goal is to empower local businesses to expand their direct-to-consumer sales capabilities.” The platform provides businesses with online storefronts and manages the logistics of delivery.

PideDirecto functions as a comprehensive solution, akin to Shopify, but with the added benefit of 30-minute delivery services for businesses like pharmacies, retailers, restaurants, and consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands.

Seed Funding and Investor Confidence

The company recently announced a successful seed funding round, exceeding its target and raising $5.25 million. JAM FUND led the investment, with participation from Soma Capital, Acacia Ventures, Kube VC, Flexport, Y Combinator, and individual investors from companies including Grubhub, Jeeves, Par Technologies, Uber, and Google.

Justin Mateen, founder of JAM FUND, stated via email, “PideDirecto is simplifying and making cost-effective the process for brands to establish a scalable direct-to-consumer sales channel in a matter of minutes.” He further expressed enthusiasm for supporting the team’s mission to empower brands and strengthen their customer relationships.

Growth and Performance

Since its launch just over a year ago, PideDirecto has experienced a consistent monthly growth rate of 32%. The company currently serves approximately 1,000 brand clients and has processed over 500,000 orders.

Pricing and Service Model

PideDirecto operates on a SaaS (Software as a Service) model, with pricing plans beginning at $125 per month. This base package includes delivery services and essential marketing tools.

Higher-tier plans offer additional features, such as a dedicated website, unlimited ordering capabilities, and advanced marketing functionalities. Consumers are responsible for covering the delivery fees, as noted by Fawzi.

Competitive Advantage

While numerous delivery services and ordering applications exist in Latin America, Samir emphasized that PideDirecto distinguishes itself by offering a complete and integrated suite of products. This allows businesses to maintain a presence on marketplaces while simultaneously owning their direct sales channels and ensuring consistent customer service across all communication platforms.

“The core function of these businesses is sales, yet many overlook the distinct nature of logistics and e-commerce,” Samir pointed out.

Future Plans and Expansion

The newly acquired capital will be allocated towards expanding the technology team to develop future product enhancements. PideDirecto also intends to invest in marketing initiatives and broaden its reach within Mexico.

Furthermore, the company plans to extend its operations to new countries, including Colombia and Costa Rica, before the end of the following year.

Vision for the Future of Commerce

As PideDirecto prepares for a Series A funding round, Fawzi articulated the company’s ambition to create an all-in-one platform for businesses to effectively manage and scale their online sales operations. A key focus will be on seamless integration with existing marketplaces and the onboarding of brands onto its operating system.

“The future of commerce is inherently hybrid, requiring businesses to serve customers across all sales channels,” he concluded. “We are building the essential infrastructure to enable merchants to achieve this, leveraging technology for online storefronts, payment processing, CRM data, marketing, and logistics.”