Instacart, a major player in grocery delivery, has reportedly begun initial conversations with Uber and DoorDash regarding a possible sale, as highlighted by a recent report from The Information.
According to sources familiar with the situation, an investment bank is currently aiding Instacart, which has an estimated valuation of around $13 billion, in exploring its options.
It’s suggested that if a buyer were to acquire the company, the price tag could be between $16 billion and $17 billion, assuming a premium of 30% to 40%, based on trends from recent tech sector sales.
Interestingly, Instacart, once valued at $39 billion during the pandemic boom, is considering this sale as its current market valuation hovers around $12 billion. This shift is notable, especially as Uber and DoorDash are actively growing their own grocery delivery services and engaging in significant acquisitions in the food delivery space.
An Instacart representative chose not to comment when approached by The Post.
However, any acquisition by these two companies might attract scrutiny from antitrust regulators due to overlapping grocery delivery operations.
In fact, past discussions between DoorDash and Instacart in 2021, when Instacart’s valuation stood between $40 billion and $50 billion, were largely hindered by these antitrust concerns, which could pose obstacles to securing approval under the current administration, as noted by The Information.
Previously, Instacart entered into an agreement with Uber in 2024 to facilitate restaurant deliveries via Uber Eats through its app. Also, last year, Uber began using technology from Instacart for advertising grocery placements on its platform.
Earlier talks between Uber and Instacart didn’t lead to conclusive offers either, as Uber redirected its focus towards other acquisitions, according to reports.
Despite Instacart’s efforts to expand its advertising capabilities, it still trails far behind Uber and DoorDash in terms of revenue growth.
Originally, Instacart was valued at $39 billion during a funding round in 2021 as grocery delivery surged in popularity. Yet by the time it went public in 2023, that figure had dramatically dropped to around $10 billion.
Since its IPO, Instacart shares have increased by approximately 70%. However, revenue growth has slowed markedly, dropping from 19% in 2023 to just 11% in the subsequent two years.
In the second quarter, the company managed to generate $480 million in free cash flow, with a year-over-year revenue increase of 14%, bringing total revenue to just over $1 billion. Instacart plans to use most of its free cash flow this year for share repurchases.
Meanwhile, DoorDash reported a robust 28% revenue growth in 2025, compared to an 18% increase at Uber, which also has the ride-hailing sector influencing its overall business.
It’s also worth noting that Amazon, which owns Whole Foods, has been expanding its grocery delivery operations lately.
DoorDash, currently valued at about $80 billion, has made several significant acquisitions in recent years, including Deliveroo and restaurant software company SevenRooms, along with a European platform called Wolt for roughly $8 billion.
Uber, with a market valuation of around $135 billion, has made headlines this year by agreeing to a $15 billion deal for Delivery Hero and over $2 billion for catering service ezCater.
However, The Information suggests that Uber’s recent acquisition activities could complicate any potential bid for Instacart. As it stands now, discussions with potential buyers remain ongoing, but no sale has been finalized, leaving the outcome uncertain.
