Delivery

DoorDash to acquire Instacart in $17B deal as Q3 revenue climbs 34%

The $17B deal comes on the heels of DoorDash's record-breaking Q3 results.

Photo: Shutterstock

October 29, 2026 by Valerie Gritton — Editor, Pizza Marketplace

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DoorDash has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Maplebear Inc., Instacart's parent company, in a deal valued at approximately $17 billion or $65 per share, as the restaurant delivery platform looks to expand its reach across local commerce.

The offer represents a 26% premium to Instacart's closing share price on Oct. 22, the last trading day before media reports about a potential transaction.

According to the release, at least 75% of the consideration will be paid in cash, with Instacart shareholders able to elect cash, DoorDash stock or a combination of the two, subject to proration. DoorDash expects to fund the cash portion through existing cash and debt financing.

The proposed acquisition would pair DoorDash's delivery network with Instacart's grocery fulfillment technology, retailer relationships and advertising business. DoorDash expects to retain Instacart's brand, enterprise technology products and app following the transaction.

The companies said the combination could give local grocers and retailers access to a broader delivery network and more technology to compete with larger online retailers. The combined platform could also offer consumers more store choices, delivery options and savings opportunities.

"Grocery is one of the hardest things to get right online. Someone has to pick a ripe avocado, find a substitute you'd choose yourself, and get the ice cream to you before it melts," Tony Xu, co-founder and CEO of DoorDash, said in the release. "Instacart has spent years learning to do that well for grocers, while DoorDash has built a delivery network and technology that local stores rely on every day. Together, we could give stores of every size more of those tools and unlock the potential of grocery delivery. It's still early innings, but we know that when more people shop local, more dollars stay local."

Instacart CEO Chris Rogers said the deal would bring together the company's grocery technology and retailer relationships with DoorDash's consumer reach and logistics capabilities, giving customers access to more than 50,000 additional stores beyond the nearly 100,000 already on Instacart's platform. The companies also expect DashPass and Instacart+ members to eventually pay one membership fee instead of two, which DoorDash estimates could save members approximately $100 million annually in membership fees alone.

The agreement includes commitments to keep the platform open to local grocers, who would remain free to work with delivery services of their choice. Instacart shoppers also would retain the flexibility to choose which orders to accept and whether to take DoorDash orders.

The transaction is expected to close in late 2027 or the first half of 2028, subject to Instacart shareholder approval, regulatory clearances and other customary conditions. Until closing, the companies will continue to operate independently.

DoorDash reports record Q3 results

The acquisition announcement comes alongside DoorDash's third-quarter financial results, which showed continued growth in its core delivery business.

Revenue increased 34% year over year to $4.62 billion for the quarter ended Sept. 30. Total orders rose 28% to 993 million, while marketplace gross order value climbed 36% to $33.94 billion.

The company said it set quarterly records for marketplace gross order value, revenue and net income as it expanded membership programs, added product selection and invested in merchant services, artificial intelligence and autonomous delivery.

Excluding Deliveroo, which DoorDash acquired in 2025, total orders increased 17% year over year, marketplace gross order value rose 23% and revenue grew 23%.

The Instacart acquisition would extend DoorDash's strategy beyond restaurant delivery and deepen its position in grocery and retail. Instacart works with more than 2,200 retail banners representing nearly 100,000 stores and has built technology for online ordering, fulfillment, in-store operations and retail media advertising.

This is the second major deal of its kind in recent weeks. In September, Uber announced its purchase of ezCater for $2.3B. Uber said it was a move intended to expand Uber Eats deeper into the catering and group-ordering business,