Delivery Firm Instacart Reportedly Explores Sale Options With Uber, DoorDash As Potential Buyers

• Instacart has hired an investment bank to review its strategic options and has held preliminary takeover talks with major competitors Uber and DoorDash. 
• With a market value of roughly $12 billion, the firm's acquisition price could be between $16 billion and $17 billion, The Information reported.
• Any potential transaction is expected to face intense regulatory investigation due to antitrust concerns over overlapping market share in food and grocery delivery. 

Instacart (CART) is actively exploring a potential sale, engaging financial advisers and holding preliminary discussions with prospective buyers, including rivals DoorDash (DASH) and Uber (UBER).

The move could mark the conclusion of the grocery delivery pioneer’s 14-year run in which it played a central role in supplying households during pandemic-era lockdowns. The stock currently holds a market capitalization of approximately $12 billion.

A standard takeover premium of 30% to 40%—typical for public tech company acquisitions—could price a buyout in the range of $16 billion to $17 billion. However, discussions remain ongoing, and there is no guarantee that a definitive agreement will be reached, The Information reported.

CART stock gained about 9% on Friday and slipped 0.5% after-hours.

Regulatory Obstacles Ahead

Any proposed takeover of Instacart is expected to draw substantial scrutiny from antitrust authorities. Because potential suitors like DoorDash and Uber already operate established grocery delivery services, combining with a direct rival would trigger close regulatory oversight.

Antitrust officials under the current Trump administration have demonstrated a willingness to approve corporate deals provided certain conditions are met, such as requiring companies to divest specific assets. Still, direct horizontal mergers among dominant market players face rigorous scrutiny.

This is not the first time Instacart has contemplated a takeover. In 2021, when the company was privately valued at $39 billion, it held preliminary sale talks with DoorDash that could have valued the business at $40 billion to $50 billion. Those negotiations ultimately collapsed due to concerns over obtaining antitrust approval from Biden administration regulators.

Instacart Financial Performance

Instacart listed its shares publicly in 2023 at a $10 billion valuation, following a post-pandemic slowdown in consumer delivery demand. While its stock price has grown 70% since its public debut, its top-line expansion has lagged larger industry competitors despite its expansion into digital advertising.

Instacart recorded annual revenue growth of 11% in both 2024 and 2025, down from 19% in 2023. By comparison, DoorDash achieved a 28% revenue increase in 2025, while Uber’s total revenue climbed 18% during the same period, bolstered by its core ride-hailing operations. Increased competition from e-commerce giant Amazon (AMZN), which continues to scale its own grocery operations, has also put pressure on Instacart's market dominance.

Broader Sector Consolidation

DoorDash has expanded its footprint through international acquisitions, buying European delivery service Wolt for $8 billion in 2022, then acquiring British delivery provider Deliveroo and hospitality software platform SevenRooms last year.

Similarly, Uber has recently struck deals to acquire European firm Delivery Hero for roughly $15 billion and workplace catering provider Fooda. 

CART Stock: Retail View 

Retail sentiment on Stocktwits was ‘bullish’ with ‘high’ message volumes. 

CART stock has gained about 23% year-to-date.

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