Cairo-based grocery delivery startup Appetito has acquired Tunisian startup Lamma for an undisclosed sum, it said in a press release (pdf) yesterday. The merger is expected to close by the end of 3Q2022 and will give Appetito access to Lamma’s markets in Tunisia and Morocco.

About the companies: Established in March 2020, Appetito is an online platform offering next-day or pre-scheduled grocery and home supply deliveries in Cairo, Alexandria, and Giza. The company uses a network of dark stores — warehouses that store consumer goods purchased online. The acquisition comes a few months after Appetito raised USD 2 mn in pre-series A funding from several Africa-focused investment companies. Lamma launched in Tunisia in 2021 and operates a similar e-delivery platform. It first rolled out in Morocco at the beginning of 2022 and has plans to expand to other African markets.

Dream team: The two startups are “a perfect match,” Lamma co-founder Yassir El Ismaili said, adding that the new entity would help in expanding into new markets in the continent. El Ismaili will joini Appetito as its chief expansion and growth officer.

The acquisition puts Appetito on track to become the biggest on-demand delivery player in Africa, CEO Shehab Mokhtar said. “I’m delighted to welcome unparalleled talent and like-minded entrepreneurs to our family. We believe it’s the best time to expand in Africa to solve the huge in-efficiencies in the retail supply chain,” he said.