goPuff

goPuff is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was founded in 2013 by two Drexel University students: Yakir Gola and Rafael Ilishayev. goPuff was originally an on-demand hookah delivery service but expanded to delivering food and goods typically sold in convenience stores.[7] The company began offering delivery services in Philadelphia before moving into other cities, including Seattle, Boston, Phoenix, and Atlanta.[8][9]

In 2016, goPuff raised $8.25 million in A round funding.[10] In 2019, the company reportedly raised $750 million in funding from SoftBank, with a commitment for up to $250 million more.[11][12] Also in 2019, goPuff opened a new headquarters in the Finnigan's Wake building in Northern Liberties.[13][14]

Gola and Ilishayev were included in a 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for retail and ecommerce[15] and later in the year, were together named Target Magazine's target marketer of the year.[16] While founding goPuff, Gola and Ilishayev bonded over their similar ancestries and family backgrounds,[17] and later became supporters of Drexel's Jewish community, providing funding for Drexel Chabad to purchase a new building in 2020.[18][19]

In October 2020, the company announced that it had raised $380 million in a recent funding round led by Accel and D1 Capital Partners, bringing the company's total value to $3.9 billion.[6] In November, GoPuff agreed to purchase BevMo! for $350 million.[20] The alcoholic beverage chain has 161 stores in California, Washington and Arizona.[21]

goPuff primarily delivers goods typically found in convenience stores such as snacks, drinks, household items, toiletries as well as pet and baby products like diapers.[22] Beer, wine, and spirits are available for delivery in some markets.[23]

In December 2015, goPuff launched a beer delivery service called goBeer.[24] In May 2016, they launched an alcohol delivery service called goBooze.[25][26][27]

In 2018, researchers from Northeastern University found that the goPuff mobile app recorded user interactions that involved personal information, and transmitted the resulting video to a website affiliated with analytics company Appsee.[28] Appsee criticized goPuff for violating its terms of service.[28] goPuff stated that it would remove Appsee code from future versions of its iOS and Android apps, and amend its privacy policy to disclose possible data transfer to the app.[28]

The company owns warehouses that stock many of the products it delivers, including electronics, food, medications, and pet supplies.[29]

• Official website