Brazil’s largest food delivery platform will increase investment by 41% as it expands into everyday purchases beyond restaurant delivery.
iFood said it will invest 24 billion reais (about $4.7 billion) in its Brazilian business during the financial year from April 2026 through March 2027, 41% more than in the previous investment cycle.
The company will provide more details at iFood Move 2026, a forum taking place in São Paulo on Sept. 16-17. The event brings together representatives from the restaurant industry, retail and convenience stores.
The investment will be split across four key areas: restaurant development; new delivery categories, including pharmacies, supermarkets, convenience stores and pet shops; in-house technology; and iFood Pago, the company’s fintech service.
The announcement comes as competition intensifies in Brazil’s food delivery market. In 2025, 99Food, owned by DiDi, returned to the market, while China’s Meituan launched its Keeta platform in Brazil. Meanwhile, iFood remains involved in legal and antitrust disputes with competitors.
The company describes itself as a market leader rather than a dominant player.
“[Our] leadership has remained at roughly the same level as before. There are two factors at play: the weakening of other players that were previously in the market and the growth of the market itself,”
iFood CEO Diego Barreto told Broadcast.
From Ready-Made Meals to Everyday Essentials
iFood began expanding its marketplace three years ago. The company has seen particularly strong growth in pharmacy and supermarket deliveries and now plans to accelerate those businesses.
Over the past eight months, iFood has tested orders from convenience stores, pet shops and gift retailers. Barreto said those categories have also delivered significant results.
In the new financial cycle, iFood will allocate 10 billion reais to restaurant delivery and expansion into new categories. Another roughly 5 billion reais will be allocated to iFood Pago, which provides financial services to businesses.
Technology and Artificial Intelligence
iFood is also expanding iFood Turbo, its fast-delivery service in major cities. The company expects to meet growing demand by improving the efficiency of its logistics operations.
More than 2 billion reais will be invested directly in technology and innovation. iFood will continue developing AI agents and its Large Commerce Model (LCM), a generative AI model it is developing with Prosus for e-commerce and delivery.
Financing for Small Businesses and Couriers
iFood is expanding access to credit through iFood Pago. The service is aimed primarily at small and medium-sized businesses, which account for more than 70% of the company’s partner base and have traditionally had limited access to bank financing.
As the number of orders is expected to grow, iFood forecasts an increase of nearly 20% in couriers’ total earnings. More than half of that amount, according to iFood, will come from direct payments by the company.
Competition
Last year, iFood sued delivery service 99Food, accusing it of unfair competition. In May 2026, a São Paulo court specializing in corporate disputes ruled against 99Food. The company said it plans to appeal.
Three years ago, iFood reached an agreement with Brazil’s antitrust authority, CADE, which will remain in effect until mid-2027. The agreement includes measures to address the effects of alleged antitrust violations, including those related to iFood’s exclusive agreements with partner restaurants.
In late August 2026, iFood asked CADE to open a case against food delivery platform Keeta, accusing it of predatory pricing. According to iFood, the Chinese company is subsidizing its Brazilian operations with funding from its parent company and offering services below cost to gain market share and push out competitors.
Keeta rejected the allegations, saying iFood was trying to divert the authorities’ attention from its own antitrust investigation.
According to iFood, its platform currently connects 65 million consumers with 500,000 businesses in 2,800 cities. More than 180 million orders are placed through the platform each month, while the number of partner couriers stands at 600,000.
Source: UOL
