Gorillas
Becoming a unicorn in 9 months by subsidizing every delivery is not a business — it's a bonfire of investor cash.
2020 → 2023
$1.3B
Quick Commerce/Grocery
Germany
IdeaProof AI Failure Score
What Happened: The Timeline
May 2020
Gorillas founded in Berlin during COVID-19 lockdowns
Mar 2021
Becomes fastest European unicorn at 9 months old
Oct 2021
$1B Series C at $3B valuation
2022
Rider strikes, layoffs, exits multiple markets
Dec 2023
Acquired by Getir in fire sale, effectively shut down
Root Causes
Gorillas became the fastest European startup to reach unicorn status — just 9 months after founding. The Berlin-based grocery delivery company promised 10-minute delivery and burned through $1.3B trying to scale across Europe. Worker strikes, operational chaos, and negative unit economics plagued the company. In late 2023, Getir acquired Gorillas in a fire sale, effectively ending its independent existence. The rapid rise and fall of Gorillas epitomizes the quick commerce bubble of 2020-2022.
Frequently Asked Questions
Could This Failure Have Been Prevented?
IdeaProof's AI validates market demand, competitive positioning, and business model viability in minutes — catching the exact issues that sank Gorillas.