Gorillas

Gorillas became the fastest European startup to reach unicorn status, achieving a $3B valuation just 9 months after launch. The Berlin-based instant grocery delivery company promised deliveries within 10 minutes from dark stores across major European cities. The company raised $1.3B in rapid-fire fundraising rounds, spending aggressively on expansion, rider bonuses, and customer promotions. But the unit economics were devastating: Gorillas was subsidizing every order by an estimated $5-15, and dark store rents in cities like Berlin, London, and Amsterdam were enormous. Labor disputes with riders in multiple countries added regulatory risk. By 2022, the music stopped — Gorillas laid off half its workforce and began closing markets. In 2023, Turkish rival Getir acquired Gorillas at a valuation rumored to be around $100-200M, a 93%+ decline from its peak. The combined entity itself later retreated to Turkey only.