Dija launches in London: Grocery delivery service founded by ex-Deliveroo execs and backed by Blossom Capital, Index, Creandum

London-based Dija is an online marketplace that guarantees to deliver groceries to your doorstep within 10-minutes. The company launched in London today and is currently active in South Kensington, Fulham, and Hackney, soon to be followed by Camden Town and rolling out to over 20 locations by summer.

Raised funding last December

In December 2020, Dija raised $20M (approx €16.57M) from Blossom Capital, Creandum, and Index Ventures. The funding will allow the startup to invest in building its team and the operational and technological infrastructure that underpins its offering.

Guaranteed delivery within 10-minutes

Dija is founded by former Deliveroo executives Alberto Menolascina and Yusuf Saban. Menolascina was the director of Corporate Strategy at Deliveroo, and Yusuf Saban was Chief of Staff to the CEO of the food-delivery unicorn, which is expected to list shortly in London. Menolascina also co-founded Everli, a same-day grocery delivery company in Italy, and more recently served as a senior executive at REEF Technology.

With Dija, customers will be able to buy branded food and non-perishable items, as well as fresh produce with a guarantee of both speed and reliability.

In a press release, the company said it is so confident in its ability to deliver exactly what is requested in the allotted time, that it is offering customers free deliveries for three months in case if it does not. “If your order doesn’t arrive in 10 minutes, Dija will deliver free for the next three months under the terms of their ‘no-quibble 10-minute turnaround guarantee’*.” 

*Dija’s 10-minute delivery and no substitution offer applies only in its first month of operation.

Yusuf Saban, co-founder of Dija said, “Dija will deliver all the goods you require on a weekly basis in under 10 minutes. Grocery stores aren’t designed to facilitate the fast fulfilment of orders, rather they are designed for browsing. We have put a 10-minute delivery speed and consummate reliability at the front and centre. Our hubs are designed so that pick and pack and fulfilment is the fastest possible.”

With 20 hubs covering areas including Clapham, Wandsworth, Acton, Islington, Mayfair, Stockwell, and Clerkenwell, due to open by summer, more than 3 million Londoners will be able to access Dija. Currently, the Dija app is available to download on Apple’s App Store.

How does Dija deliver so quickly?

Dija is operating the grocery marketplace from hubs within the local communities it serves. Besides the current delivery areas, the company plans to now open 20 further hubs, covering central London and Zone 2, by this summer.

Co-founder and CEO of Dija Alberto Menolascina said, “Gone are the days of fighting for online slots, damaged goods, and disappointing substitutions. Dija is here to change every hassle we experience with the weekly shop. We are making this time-consuming and unsatisfactory experience simple, speedy, and reliable. Dija combines brilliant execution with bespoke technology to create an exceptional experience for customers across the UK, freeing up their time and energy by delivering what consumers want, when they want it.”

To guarantee speed, Dija’s hubs are located within densely populated urban areas, right on customers’ doorstep, enabling them to deliver within 10 minutes. To guarantee the reliability, each hub carries more than 2,000 products sold at recommended retail prices. 

Dija uses data to improve efficiency and spot buying patterns so that its customers do not have to put up with substitutions or missing items.

The company’s current delivery spot, i.e South Kensington and Fulham, has seen customers convert to regular shoppers. The company claims about 40 per cent of daily orders are placed by returning customers, and the service is top-rated by 95 per cent of customers. With such figures, the company has seen results of 300 per cent growth in orders since its inception.

The startup is investing in its own fleet of e-bikes to improve the sustainability of the delivery service. Also, it is making the safety and working conditions of its workers a priority from the outset, with vehicles, bags, and uniforms chosen to keep delivery riders and drivers safe and visible on the streets.