Uber and iFood Forge Strategic Partnership in Brazil Amid Market Shakeup

Uber Technologies and iFood, Brazil’s leading food delivery platform, announced a strategic partnership on Wednesday aimed at unifying ride-hailing and delivery services in Latin America’s largest market. The collaboration will allow users of each app to access services from the other, marking a new era of convenience for Brazilian consumers.

Starting in the second half of 2024, the integration will enable:

• iFood users to book Uber rides directly within the iFood app.

• Uber users to order food, groceries, pharmacy items, and convenience goods through iFood’s delivery infrastructure from the Uber app.

Why It Matters

The move signals a cooperative shift between two former rivals, three years after Uber Eats exited Brazil in 2021 due to iFood’s overwhelming market dominance.

“Only around half of iFood and Uber customers in Brazil use both platforms. This partnership represents a big milestone,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.

“It’s a major step forward… innovating together to offer a new way to access everyday services,” added iFood CEO Diego Barreto.

By the Numbers

• Uber in Brazil:

  • 30 million active users

  • 1.4 million drivers and couriers

  • 11 billion completed trips in Brazil (out of 61 billion globally)

• iFood:

  • 55 million active users

  • 360,000 couriers

  • 120+ million orders per month in over 1,500 cities

Competitive Backdrop

The announcement comes just days after China’s Meituan, the world’s largest food delivery company, revealed plans to invest R$5 billion (~$890 million) to enter Brazil under its Keeta brand, signaling rising competition in one of the world’s fastest-growing delivery markets.

The Uber–iFood partnership could serve as a defensive strategy to solidify user engagement and stave off new entrants like Meituan by offering a broader range of services within a single app ecosystem.

As Brazil continues to digitize its urban mobility and food delivery sectors, this partnership sets the stage for cross-platform super-app functionality, streamlining daily life services for millions of users.