One of the largest food delivery platforms in the world changed hands in February 2025, when the meal delivery platform Takeaway announced its acquisition by an international tech investment company, which is also one of the largest online food delivery platforms in Europe. The $8.5 billion deal is part of a large push by Prosus to establish a strong position in the fast-growing food delivery market. Here we break down the key elements of the acquisition, what it could mean for a handful of industries, and what it could mean for consumers and competitors.
Who Are Prosus and Takeaway?
Prosus is a global consumer internet group as well as one of the largest tech investors in the world and was spun out of Naspers, a media and e-commerce company based in South Africa that is well-known to many (including myself) for its investment in Tencent (0700. HK) and Delivery Hero (DHER. DE) and Swiggy. It focuses on lucrative sectors such as e-commerce, fintech, and food delivery.
Takeaway. Com: Takeaway. Founded in 2000, Takeaway. Com is a large online food delivery firm with a presence in over a dozen European countries, from the Netherlands to Germany and Poland. It’s known for its easy-to-use app and a wide variety of restaurants among its partners.
Why Did Prosus Buy Takeaway. Com?
The deal comes as Prosus looks to expand its presence in the food delivery market. Takeaway. Com’s existing setup and solid presence in Europe offer a strong target. By acquiring Takeaway. Via Prosus, it has contributed millions of users and a vast restaurant network that helped cement its place in an intensely competitive food delivery market.
Bob van Dijk, the chief executive of Prosus, announced the acquisition, calling it “a strategic step that will enable us to develop a more integrated, efficient food delivery ecosystem. Takeaway. “com’s unique expertise and market reach is a natural extension of our current investments and will help accelerate growth across the industry.”
Key Details of the Deal
Value: $8.5 billion. Meal delivery offers don’t come bigger than this one.
Consideration: Cash and Prosus Share* (1,135 crores for Prosus Share)
Timeline: The transaction is slated to close in approximately mid 2025 pending regulatory clearances.
What Kind of Food Delivery Carrier Are You?
The Prosus-Takeaway. deal — will send ripples through the food delivery business:
This gives other competitors a run for their money: Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Just Eat have to step up their game.
Market Consolidation: The acquisition is a symptom of a broader consolidation trend roiling the food delivery industry, with companies attempting to bolster their hold on the market and reduce expenses.
Added Services: Deploying Takeaway’s Assets through Prosus. With Grub. Com’s know-how will lead to faster delivery, better app performance, and more restaurants to choose from, as users can anticipate.
Implications for Customers What Does It Mean for Customers?
For consumers, the merger could be a mixed bag:
Benefits:
Restaurants are more available and have exclusive offers.
Better functions of the app like real-time tracking and custom recommendations.
Better logistics resulting in faster delivery times
Challenges:
Less competition may mean higher delivery fees.
Smaller independent delivery platforms may struggle to keep up.
Next Prosus Things next for Prosus takeaway
After that, Prosus plans to integrate Takeaway post-acquisition. Com’s existing food delivery portfolio, with investments in Delivery Hero and Swiggy. It’s on an agenda to create a flawless, seamless, world-encompassing food delivery network that leverages the best of all the platforms.
Takeaway. Com’s chief executive, Jitse Groen, was optimistic about the deal: “Aligning with Prosus will enable us to accelerate our growth and do an even better service to our customers and restaurant partners.”
Conclusion
The acquisition of Takeaway. Prosus’s $5.3 billion public offer for Just Eat is a mega meal deal that underscores the growing significance of the food delivery industry. This move may also fundamentally alter the competitive landscape and bring new standards of service and innovation as the sector evolves.
For consumers, the deal could result in better convenience and more options even as it has stoked fears of concentration in the market and of higher prices.
